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Liu Xiang Beats Dayron Robles in Birmingham

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:23:11 +0000

There were no incidents last Saturday when Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles met on the track for the first time since last year's controversial 110-meter hurdles final at the World Championships. Running in the Aviva Grand Prix final in Birmingham, UK, Liu led all the way and posted a world-leading and Asian record time of 7.41 seconds, with Robles second in 7.50.

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U.S. Records Set at Millrose, USATF Meets

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:50:11 +0000

Running in two different areas of the United States, Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp exchanged American indoor records in a pair of distance events Saturday. At the Millrose Games in New York, Lagat won the 5000 meters in 13:07.15 to break Rupp's mark, set last year, of 13:11.44. Meanwhile, at the USATF Classic in Fayetteville, Ark., Rupp won the 2-mile race in a U.S. record 8:09.72 to edge Lagat's 2011 mark of 8:10.07.

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Lolo Jones, Russian Jumpers Stand Out at Moscow Meet

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:40:35 +0000

There were some hot performances in Moscow at the Russian Winter meet on Sunday. Meet highlights included a strong men's long jump competition, won by Russia's Aleksandr Menkov with a world-leading 8.24-meter (27 feet, ½ inch) fourth-round attempt. South Africa's Godfrey Mokoena was second (8.04/26-4½). On the women's side, Russia's Dariya Klishina moved up to third in the world in 2012 with a winning leap of 6.86/22-6.

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Jenn Suhr, Anna Chicherova Leap to National Marks

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:36:53 +0000

Even the great athletes have bad days. But the mentally toughest athletes put the bad moments aside when competition begins again, as Jenn Suhr did Saturday (Feb. 4) at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. One week after no-heighting at the U.S. Open, Suhr beat her own U.S. indoor pole vault record Saturday, clearing 4.88 meters (16 feet) on her first attempt. Suhr set the previous mark of 4.86/15-11¼ last February.

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Will U.S. Recapture Olympic Long Jump Gold?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:12:05 +0000

The long jump is traditionally a strong American event at the Olympics, but U.S. competitors didn't come close to earning a medal on the men's side in Beijing in 2008, while Brittney Reese was fifth among women. Since then, however, Americans Reese and Dwight Phillips have captured all four outdoor World Championship long jump gold medals. The pair head into this Olympic year as early favorites to strike gold in London. Look for Mitchell Watt, Ngonidzashe Makusha and defending Olympic champion Irving Saladino to challenge Phillips. Women's contenders may range from 2011 World Championship medalists Olga Kucherenko and Ineta Radevica, to 2007 World Youth champion Darya Klishina, to Beijing gold medalist Maurren Higa Maggi.

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The U.S. Open: New Event in Familiar Home

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:37:13 +0000

The major indoor track and field season in the U.S. began on Sunday where it always starts, in New York's Madison Square Garden, but under a different name - the U.S. Open. The former opening meet, the Millrose Games, has moved a few miles down the road and will be held Feb. 11.

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Sprinters Dominated Late '00s Athlete of the Year Choices

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:36:08 +0000

Our series of profiles on the IAAF Athlete of the Year award-winners wraps up this week with the male and female honorees from 2006-2010. Read more about Usain Bolt and David Rudisha's world record-setting performances, Tyson Gay's rivalry with Bolt and Asafa Powell, plus the highlights of female stars such as Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva. Sprinters won six of the 10 Athlete of the Year awards during this 5-year period, although jumpers and distance runners also made their marks.

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Experienced Field Wins at U.S. Marathon Trials

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:44:23 +0000

The U.S. will send a marathon team with plenty of Olympic experience to the London games, although not all of that experience was gained in the marathon.

Photo: Kara Goucher will compete in her first Olympic marathon in London. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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Help for Youth Coaches with Track and Field Beginners

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:27:54 +0000

Youth coaches looking ahead to the next track and field season may be blessed with some talented, eager young competitors looking to take up a new event. Or perhaps they're new to track and field altogether. If so, check out a series of articles offering advice for coaching beginning shot putters, discus throwers, high jumpers, long jumpers, and the newest addition, hurdlers.

Can Isinbayeva Strike Olympic Gold in 2012?

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:52:10 +0000

One of the intriguing questions heading into the Olympic year of 2012 revolves around the women's pole vault. Yelena Isinbayeva is the two-time defending Olympic champion. Indeed, she set world records while earning gold medals in 2004 and 2008. But track and field fans know her recent story well. After dominating women's pole vault for five years, Isinbayeva no-heighted at the 2009 World Championships and hasn't won a world title since. Anna Rogowska won the World Championship in 2009, while Fabiana Murer won the 2010 World Indoor Championship and the 2011 outdoor World Championship. But neither Rogowska nor Murer came close to Isinbayeva's world records. The question is, can Isinbayeva again challenge her world marks?

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