+American track stars under pressure to perform at Olympics?+
-------------------------------------------------------------
By Simon Lewis
SportsTicker Contributing Writer
BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Flying the flag for American
track and field can hardly have seemed a more difficult job for
the 80-plus athletes who will represent the United States in the
Olympic Stadium from August 18-29.
An all-time low tally of 20 medals from the 2000 Olympic Games
in Sydney had the pressure mounting before the flame last
flickered beneath Australian skies. The BALCO scandal of the
last year-plus has left the sport as some of its biggest stars
have come under suspicion.
The federal investigation into the supply to elite athletes of
the previously undetectable synthetic steroid
tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) by the Bay Area Laboratory
Co-Operative has seen charges for six athletes follow, including
"The World's Fastest Man" - 100 meters record holder Tim
Montgomery.
But last month's Olympic trials in Sacramento, California saw to
it that none of those charged with doping offenses would be
representing the U.S. in individual events. Calvin Harrison's
membership of the 1,600 relay pool has since been brought to an
abrupt halt following his two-year suspension after he was found
guilty of a doping violation.
Battered and bruised though track and field undoubtedly is,
Olympic hopes are still alive for the Americans, whose best hope
for striking gold again are in the sprint events.
Maurice Greene led a phenomenal men's 100 final in Sacramento,
fulfilling his promise of victory with a blistering 9.91 seconds
to set up an Olympic title defense.
Greene's time was second-fastest in the world and fourth in the
IAAF top 10 this year, leading Justin Gatlin (9.92) and world
leader Shawn Crawford (9.93) onto the team. Coby Miller's 9.99
for fourth means the U.S. 400 relay quartet is on course for a
16th Olympic gold medal.
Only Jamaica's Asafa Powell has form anyway near approaching the
American men, while world champion Kim Collins has only run
10.10 this year. That has Greene looking for a clean sweep of
the medals by the U.S.
"My goal is to go 1-2-3 and show the world we have the best team
and sprinters," Greene said. "The only way we lose the 4x100
is if we drop the stick or don't get it around."
Crawford and Gatlin will double up for the 200 squad and be
joined by Bernard Williams. The trio will have its confidence
boosted by the injury to rival Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
A danger still remains in hometown favorite Kostas Kederis, the
reigning Olympic champion who missed last year's World
Championships with an injury. His 2004 form has not been
brilliant, but the Athens crowd will be passionately supporting
their hero.
Marion Jones collected five of America's seven women's track
medals in Sydney. The closest thing to a track superstar, she
was beleaguered by doping suspicions and failed to qualify for
the sprints in Sacramento. That puts LaTasha Colander under
pressure to keep the United States atop the podium in Athens.
Colander will be joined by diminutive University of Miami
sprinter Lauryn Williams. Christine Arron of France is favored
to win the 100, although relatively unknown Bulgarian Ivet
Lalova has run 10.77.
In the 200, the top American is specialist Allyson Felix.
Veronica Campbell of Jamaica (22.18) is the world leader and
Russia's Irina Khabarova and Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman
Islands are in form.
The women's 400 gives Monique Hennagan a medal chance as the
28-year-old senior partner of a trio which includes teenager
Sanya Richards and 22-year-old DeeDee Trotter.
Michael Johnson may no longer be around in his golden cleats to
defend his 400 title. But his successor in a Baylor vest,
Jeremy Wariner, is a medal candidate, along with Otis Harris.
As in the 400 relay, the 1,600 relay also likely will be a
head-to-head contest with the Jamaicans.
Allen Johnson's pursuit of a 110 hurdles gold began four years
ago in Sydney when he was run out of the medals. Terrence
Trammell picked up the gold and won the trials ahead of Duane
Ross as Johnson - the four-time world champion - settled for
third.
Johnson is the world leader this year at 13.05 and is intent on
reclaiming the Olympic crown he won at Atlanta in 1996. All
three Americans could medal, although China's Liu Xiang, with
two runs of 13.06 this year, is a threat.
In the women's 100 hurdles, veteran Gail Devers will be favorite
to add a hurdling gold to her two Olympic 100 titles. The
three-time world hurdling champion will face world champ Perdita
Felicien of Canada. Fellow American Joanna Hayes, nosed by
Devers by just two thousandths of a second in the trials final,
also could medal.
In the 400 hurdles, Sheena Johnson, Lashinda Demus and Brenda
Taylor all looked good at the trials in knocking world silver
medalist Sandra Glover off the team. They will have solid
competition again in world champion Jana Pittman of Australia.
The men's 400 hurdles appears wide open, with 2004 world leader
James Carter heading an American challenge that includes
resurgent Olympic champion Angelo Taylor and Bennie Brazell in
support. All three ran world top-10 times in Sacramento and are
targeting world champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican
Republic.
American distance runners have long been consigned to secondary
status behind African nations. This year should be no
different.
The exception could be Alan Webb in the 1,500. At just 22, he
is finally fulfilling the early promise of running a
sub-four-minute mile while in high school.
Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj, the world champion and fastest
this year, is the class of the field and is expected to battle
Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi for gold.
The outlook is even bleaker in the women's distance events,
where an American has not medaled since Lynn Jennings placed
third in the 10,000 in 1992. Highest hopes lie in the marathon,
where U.S. record holder Deena Kastor and South African-born
Colleen De Reuck will be vying for a place behind clear favorite
and world record-holder Paula Radcliffe of Britain.
American prospects rise again in the field events, where the
men's decathlon, javelin, long jump, triple jump, shot put and
pole vault all could produce gold medals with similar
expectations in the women's long jump and pole vault.
The shot will be memorable for the fact it will be staged in
Olympia, the site of the ancient Games. It could also present
an American clean sweep with Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa and John
Godina all getting the better of world leader and compatriot
Christian Cantwell at the trials. Those four fill the top 10
throws of the year.
The javelin sees Breaux Greer with plenty of confidence but a
doubt hanging over his fitness after suffering knee ligament
damage eight weeks ago. It did not prevent him winning the
trials, although world leader Alexander Ivanov and Russian
teammate and world champion Sergei Makarov will present tougher
competition.
Kenta Bell and Dwight Phillips are genuine contenders in the
triple and long jumps, respectively. Phillips, the world
champion, soared a personal best and world-leading 28 feet, 2
3/4 inches in Austria on August 3.
The pole vault saw Toby Stevenson and Timothy Mack dominate
2004's performance lists. World decathlon champion Tom Pappas
is joined by trials winner Bryan Clay as a potential gold
medalist, with Czech Roman Sebrle most likely to spoil the
party.
Defending pole vault champion Stacy Dragila seems sure to return
from Athens with at least a medal but will be challenged fof
gold by Russians Svetlana Feofanova and Yelena Isinbayeva. The
trio has been trading the world record all year, with Isinbayeva
most recently raising the bar in London on July 30. The record
seems destined to be broken again in Athens.
Jones' only shot for a medal is in the long jump. Her victory
at the trials after disappointment in the sprints and a
miserable qualifying round was as much a triumph of willpower as
talent.
With new coach Dan Pfaff, Jones has been working diligently on
improving her technique and looks set to come away from Athens -
and a horrible 2004 - with at least one good memory.
st 08-09-04 12:45 et
