A few track and field related items now that the season is coming to an end …
The IAAF World Track and Field Championships are just around the corner, running from August 27 – September 4 in Daegu, South Korea. We who follow track and field closely are excited about the event, though for most sports fans in the US it will slip by mostly unnoticed. After all, the Olympic Games are about the only track and field event to which most Americans pay attention. But the World Championships are as good – or better – meet. One reason is that it just focuses on track and field and not badminton, equestrian, and fifty other sports. Another reason is that the World Championships are, overall, a better competition. The qualifying standards in many events are more rigorous than the Olympic standards and more closely enforced. So the fields are often smaller and of higher quality.
In this year’s World Championships, there are at least six athletes competing with ties to the University of Arkansas. They are:
Current Razorbacks: Raymond Higgs (Bahamas – Long Jump), Marek Nitt (Estonia – 100m, 200m), Tina Sutej (Slovenia – Pole Vault)
Former Razorbacks: Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica – 100m, 100m, 2oom, 4x100 relay), Alistair Cragg (Ireland – 5000m), Jeremy Dodson (USA – 200m), Jeremy Scott (USA – Pole Vault)
Here is some sundry information on the World Championships, as well as some links to other items of interest (at least to me).
World Championships Website
More World Championship statistics than you could possibly care about
World Championships Schedule
World Championships Broadcast Schedule
Five Memorable World Championship Moments
More opinions on Oscar Pistorius (the Blade Runner), the South African double amputee who has qualified to run the 400m in the World Championships. Now some scientists are saying that his prostheses may give him up to a 10 second advantage. It is hard not to cheer for someone who has overcome the obstacles that he has, but you also want to be sure the “playing field” stays level. You can read more about it here and here.
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