Olympic Track & Field–The Real Games, Part II

 

The Olympic track and field competition begins on Friday and I’m eager for it to get underway! NBC has promised unparalleled coverage of the Olympics. If your cable or satellite provider carries the NBC family of networks, you should be able to watch a live stream of any event or pull up an archived copy via your computer, tablet, or smartphone. I’ve “tested” it out on badminton and weightlifting on both my computer and iPad and it seemed to work. I hope that I can find the time to watch some of the track and field.

 

As promised, here are some more Olympic track and field stories to get you ready for the upcoming competition. If I discover more over the next few days, I will probably just post them on Facebook. So, if you aren’t friends with me on there, please hit me up!

 

From The Running Times, here is pre-Games quiz called “Olympics Believe It or Not.”

 

Of the 2,236 athletes entered in the Olympic track and field competition, 350 of the are former, current, or committed athletes at US colleges and universities. The SEC (including Missouri and Texas A&M) leads the list of conferences with 77 athletes. Southern California, Auburn, and Florida State lead the list of schools with twelve athletes each. Arkansas is next with eleven and has a list-leading five athletes who were members of their 2012 teams: Marek Niit, Raymond Higgs, Regina George, Ivanique Kemp, and Tina Sutej. None of these are competing for the US.

 

Though it is counter-intuitive, there has been years of debate on whether or not double-amputee Oscar Pistorius has an advantage over other runners because of his prosthetic legs. He is running in the 400 meters and on the 4x400 meter relay for South Africa in London. Here is Scientific American’s report on the issue. His is a pretty remarkable story, no matter what you think about the technology he uses to run.

 

The Wall Street Journal has an article called, “The Worst Way to Lose a Race.” It focuses on the 1,500 meters and brings back memories of some important Olympic races.

 

United States sprinters have been notorious at the last few major championship meets for not completing the 4x100 meter relays. Bad handoffs and dropped batons have seemed to be more common than medals. And it struck again at a recent warm-up meet for the US women’s team. Here is an article from the New York Times that looks at this in more detail.

 

Finally, here is another NYT’s article. This is on American marathoner Ryan Hall. It looks at the place that his faith plays in his running. It’s entitled “A Runner’s Belief: God is His Coach.”

Olympic Track & Field–The Real Games, Part I

 

We are through the first weekend of the Olympic Games. I thought the Opening Ceremonies were spectacular and I’ve had a chance to watch some swimming, gymnastics, cycling, team handball, badminton, rowing and beach volleyball. But, to me, the Olympics don’t really start until the track and field (or athletics for the non-Americans) begin. And that doesn’t happen until Friday. But to get you prepared, I have some interesting links to share with you about some of the people and storylines that are coming up. Here are a few of them. I will share some more on Wednesday. It will probably take you that long to get through this material!

 

First off, here is another list of good, bad, and bizarre events that used to be in the Olympic Games. Some of them sound kind of interesting!

 

In the “What Are They Doing Now?” category, here is a follow-up on four great Olympians from the past: Edwin Moses, Greg Louganis, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Mark Spitz.

 

There is always so much that goes on behind the scenes that we are often not aware of. Here are some of those stories. For instance, here is an article from the Wall Street Journal about a friend of mine, David Katz, and all that goes in to making sure the Olympic marathon course is accurate. David is in London, serving as an IAAF Technical Official.

 

Then there seems to be a fear that the World’s Official Kilogram is losing weight. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds serious and could affect everything from the weight of throwing implements to the weight of boxers and wrestlers. Or maybe not …

 

Here is a feature piece on a friend of ours from England, and the Chief Starter for the London Olympics, Alan Bell.

 

Here is a list of the longest held records in track and field.

 

Here is the Olympic track and field schedule.

 

Here is the entry list for every track and field event.

 

Here is Track & Field News’ preview of every track and field event.

Olympic Trials Recap

I wanted to make one final post regarding the 2012 Olympic Trials, which ended last Sunday. Once again, it was a great meet with so many outstanding performances that it is hard to choose the highlights. Last week, I hit some of them from the first four days of competition. Now that the dust has settled, here is what stands out to me from the 2012 Trials …

High Jump Crew – I again had the chance to serve as the chief high jump official at this year’s Trials. I was blessed to have a great group of officials to work with in Eugene.  They demonstrated professionalism and a willingness to work together to give every athlete the opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities and pursue their dreams made each of our events run smoothly, even though we had to deal with rain at each one. They made my job an easy one.

Olympic Standards – I don’t remember near as much concern about the Olympic “A” standard as we had this year. At this year’s Trials, the “A” standard (or lack of it) was conspicuous. In each of the men’s and women’s high jumps, only four athletes entered the Trials with an Olympic “A” standard. And, in each case, one of those athletes didn’t make the finals. Which means that the three who had that standard were the only ones eligible to go to London unless someone new cleared the height on that day. Though we have plenty of qualifiers in the sprints and hurdles, that’s not the case in many events. There were multiple athletes who came through with clutch “A” performances at the Trials. If you look at the US team going to London, you will notice that we aren’t sending full squads in any of the race walks, either triple jump (only one qualifier for the women), the men’s hammer, or the decathlon. (You can see the squads, minus the relay pools, here. Because of standards, not all qualifiers finished in the top three. For example, in the men's javelin, neither the first or second place finisher at the Trials is going to London, but place 3-5. In the women's 10,000 meters, Trial finishers 1, 4, and 7 make up the Olympic team.) All this seems to point to a decreasing depth among track and field athletes in the US, even though track and field is the top participation sport for high school girls and number two for boys. We are losing more and more of our top athletes to other sports because the generate more recognition, more scholarships, and more lucrative careers.

Clutch Performances – One of the most exciting parts of the 2012 Trials were the clutch performances by so many of them to not only make the team, but achieve the needed standard. There are too many to mention, but time and time again – from the men’s 10,000 meters on the first day to the women’s long jump on the last day – athlete after athlete came up with the performance of their lives to punch their ticket to London.

Galen Rupp – From his high school days, Rupp has been the great hope of American distance running. And he has lived up to that. I remember watching him at the 2009 NCAA Championships, stopping during the 5,000 meter final to put his shoe back on and then still decisively beating the rest of the field. At this year’s Trials, he won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races. In the 5,000, he beat Bernard Lagat (who finished second at last year’s World Championships) for the first time in thirteen races and broke Steve Prefontaine’s Olympic Trials record, which has stood since 1972.

Women’s High Jump – This year’s women’s high jump was special. First of all, there were great performances by both Chaunte Lowe and Brigetta Barrett. Both cleared 6’ 7”, which for Barrett was a two inch personal best. If they jump that way in London, both could vie for medals. Another reason was the excitement generated for the event. Much of that came from Chaunte, her “showmanship” and her efforts to involve the crowd. But all the athletes benefitted from it. Finally, it was special because it featured the past, present, and future of the event. Chaunte and Brigetta are in their primes (or entering their primes). But there was also Amy Acuff, making her fifth Olympic team. She will be 37 by the time the London Games start. And then there was 15-year-old Gabby Williams. She was too young to participate in the USATF Junior Championships earlier this summer, so she came to the Trials. She finished fifth, jumping 6’ 2.25”. In doing so, she tied the 21-year-old national record for high school sophomores – a record owned by Amy Acuff.

Razorback Olympians – It is always exciting to see some of the Razorback athletes make the US Team. On this year’s US squad will be Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon, Jr., and Jeremy Scott. Of course, there will also be Razorbacks on other squads: Marek Niit (Estonia), Alistair Craig (Ireland), Raymond Higgs (Bahamas), Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica), Regina George (Nigeria), and Tina Sutej (Slovenia). There are probably others that I’m missing.

Ashton Eaton – World Record in the Decathlon. Enough said.

The Dead Heat – We may never know the whole story and there are plenty of conspiracy theories.


The Agony and the Ecstasy – The drama of the Trials are what make them so compelling. There is the ecstasy: Jamie Nieto winning the high jump after not getting to go four years ago because of no “A” standard, Dathan Ritzenheim placing third and hitting the standard in the men’s 10,000 after placing fourth a few weeks ago in the marathon Trials, Brittany Borman winning and PRing with an “A” standard in the javelin on her last throw, Lance Brooks doing the same thing in the discus, Chelsea Hayes PRing by over a foot in the women’s long jump. The list could go on and on. But there is also the agony: Bryan Clay realizing his quest to be the first man to medal in the Decathlon in three Olympics had come to an end, Julia Lucas struggling down the stretch in the 5,000 meters only to lose the last spot by .04 seconds, and all the others who spent that last four years preparing for this chance only to see their dreams not come true.

Olympic Trials - First Half Recap

I have the honor of serving as an official at this summer's USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR. This is the third Trial's that I have worked and it is always a privilege that I don't take lightly. It is an opportunity to help select our Olympic team. Also, there is no better meet in the US than the Olympic Trials and, if you are a track and field fan, you owe it to yourself to attend at least one. But I also don't take this lightly because there are a lot of very dedicated and qualified officials - many of them good friends of mine whom I respect as great officials - who don't get the chance to be here.

If you haven't been keeping up with the Trials, here are a few of the highlights from the first four days. The photos come from a variety of online sources, including the Oregonian and Track and Field News.

Places and Standards - I want to make a distinction that often confuses those don't work in track and field on a regular basis. The common understanding is that the athletes who finish in the top three places in an event will represent the US at the Olympics in London. But that is only true if they hold the necessary Olympic "A" qualifying mark in their event. In some cases, an athlete may finish in the top three but have to stay home. For instance, in the women's 10,000 meters, the athletes who finished first, fourth, and seventh here in Eugene will go to London. The second-place finisher does not have the "A" standard and the third-place finisher (who does have the "A" standard) will run the marathon instead of the 10,000 in London. The women who finished fourth and seventh are highest placers with the "A" standard.

Hammertime - The Trials actually began before the meet officially began with the hammer competitions. If you are not familiar with the hammer, it is a facsinating event. Think of a shot put at the end of a three foot wire cable and thrown over 2/3 the length of a football field. These were held the day before the meet actually started on the Nike campus in Beaverton, OR. The hope was that moving the event to its own separate time and place would generate more attention to the event (and open up more room in Eugene to park television trucks). Hammertime did draw a larger and more enthusiastic crowd than they probably would have in Eugene and the reports from officials and athletes all seem to be positive.

Rain - There really aren't many places better for a major track meet than Eugene, OR. The facilities are great and they draw large, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable crowds. But Oregon also gets rain, and that has been a major story line (especially in the pole vaults) through the first half of the Trials.

Ashton Easton - I love the Combined Events and appreciate the athletes that compete in them. There is a comradery among them that is rare in athletics at this high of a level. But they realize that their primary competition is them vs. the event. So they support and encourage one another in a way that is unique. And the main story of the Trials to this point as to be Ashton Eaton. On Saturday, the 24 year-old University of Oregon graduate broke the world decathlon record (held for the past eleven years by Romen Sebrle of the Czech Republic) by scoring 9,039 points in conditions that were often less than ideal. I also appreciated the acts of sportsmanship demonstrated by some of his competitors as Ashton approached the final event - the 1,500 run. Realizing that Ashton had the victory wrapped up but that he needed to run the 1,500 considerable faster than he had ever run it before to break the world record, the two best 1,500 runners among the decathletes - Joe Detmer and Curtis Beach - chose to run with Ashton, encouraging and "pushing" him. Then, as they neared the finish line, rather than racing ahead (which they could have easily done), they backed off and let Ashton cross the line first with the new world record. It was all a very moving display of sportsmanship by Joe and Curtis and a great display of athletic ability by Ashton. And he is still probably several years away from this athletic peak.

A Dead Heat - During women's 100 meter dash final on Saturday, the unthinkable happened. Two athletes - Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh - tied for third place (and the final spot of the Olympic Team). First of all, to have two athletes tie in a race to the 1/1000 of a second is very rare. But, in most cases, it wouldn't be a big deal. They would be listed as tied for third place and you would move on. But in this case, this also meant who would or wouldn't make the US Olympic Team. There is only room for one of them to go. And USA Track and Field had no procedure in place to break that tie, because this is more of an administrative issue (who makes the team) versus a competitive issue (who finished third, they both did). It took them a couple of days to figure out a tie-breaking solution and they won't actually break the tie until next weekend. The whole process left USATF open to some criticism along the way. By the way, you need to read this interview from Sports Illustrated with my friends Roger Jennings and Bob Podkaminer. It will explain the whole scenario in more detail and it is really interesting.

Come-backs, Young Guns, and the Women's Vault - Sunday found a lot of exciting competition in both track and field. On the track, Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay finished one and two in the men's 100 meter dash. This was a comeback for both of them. Six years ago, Gatlin began a four-year suspension for using performance enhancing drugs. On Sunday, he won a US Championship, a spot in the London Olympics by running as fast (or faster) than he ever has. Tyson, who finished second, did it in just his fourth race back after having hip surgery and not running for almost a year. He should be in even better condition when the Olympics come around. In the men's long jump, "youngsters" Will Claye and Marquis Grissom battled back and forth with Claye grabbing the lead on his final jump only to see Grissom take it back on the very next jump. Both men are great pressure jumpers. Finally, Sunday also had the women's pole vault final. Three women with ties to the Razorbacks were entered. Katie Stripling Tannehill no-heighted while Janice Keppler tied for ninth and April Steiner Bennett (who make the 2008 Olympic team) tied for fifth.

Men's High Jump Final - Though we had officiated the decathlon high jump and the men's qualifying round earlier, our crew had its first final on Monday with the men. We again faced wet conditions, but our crew and the facility crew at Hayward Field did a great job of keeping water off of the apron so that the athlete's could jump without slipping. The wet conditions kept the athletes from jumping exceedingly high, but it was a very exciting competition won by 35 year-old Jamie Nieto. Jamie won the 2004 US Olympic Trials and went on to place fourth in the London Olympics. In 2008, Jamie finished tied for second at the Trials but did not have the necessary Olympic "A" standard (see above) and so he didn't get to go to Beijing. But this year, he has both the standard and the victory and will be going to London, along with Eric Kinyard (a great young jumper from Kansas State) and Jesse Williams, the defending world champion. Jesse actually finished fourth - but the third-place finished didn't have the "A" standard. And one final high jump note: all three members of our men's Olympic high jump squad are coached by Cliff Rovelto, head coach at Kansas State University.

 

Some Olympic Items to Whet Your Appetite

 

My tendency to over-commitment has shown itself over the past month and I apologize for not posting more regularly. Now that the school year is over, I hope to discipline myself to do some more regular writing.

 

I have been stockpiling articles and websites to share, so today I am going to point you towards several with an Olympic theme. We are less than three months away from the Games in London, so here are some things to whet your appetite …

 

************

 

The Guardian out of the UK is running a series called “50 Stunning Olympic Moments.” It is definitely worth your time to read what they are listed (they have listed 1-30 so far) and to keep up with the list.

 

************

 

"Below us on the cinder path were 11 wretched women, 5 of whom dropped out before the finish, while 5 collapsed after reaching the tape."

 

That was the story in the New York Evening Post after the women’s 800 meter race in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. Because of that story, and other reports of the race, women were not allowed to run more than 200 meters until the 1960 Games. But were the reports from Amsterdam true? You can read the rest of the story here.

 

************

 

This article lists the writer’s favorite movies about the Olympics. As I started thinking about it, I found it hard to come up with many movies with an Olympic theme. My favorite Olympic movie is – by far – Chariots of Fire. My other top five (in no particular order) would be: Miracle, Cool Runnings, Prefontaine, and One Day in September.

 

What movies am I missing? What would be on your list?

 

************

 

The Bleacher Report has a couple of posts that are interesting. The first is “Five Athletes Who Will Disappoint” and the second is “Six Olympic Teasers for the Casual Track and Field Fan”.

 

************

 

The New York Times recently ran a nice feature on decathlete Ashton Eaton. He, along with 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Bryan Clay and 2009 and 2011 World Champion Trey Hardee, give the US a chance at sweeping all three Olympic decathlon medals in 2012.

Track and Field Notes–Five Great Stories, All-time NCAA Cross Country Rankings & UK Envy

 

A couple of interesting posts from the world of track and field …

 

Here is a collection of five great stories from the history of track and field – Bob Beamon, Al Oerter, Billy Mills, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Bob Seagren. They are all worth your time.

 

The Faster Than Forty website has ranked the top NCAA men’s cross country programs over the last fifty years. You can access their results here. Spoiler alert: Arkansas comes in at #2.

 

The IAAF (the world governing body for track and field) announced today that the 2017 World Championship meet will be in London. I (and many others) find it frustrating that the US doesn’t even bid on these meets and haven’t submitted a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games. I’m excited for my athletics official friends in the UK, but I would love the chance to officiate those meets before I reach retirement age.

2011 World Track & Field Championships

 

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.

Happy Opening Day!

 

Today is the Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. Those who know me well know that I believe this should be a national holiday – that everyone should stay home from school or work and watch baseball today! But, alas, that will not be. However, I will make my annual trek to Kansas City for the Royals’ home opener. I’ll tailgate with three of my best friends from high school and we’ll cheer on the Royals with hearts confident that this will be the year! (You are know we are true fans, because who but true fans would continue to cheer for the Royals after all these years of disappointment.)

 

In honor of Opening Day and the start of a new season, here is my lists of the best baseball movies and the baseball songs. They aren’t in any particular order. Let me know what you think or what I may have missed …

 

Best Baseball Movies

 

The Natural (A little slow in spots, but the final home run is classic.)

A League of Their Own (Even if it is about girls, they can play the game.)

The Rookie (I love stories of people who got to fulfill their dreams.)

Bull Durham (Some of my more conservative friends will probably disagree, but it’s a great and funny baseball movie.)

The Sandlot (A little cheesy but brings back a lot of memories for those of us who spent our summers at ballparks or on schoolyards.)

Eight Men Out (Not every baseball movie is about just the good things and happy endings. Most Royals’ games don’t have either.)

Field of Dreams (Not sure of the metaphysics of it all, but James Earl Jones’ soliloquy on baseball is classic.)

 

Best Baseball Songs

 

Who’s on First – Abbott and Costello (A classic who can listen to and laugh at again and again)

A Song About Baseball – Bob Bennett (Wish I could have found this online. A great song on unconditional love set to a baseball theme. Worth the time to track down.)

Willie, Mickey, and the Duke (Talkin’ Baseball) – Terry Cashman (This song just got Cashman into Cooperstown. I couldn’t find a link to the original, so here is a link to the Tigers’ version.)

The Cheap Seats – Alabama (We love minor league baseball. Go Naturals – the team that gives us Royals fans hope!)

Centerfield – John Fogerty (Brings back memories of when I coached the Kiwanis Babe Ruth team. Don’t ask.)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Edward Meeker (A 1908 version of the baseball classic with verses I had never heard.)

 

What do you think? What have I missed?

The Passing of a Track (and Kansas) Legend

For decades, one of the greatest high school rivalries in Arkansas was the Springdale Bulldogs vs. the Fayetteville Bulldogs. But my favorite memory from any of those games had nothing to do with football or basketball.

 

The stadium in Springdale was packed for the annual match-up. Sitting beside me was a white-haired man in his 70’s. We began chatting and I soon discovered that he didn’t know anything about either team. He was just there to watch his grandson in the Springdale Marching Band. I also discovered that he, like me, was from Kansas. And somewhere in the conversation, I discovered that I was sitting next to Wes Santee.

 

Of the few thousand at this football game, I was probably one of the few (and maybe the only one) who would have recognized that name. But I was from Kansas. And I was a University of Kansas Jayhawk fan. And I was a track and field fan. And Wes Santee was a track and field legend in Kansas and, at one time, around the world. I don’t remember who actually won the football game that night, because Mr. Santee and I talked track until a storm caused the game to be suspended and we went our separate ways. But a few days later, I received an autographed copy of The Perfect Mile from him. If you enjoy track and field, you will love the book.

 

I will let this article from the New York Times give you the details of his career. But in 1953 and 1954, the world watched as Santee, John Landy of Australia, and Roger Bannister of Great Britain raced to become the first person to break the four-minute barrier in the mile. On May 6, 1954, Bannister ran a 3:59.4. On June 21, 1954, Landy ran a 3:58. Though Santee was the American record holder in the mile and world record holder in the 1,500 meters indoors and outdoors and in the mile indoors, he was never able to run faster than 4:00.5.

 

Wes Santee passed away on Sunday in Eureka, KS at the age of 78. I fondly remember my evening with him and his graciousness to me.

Misc. Thoughts: Track, Olympics, & iPhone Worship

I hope you all had a great Fourth of July holiday. Here are some things that I have been holding on to share with you. They may not be "deep" but they are fun to think about. I hope you enjoy ...

The Ten Worst Track and Field Fails of all time.

Twelve Olympic Sports That Have Gone Extinct.

Worship on the iPhone. This may change how churches set their worship budget ... or not.

Interesting Odds and Ends

Some things that have come across my computer lately. You might find some of it interesting ...

************

Each year, Beloit College puts together a "Mindset List" that describes some of the cultural landmarks that year's college freshman class has experienced. This year's freshman class was born in 1991. Here is Beloit's description of the world they grew up in.

Another study examines the correlation between what students choose to study and their religious convictions.

************

Here is an interesting video describing the growing impact of social media in our world.

************

According to a report on CNN, 90% of the currency in the US has traces of cocaine on it. Weird.

************

I'm a little hesitant to mention this last one, but I will. One of the favorites in the Women's 800 meters at the World Track & Field Championships (now taking place in Berlin) will have a hearing today to see if she can compete in the final. The question at hand: Is she "entirely female"? Here is a report on the situation and an editorial on it (that describes some situations in the past). I feel bad for the young woman involved. She is only 18. Regardless of how it is resolved, it has to be uncomfortable for her.

An Athlete to Cheer For

One of the great things about being closely involved with track and field is not just the chance to get to know some outstanding athletes, but some incredible people. The sport is filled with men and women of great character. Unfortunately, most folks in the US - including sports fans - don't know much about our track and field athletes. They couldn't tell you who the stars are track and field (except for maybe an Olympic year) or who are the people of character (except for the occasional athlete caught using performance enhancing drugs). Though I could give you a whole list of great people worth your attention and applause, I want to highlight one for you. Bryan Clay.

You might recognize the name. After all, he won the Olympic gold medal last year in the decathlon. He has been on the Wheaties box. On Letterman and Leno and Oprah. Though I have officiated Bryan a few times, I don't know him well. But I do respect him. Not only as an athlete (and the decathlon is a great test of an athlete's strength, speed, and mental toughness), but also as a man of character and values. Here is a quote for a recent interview in the July addition of Track and Field News:

"I look at what I've accomplished and my goal always has been to create a platform to go out and relate the Kingdom of God.

I always tell people, 'I accomplished what I have on the track because I was a champion in life first.' It wasn't the other way around. I was able to do what I've done on the track because I took care of my responsibilities spiritually and also with my family. I give 100% to those areas. If I do that, it frees me - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually - to give 100% to track and field.

I also believe you have to have balance. I always say my priorities are God first, family second and track third. That's my motto.

When I can put God first, it gives me the parameters, the focus, everything I need to make my family happy. Being the father and husband I need to be, making them happy, that allows me the freedom emotionally and physically to give 100% to the sport. If I have distractions in those other areas, then I can't give track 100%. So the priorities are very important and I really try to live my life by them."

So when you watch the US Championships this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (and you need to watch them), be sure and cheer for Bryan Clay. You can even follow him on Twitter: @bryanclay.

I have a few minutes before I head to the track at the 100th Drake Relays, so I thought I would just post a few interesting items I have seen online over the past few weeks. Nothing too spiritual, but I hope you find them interesting ...

Here are some great photos of the Mall Vault we did in Des Moines on Wednesday night (courtesy of the Des Moines Register) ...

This is Tom Yarbrough's website. Tom was a student at the UofA and in ConC a few years back. I bought his music. Really good stuff ...

A list of the Top Ten "sporting gestures". Of course, it is in a British publication so far too many have to do with soccer and cricket ...

Odd body facts explained. Enough said ...

And, finally, if you didn't have enough to worry about with the economy and all - watch out for those killer Komodo Dragons ...

I mentioned in the last post that I was one of 14 US officials chosen to work the World Masters' Championships in Riccione, Italy. There were also about 12 officials from Great Britain, 3 from New Zealand, 2 from Puerto Rico, and 1 from Brazil. I didn't know before I arrived in Italy what I would be doing at the meet. Most of my officiating experience is in the vertical jumps and combined events, so I was anticipating working there. However, I discovered that I would be working in the "call room" or clerking area for this meet. (I'm sure that Tommy Free and his crew will get a kick out of that!) I have done a little bit of that, when forced to, at our home meets. But never at a meet with 9,000 athletes and in languages that I don't speak.

The Call Room is the place where each athlete comes before his or her event - whether track or field. We check credentials, bib numbers, spikes, put them in their heats, give them their hip numbers, and take them to the track or their venue at the appropriate time. It can be crazy at times and, with athletes from around the world speaking different languages and used to different systems (some of who are old enough to get easily confused), it was chaos most of the time. We got through it, though not without some stress and tension. Let's just say that Italian officials don't do things the same ways that officials from the US or Great Britain do them. Add the language barrier to that and some tension arose. Eventually things got better, but the Italians weren't quite as worried about rules or procedures:

1) Throws were measured from a variety of places through the meet - from the front of the mark, the back of the mark, the tail of the javelin, or even when the javelin stopped sliding.

2) Nary a clock could be found during the meet, so no timing was done.

3) Foreign officials were mostly used to retrieve implements or turn the numbers of the performance board, even though most were highly experienced and, among them, had officiated several Olympic Games, Olympic Trials, etc.

4) Officials didn't help with warm-ups in any event, including the throws. Usually, if there was an American or Brit on the crew, they would. Otherwise, the athletes had to retrieve their own implements, etc.

But for all the frustrations, it has been a good experience. I have learned a lot (including many things not to do) and had the chance to develop some good friendships.

Some of the highlights were athletes I met. In the next post, I'll tell you about a few of them. Above is a picture of our Call Room in action.

After a hiatus of a few months, I'm back on the blog again. This is the second year in a row that I have taken a break from writing over the summer. During the school year, I usually preach twice a week, and often teach another time or two, and I guess I just get tired of "talking" so much. But now I'm back.

I'm writing this post from a track in Riccione, Italy. For those of you who don't know, I am one of 14 track and field officials from the US invited to work the World Master's Championships. This is the largest of the world championships, with almost 9,000 athletes from 96 countries ranging in age from 35-97. They compete in 5 year age divisions and 430 are from the US. The meet is actually held at three different stadiums in this area, with Riccione being the major one. The others are at Misano and San Giuvanne. This is my second international meet (the first actually outside the US) and it is a great honor to be here. The meet actually started on Sept. 4, but I have had trouble finding internet connections! But I'll write a little at a time so, if you're interested, you can read a little at a time.

Some of the athletes here have been very accomplished. There are many former Olympians who are still competing. In fact, Willie Banks, a former world record holder, is here. And there are others who were never stars but who love to complete. Since there aren't any entrance standards, whoever wants to enter (and pay their way to Italy) can compete!

The trip here was a long one - about 32 hours of travel on three flights, six trains, a taxi, and about 14 hours in terminals. Which was about two trains and four hours more than I anticipated. Lesson one: not all train stations are open all the time. I discovered that as my train zipped through where I wanted to get off at 1:15 am! The train finally stopped 45 minutes later. It took a while to find my way back.

The hotel we're at is nothing fancy, but the food is great. A big continental breakfast in the mornings and a huge buffet of pasta, seafood, beef, pork, etc. every night - with a half liter of wine per person for the wine drinkers. It sets a pretty high standard for our Arkansas meets!

I'll quit for now, but will try to post more later.