As US Track Trials Begin, Field Is Wide Open

Injury a jolting reminder that talent isn't always enough

(NEWSER) - America's best-known hopeful for the Olympic track team is still going to Beijing—but won't be defending his world championship title in the 200-meter sprint. In a stunning twist, super runner Tyson Gay suffered a leg cramp that felled him during his key event in the quarterfinals of the Olympic trials. Fellow athletes, sobered but thankful that the injury was nothing more serious, expressed both sympathy and stoicism, reports the Los Angeles Times. More»

*Except that track, unlike any other sport, factors in the weather, columnist writes

(NEWSER) - Tyson Gay might have used the Olympic trials yesterday to cover 100 meters faster than any human in history, but he is not the world record-holder because track, unlike any other sport, attaches asterisks to records, Jim Caple writes on ESPN.com. Strong tailwinds propelled Gay to victory, but his breathtaking time of 9.68 seconds would have been 9.86 without the wind. More»

(AP) - The US men's and women's teams swept the 1600-meter relays today, ending a string of frustrations for the Americans that included dropped batons in two earlier races. For the women, Sanya Richards anchored her team in a come-from-behind victory over Russia in 3:18.54, the world's fastest time since 1993. On the men's side, Jeremy Wariner crossed the line 12 strides ahead of Christopher Brown of the Bahamas, finishing in 2:55.39 to break the Olympic record by 0.35 second. More»

Merritt shocks Wariner to take gold

(NEWSER) - LaShawn Merritt stunned teammate and rival Jeremy Wariner in the men's 400-meter race today, eclipsing the favorite by nearly a full second to take gold in the US medals sweep. Wariner, the defending champion, turned the final corner to find Merritt far in front of him, reports the Los Angeles Times. David Neville had to dive to secure bronze. More»

Hand-off gaffes disqualify both men and women

(NEWSER) - US track and field was hit by two nearly identical disasters today, when both the men’s and women’s teams flubbed the last handoff of the preliminary 400-meter relay, the Los Angeles Times reports. A wet, slippery night in the Bird’s Nest proved tough for the relay squads, with the British men’s team also blowing an exchange. More»