'08 Beijing Olympic Update (sans the Chi-com mascot)

(One in an occasional series provided during the run-up to the ’08 Summer Games in Beijing, China. Archived posts in this series can be accessed by entering “Olympics” in the blog search box above).

The brutally unforgiving nature of the U.S. Olympic trials was on display over the weekend as 100 and 200 meter favorite Tyson Gay pulled up in a 200 preliminary heat with a strained hamstring. His dream of a 100/200 sweep is now gone…. no do-overs, no mulligans, no byes for outstanding bodies of work. Win and you’re in – lose and you go home. Fortunately, for Gay he qualified for the Olympics by popping a wind-aided 9.68 in the 100 finals earlier in the Trials which is the fastest time ever recorded in the event but not a record because the tail wind exceeded the allowable 2 meters/second.

Everyone, including his competitors, expressed heartfelt emotion towards Gay (a soft-spoken and humble guy in the sprint events that seem to display the most diva-like behavior) and his plight but also to a person and in particular, Gay himself, favored the rigid structure of the Trials believing that to succeed in the pressure-cooker of the Olympics, one needed to bring their “A”-game to the Trials.

And what about Bernie, you ask? You all remember Bernard Lagat, don’t you? We wrote about Bernard here last August. Lagat, a native Kenyan and a naturalized citizen since 2004 won the 1,500 meter finals at the world championships in Osaka. It was the first time an American won the 1,500 at a global event since Mel Sheppard won it back in ’08. Yes, that Mel Sheppard in the other ’08.



After winning the race, here’s what Bernard had to say to the world and his new brothers and sisters: “This is a dream come true. I'm a champion for the United States of America.” “When you're carrying this flag, it means a lot, You're representing everybody, the victims of Katrina, everybody. Those who are serving in the war in Iraq. This is for everybody in the United States.” Pretty cool, huh?

Bernard was the top qualifier for the U.S. at the Trials in both the 1,500 and the 5,000. Obviously, we will be keeping a close eye on how Lagat fares against his formidable former countrymen in these two events.