Athlete for Sale....Wanna Buy?

If you hate running around this time of year...why not buy an athlete who's happy to run around for you? James Ellington is a British track star who's put himself up for sale online. After suffering several injuries, he lost his sponsorships and is offering himself to the highest bidder on E-bay.

What do you get for your money? Aside from a nice athletic body and sprinting skills...maybe buyers can get a piece of an olympic medal.

Here's James' story:



Original Story from: SkySports
http://www1.skysports.com/olympics/team-gb/story/21595/7357603

Lifetime Ban for Steve Mullings

Jamaican sprinter Steve Mullings is to serve a lifetime ban from Athletics. The sentence was handed down  this afternoon by a disciplinary panel of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission.

Last Thursday the three member panel found him guilty of taking the masking agent Furosemide.
The prohibited substance was detected in his blood samples after competing at the country's national trials in June 2011.

Prior to that, Mullings had been the fastest athlete in the 100 metres for the season, clocking an impressive  9.79 at the 2011 Prefontaine Classic following that up with several other sub 10 performances.

Mullings has always maintained his innocence and has indicated his intent to appeal against the conviction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This is the second ban for the 28 year old who served a two-year suspension in 2004 for taking testosterone.    

Decision Day for Mullings

Jamaican athlete Steve Mullings will know today whether he will be allowed to continue his dream of becoming the world's best sprinter. A three day anti-doping panel will convene in Kingston Jamaica to decide his fate.

Mulling's who's 2011 season got off to a flying start, was forced to cut it short after he tested positive for the banned substance Furosemide during the Jamaica's National Trials in June of this year.

In 2004 he served a two year suspension for abnormal testosterone levels in his body. Mullings who is currently based in the U.S. has always maintained his innocence.
A decision is expected sometime after 2 p.m. Eastern Time.

Original Story:  http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/D-Day-for-Steve_10183889#ixzz1dxo1vT1K 

Usain Bolt and Sally Pearson crowned IAAF Athletes of the Year

Usain Bolt                                                               Sally Pearson

I'm sure by now all would have heard the news, Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Australia's Sally Pearson copped the prestigious title IAAF 2011 Male and Female Athlete of the year.

Let's start with Sally. Up against Kenya's outstanding distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot and New Zealand's genius shot putter Valerie Adams, I think it's fair to say Pearson was the obvious choice. The Australian became one of the biggest highlights of the world championships, after she decimated the field in a thrilling 100m hurdles final, that saw her clock an astounding 12.28sec. The time was the 4th fastest EVER and the fastest we've seen in the event in two decades.

2011 Season Wrap and 2012 Predictions

Now that the dust from last week's spectacular performances in Brussels has settled, I can finally reminisce on the season in it's entirety. It's fair to say Yohan Blake, Sally Pearson and Kirani James were the biggest track stars to emerge in 2011.

James and Blake came from relative obscurity to being on the edge of greatness.Let's start with Blake. His journey took him from a 3rd place finish in the 2006 World Junior championships, to breaking the 10 second barrier in 2009, to claiming gold in Daegu. This season the world watched as Blake transformed from promising young sprinter into a world champion and top athlete. Even if he never breaks the world records in either sprints, two gold medals and a lifetime best of 19.26 in the 200m are enough to put him down in the history books.

Brussels Diamond League: Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt, Danielle Carruthers and Kennesia Bekele

Today's meet in Brussels brought an end to what can only be described as a superb track and field season. There were several fabulous performances but the real shocker was Yohan Blake's jaw dropping 19.26 sec in the men's 200 metres,  the second fastest time EVER.

Don't get me wrong Blakes' victory is not a total surprise, I remember him running 19.78 in Monaco last year, so I did peg him to beat Walter Dix to the  line with maybe a 19.75 or even a 19.73. To say I grossly miscalculated would be putting it mildly. I honestly had to do a double take on the time. This young man stunned the audience and in the process banished Usain Bolt's earlier performance of 9.76 in the 100m to distant memory.

Daegu Wrap - Day 9: Usain Bolt, Carmelita Jeter, Christian Taylor, and Mo Farah

The men's 4x100m provided the 1st and only world record of the championships ad what a fitting end to 9 days of glorious performances on the track.

The Jamaican quartet of Nesta carter,Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt sped to a jaw dropping world and national record of 37.04 sec.
Carter started brilliantly on the first leg, giving Jamaica a sizable lead from the get go, handing over to Frater who maintained it, then to Blake who literally flew around the bend to Bolt who exploded on the backstretch. And to think an injured Asafa Powell wasn't even on the team. The men ran a mind blowing average of 9.25 seconds each.

Daegu Wrap - Day 8: Sally Pearson, Usain Bolt and Matthias De Zordo

Sally Pearson

Ending the curse of cover, Australia's Sally Pearson delivered one of the most spectacular displays in history giving her country it's first gold medal of the championships. The sprint hurdler shocked the world with a brilliant 12.36 win the semi finals, which tied her at 6th place on the all time list, only to come back in the final and run a blistering 12.28.


Thus clocking a personal best, an Australian and Championship record, which puts her squarely down in history as the 4th fastest ever in this event. This is also the fastest time for this event in 23 years. With an unbeaten streak all season Pearson was naturally the pre-race favourite but no one, myself included could have anticipated, the absolute destruction she brought in the final.

Daegu Wrap - Day 7: Veronica Campbell Brown, Vivian Cheruiyot and David Storl

Veronica Campbell Brown

Jamaica's Veronica Campbell Brown bagged her first World Championship 200m gold in Daegu. The penultimate event, promised fireworks and boy did it deliver.

Starting in lane five, VCB got the best start of the field, literally flying around the curve. Then on the backstretch Jeter began pumping for it. 70 metres to the line, she was up on Campbell brown's shoulder and looked like pass her for the win. But, VCB said not today and produced a last surge of energy to power away, winning in a season's best of 22.22sec. Jeter finished 0.15 secs later for silver in 22.37 while three-time defending champion Allyson Felix copped the bronze in 22.42

Daegu Wrap - Day 6: Jennifer Barringer Simpson, Lashinder Demus and Dai Greene

Jennifer Barringer Simpson

America's Jennifer Barringer Simpson stunned her rivals with a surprise win in the women's 1500 metres. Simpson won convincingly in a time of 4:05:40. To understand how big a shock this is, let me put it into perspective.

Pior to the championships Simpson had the 25th best time of the season, she wasn't even expected to make it past semi-finals much less the gold. Simpson, however, did not let her poor ranking trouble her and romped home to gold with a smile of utter jubilation. Britain's Hannah England ran strong in the last metres for silver in 4:05:68, overtaking a tiring Natalia Rodriguez of Spain. Two time defending champion and pre-race favourite Maryam Jamal never really factored in the final and ended a disappointing 12th.

Slowest 100m race at the Daegu World Championships: Sogelau Tuvalu

And the Award for the slowest male sprinter in Daegu goes to Sogelau Tuvalu. He's a 17 year old track and field athlete from American Samoa.

Now Tuvalu had hoped to participate in the shot put event but after failing to qualify he tried for the next best thing...the 100 metres. He made the Samoan team and next thing you know, he's in Daegu running in the heats.

Tuvalu clocked a whopping 15.66 seconds, the second slowest 100m race in World Championship History. He also had rather slow reaction time of .269 seconds which really meant he was never really in the runnings, but I gotta hand it to the guy for trying. Despite being at the back of the field he did not give up and ran all the way to the line. However I just cannot get over the HUGE margin between himself and the other sprinters.



Savannah Sanitoa

 What's really shocking to me is that Samoa has produced a female sprinter who's actually ran faster than Tuvali.

At the 2009 Berlin Championships Savannah Sanitoa clocked 14.23 secs in the first round of the women's 100m. Coincidentally Sanitoa was also a shotputter before she turned her attention to sprinting.

I won't knock Samoa for trying, you never know what could happen in a decade or so.

Daegu Wrap - Day 4: Kirani James, Yuliya Zaripova and David Rudisha

It was a day of surprises in Daegu. Tuesday evening's session delivered stunning upsets and shock performances.

The men's 400m final provided the biggest surprise of the day with defending champion Lashawn Merrit losing out to young Grenadian talent Kirani James. Merritt who entered the final with the fastest qualifying time, lead majority of the race and looked set for victory. However, in a brilliant display of determination James ran down Merrit and edged him at the line.

Daegu Wrap-Day 3: Dayron Robles, Amantle Montsho and Carmelita Jeter

Today was yet another eventful day at the World Championships. This time the drama came from the men's 110 hurdles. After a mouthwatering race that saw Olympic Champion Dayron Robles get the better of his competitors, the Cuban was eventually denied the gold

Robles finished in 13.14, just ahead of US hurdler Jason Richardson in 13.16 , followed by Liu Xiang 13.27 . However, in a controversial decision, meet officials disqualified Robles for interfering with Xiang. Several reports say Robles grabbed/pushed Xiang in the latter part of the race, causing the Chinese star to slow down. Watching the replay it's obvious that there was some form of contact, whether it was intentional though, is another matter entirely...You be the judge.

Daegu Wrap-Day Two: Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Ibrahim Jeilan and Brittney Reese

The biggest shock of the day was the obvious disqualification of the great man Usain Bolt. The world watched in sheer disbelief as the defending champion and record holder jumped the gun, pulled off his vest and walked from the track in clear frustration. The only explanation I can come up with is, Bolt knowing his penchant for bad starts, tried too hard to ensure he wasn't left in the  blocks. The result, a devastating false start. In hindsight he will tell himself that sitting in the blocks would still have put him in gold medal contention and it wasn't really worth the risk. This was very hard to watch but Bolt still has his pet event coming up, where I'm sure he will rebound.

Women's 100m Match-Up: Carmelita Jeter and Veronica Campbell Brown

USA's Carmelita Jeter will start as the overwhelming favourite in the women's 100m and for good reasons. Her 10.70 clocking done in Eugene stands as the fastest time this year, with only Veronica Campbell-Brown's 10.76 getting close to it.

The sprint sensation has only lost one race this season, ironically handed to her by Campbell-Brown, who remains her biggest obstacle to the gold in Daegu.

While Jeter's start is not her strong point, her top-end speed is clearly her redeeming quality, though sometimes it's just not enough. To win Jeter will have to start with the field.

Men's 100m Match-Up: Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake

Usain Bolt

Yohan Blake

With the unfortunate withdrawal of Asafa Powell many track pundits say Usain Bolt is all but guaranteed the gold. However I wholeheartedly disagree. Here's why:

Yohan Blake stands as the  No. 1 reason Bolt should NOT take this race lightly. His 22 year old team mate and training partner has had an impressive season with several notable performances. Among them is his wind assisted 9.80 clocking at the Jamaica invitational meet in May. Blake's personal best remains the 9.89sec set in London last year making him the 5th fastest Jamaican ever in the event.

World's Fastest Women: A look at 100m World Champions

Gail Devers

Without a question, today's female sprint events are dominated by US and Jamaican athletes, however this wasn't always the case. A look at the first three stagings of the IAAF World Championships tells an entirely different story. Believe it or not, those early years saw East German athletes taking complete control of the event as they collected victory after victory starting with Marlies Oelsner-Gohr in 1983, Silke Gladisch in 1987 and Katrin Krabbe in 1991.

The World's Fastest Men: A look at 100m World Champions



Carl Lewis

Tamika Forrester

Since the inception of the IAAF's world championships back in 1983 the USA has been the most dominant in men's 100 metres. Of the 13 world championship finals to date, the USA has won this event an astonishing 8 times.

Let's take a step back in history. In 1983, 1987 and 1991, American Carl Lewis won three consecutive back to back 100m titles at the world's, a feat that rendered him almost "god-like" in the sport. The 1991 final is particularly memorable as Lewis ran the race of his life to set a new world record of 9.86sec, which was also his personal best . Lewis's reign in the sprints was so potent, many felt he only had to line-up to be declared the winner.

Aviva London Wrap: Kirani James, David Rudisha , Sanya Richards Ross-Highlights from Crystal Palace

If you can put away the disappointment of not seeing Asafa Powell who pulled out due an injury scare, we can safely say Aviva London grand prix was a success. The two day meet, which served as a final testing ground before the world championships, delivered several meet records, personal and season bests. However for me the biggest revelation came from the relatively unknown Grenadian Kirani James.

In his first senior meet and Diamond League race, the 18 year old (hailed as the Usain Bolt of the 400m) outclassed an impressive line up to win in a world lead of 44.61. James looked at ease particularly in the crucial backstretch, where he motored past a tiring Jermain Gonzales. Gonzales managed to hold on for second in 44.85 while Bahamian Chris Brown 45.04 grabbed third.

David Oliver, Asafa Powell, Carmelita Jeter: Top Events to watch at Diamond League London

Crystal Palace will be oozing with track and field excitement this week-end as the Aviva London Grand Prix gets underway this Friday. It's the 12th stop in the Samsung Diamond League series and the meet boasts an impressive line up of international stars. Britain's top athletes will also be on display: European 10,000m champion Mo Farrah, triple jumper Phillips Idowu and 400m Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu are all down to compete in their respective events. Here are my top picks:

Men's 110 Hurdles: This contest is being billed as a "David Oliver-Dayron Robles Showdown". The last time the two met in Paris, Robles got the better of Oliver in a spell-binding finish that saw both men clock 13.09 seconds. Oliver also has to be concerned about young American Jason Richardson, who dealt him an unexpected loss in Stockholm. Jamaica's Dwight Thomas, still mourning the loss of his father, is also in the line up.

Can Allyson Felix Achieve the Impossible?

                                                                                                                                                                  
Although more renowned for her accolades in the shorter distance, it came as no surprise when Allyson Felix finally announced her intention to run in both the 200m and the 400m.

Felix has been flirting with the longer distance from as early as 2007, when she set a personal best of 49.70 at the DN Galan in Stockholm. Since then she has gone on to become a regular feature on the US women's 4x400m relay teams, helping them mine gold at the Beijing Olympics, Osaka and Berlin world championships. Felix who up until last week held the world lead in the 400m has a season's best of 49.81

As triple world champion her prowess in the 200m is legendary. There is no question in anyone's mind about the brilliance of such a gifted and talented athlete, however track pundits are understandably concerned she may have bitten off a little more than she can chew. Felix does not have a clear edge in the 400m. She is currently ranked third in the Diamond League standings and Botswana's Amantle Montsho 49.71 and Russia's Anastasiya Kapachinskya 49.39 have both clocked faster times this season.

The 400m is up first on the schedule in Daegu, this means by the time Felix lines up for the 200m, her legs having been through three vigorous rounds of the the quarter mile, could very well be tired. Also this event no longer appears to be a two way battle between herself and long-time rival Veronica Campbell Brown. There's now Carmelita Jeter and U.S champion Shalonda Solomon to consider. Both have been rather impressive in the half lap.

Is her quest for double gold possible? By all means YES but is it wise? In 1996 frenchwoman Marie Jose Perec successfully completed the 200/400 double at the Atlanta Olympics. Should Felix win both events in Daegu she would become the first woman to do so at the world championships. However, with competition so fierce in these events there is the worry she is spreading herself too thin and could end up without a gold.

You may or may not like Felix's risky attempt at the 200/400 double, but you have to admit it is sort of admirable for her take on such a feat. For her part she acknowledges the challenge she faces in chasing this dream. In her own words "Will be very difficult but the first step to accomplishing greatness is trying".
And we couldn't agree more, besides how many opportunities does one get to make history.

Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix, David Rudisha: Hot events to watch at Herculis Diamond League

By Tamika Forrester

Usain Bolt

Men’s 100m: Usain Bolt will run his third 100m race of the season. Following the world leading time posted by Asafa Powell, Bolt will seek to better his season best of 10.91. However, he will be challenged by his compatriots Nesta Carter and Michael Frater, who’ve been impressive all season. France's sprint prodigy Christophe Lemaitre will also be in the mix. Lemaitre has taken every opportunity to go up against the big guns and is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. Europe is expecting great things from this young man; maybe this race will give us a glimpse of what he could do in Daegu.

Oscar Pistorius: Heads to Daegu with a superb 45.07

by Tamika Forrester


 Yesterday's meet in Lignano Italy will undoubtedly be one of the happiest memories for 400m runner Oscar Pistorious. The South African track sensation who runs with carbon fibre prosthetic running blades, dug deep to record a winning time of 45.07 seconds, finally qualifying for the World Championships in late August.

The double amputee has spent much of his season chasing the IAAF's 400m qualifying mark and to know he made it on his last attempt, speaks volumes of his determination. 45.07 is a very decent time considering the A standard for 400m is 45.25 . To put it into perspective Olympian and sports broadcaster Ato Bolton says only fourteen male athletes have run faster in this event in 2011.

Asafa Powell, Carmelita Jeter, Teddy Tamgho: Hot events to watch at Diamond League Birmingham

By Tamika Forrester,

The 9th leg of the Samsung Diamond League series gets under way this Sunday at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Jamaican and American athletes will use this as a chance to familiarize themselves with the stadium which will be used as a training ground for London 2012 Olympics.

Asafa Powell

Mens 100m: Fresh off his blistering 9.78 run in Lausanne former record holder Asafa Powell will try to better that time in Birmingham this Sunday. He faces a strong field which includes fellow Jamaicans Nesta Carter whose personal best equals Powell's fastest time this year and Michael Frater who clocked a PB of 9.88 behind powell in Lausanne. Also included are four British athletes all hoping to finally dip below 10 seconds. Watch for USA's Michael Rodgers who ran a PB of 9.85 in Eugene earlier this year.

ASAFA BACK ON TOP?

                                                                                                                                                           That's the question following his scintilating performance at the Lausanne Diamond League meet in Switzerland. Powell's 9.78 is the fastest time in the event this year and signals the former world record holder's surprising return to form. Not since 2008 have we seen such form and confidence oozing from Asafa. Let's have another look:

5 Things We learnt from USA, Canada and Jamaica Trials

1. 3-way showdown between the big guns will not materialize

Tyson Gay's hip injury has unfortunately put him out of commission as he will n ot contest the 100m or 200m at the world championships in Daegu. However fans shouldn't be too disappointed, there are enough speedsters in action to keep the event highly entertaining. Walter Dix leads the charge for the US team and Jamaica's Asafa Powell who prevailed over a deep field in Kingston poses a strong enough challenge for defending champion Usain Bolt.

2. Drug ban doesn't mean the end of one's career
Former Olympic Champion Justin Gatlin returned from a four year ban in athletic wilderness to make the US team posting 9.99 seconds in Eugene. That effort not only silenced the critics but was good enough to book his spot on the US team. Gatlin who won the Olympic gold in 2004 has long maintained his innocence and is keen to return to sprint glory. He could prove a threat to Bolt and his long time nemesis Asafa Powell.



3. Level Playing Field in Women's Sprints



The US has caught up to the Jamaicans. Carmelita Jeter continues to reign supreme with Marshevet Hooker-Myers not far behind. Their times of 10.74 and 10.83, though wind-aided, send a strong message that nothing is guaranteed come world championships. Jamaica's Campbell- Brown's 10.84 is commendable but with less than a stellar season opener by defending champion shellyann Fraser Pryce and Kerron Stewart only now rounding into form, this event is wide open. In the 200m the world leading 22.15 posted by American Shalonda Solomon should not be taken lightly, the same goes for Jeter's spritely 22.23. Compared to the Jamaican times of of 22.44 from Campbell-Brown and 22.63 from Stewart, it's fair to say the US has the edge going into Daegu.

4. False Start rule rather risky
Several athletes are still very uncomfortable with the IAAF’s (one strike and you’re out) rule. Jamaica’s Mellisa Wallace became the early victim after she was disqualified in the now infamous women’s 100m semi-final. Less than five minutes later the country’s sprint darling Campbell Brown also false started leaving meet officials in a quandary. In the end the starter made the controversial decision to give Campbell-Brown a second chance. Meanwhile in Canada, despite being initially charged with a false start Nikita Holder ran the women’s 100m race under protest and placed third. Holder’s disqualification was later overturned.
All this begs the question “What will happen if key stars like Usain Bolt, David Oliver, Allyson Felix or Asafa Powell were to false start in Daegu?”I won't even attempt to answer that one.

5. Fireworks in store for Men's Shot put

Over the past few weeks Canada and the US appear to be trading world best throws back and forth. Canada's Dylan Armstrong unleashed a massive heave of 22.21 metres to capture the national title for sixth time, besting the previous high throw of 21.87 by American Reese Hoffa. At the US trials Hoffa could only manage 21.86 for third. First place went to 35 year old veteran Adam Nelson with a throw of 22.09 while defending world champion Christian Cantwell's 21.87 was good enough for second.

Spotlight on Canada: Team Trials begin

By Tamika Forrester
Canadian track enthusiasts long for the glory days of Olympic champion Donovan Bailey and Olympic silver medalist Bruny Surin. Sadly the era of Canada's dominance in sprinting seems a faded memory as Jamaica and the USA have owned the sport in the past decade. But don't count Canadians out just yet we're known to turn out a scintillating performance or two when least expected.

Canada's World Trials begin today at the Foothills Athletic Park in Calgary, Alberta where the nation's best line up to vie for a spot on the team. Interestingly, the buzz comes NOT from the track but rather its less glamourous counterpart, the field.

Canada current No. 1
Shot putter Dylan Armstrong, who was a centimetre short of copping the bronze medal in the Beijing olympics, is arguably having the season of his life. Last month he set a new Canadian record with an amazing throw of 21.72 metres. He's currently leading on the prestigious Samsung Diamond League circuit.



The women's 100m hurdles packs the heat
In 2003 world Champion Perdita Felicien started the trend of Canada doing well in the highly intense obstacle event. Perdita's teammate Priscilla Lopes-Schliep gave Canada a bronze medal in 2008 and a silver at the 2009 world championships. Lopes-Schliep is expecting her first child in September and will not be in competition this year. But the audience can expect a good performance from the now Calgary based Perdita who's already run under 13 seconds this year. She will be seeking her 10th National title

Heptathlon also in the mix

London, Ontario native Jessica Zelinka will be in action, looking to better her Canadian record of 353 points in the Heptathlon

Canada's Fastest Man

The young but much heralded sprinter Sam Effah could be the one to revive Canadian sprinting. Last year he clocked an eye-popping 10.06 - only four Canadians in history have run 100 metres faster. That's VERY encouraging. Sam's best this year is only 10.37 but there's still plenty of time to whip himself in shape for the worlds' in Daegu, South Korea.

Fans can watch live coverage of the championships in Calgary on Saturday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 4 p.m. ET)

After national trials, fans can turn their attention to an impressive line up of international track meets in Canada. This is part of the inaugural National Track League. Maybe this will finally garner some well needed attention to a sport that's been relegated to the backseat well behind the popular hockey and basketball.


Up coming Track Meets:
Edmonton International Track Classic Edmonton AB June 29
Harry Jerome International Track Classic Vancouver BC July 1
Victoria International Track Classic Victoria BC July 3
Aileen Meagher International Track Classic Halifax NS July 10
Toronto International Track & Field Games Toronto, ON July 13

Ready, Set, Go!! Jamaican Athletes gear up for Team Trials

Sure Bets to Win

Jermaine Gonzales national record holder in the men's 400m
Dwight Thomas men 110 hurdles champion
Kenia Sinclair women's 800m

The event will begin on Thursday, June 23 and end Sunday, June 26, 2011 

Early Track Season

By Tamika Forrester

The track season is shaping up pretty nicely, there have been notable performances early on with spectacular runs in several events. A few athletes have been a bit sluggish but are now getting into their rhythm and improving with each race. Here are some notable performances

HIGHLIGHTS:

                                                                                                            
Mens 100m

Tyson Gay 9.79 in Florida 

Steve Mullings 9.80 in Eugene

(Hon. Mention) Michael Rodgers 9.85 and Usain Bolt 9.91

Addidas Grand Prix: chilly weather equals chilly performances

With the wind, heavy mist and cool temperatures of about 16 degrees C, Saturday's Addidas Grand Prix in New York offered lukewarm to chilly performances. Athletes who braved the weather to line up for their respective events turned in times way off their personal bests.

In the mens 100 metres Jamaica's Steve Mullings got the better of his training partner Tyson Gay. Steve won in a photo finish with both athletes clocking 10.26. Keston Bledman of Trinidad and Tobago was third in 10.33. Gay blames the loss on his sluggish start but insists he will be ready for Usain Bolt come time for World Championships.

Interestingly there were three false starts for this race. First, Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago jumped early, then the Americans Travis Padgett and Rae Monzavous Edwards were cited for starting too soon. All three were disqualified. This is a perfect example of just what the new IAAF false start rule (Once and you're out) will mean for athletes in major finals. Can you imagine an Olympic or world championship final where key stars false start? That would spell disaster for meet organizers who will most likely bill the event around expected performances of major stars. Case in point recently at the Eugene meet, world 200m champion Allyson Felix was allowed to start the 400m despite a clear false start. In fact there was an obvious look of surprise on Felix's face when she found out she was not disqualified. You see meet organizers had billed the event as a show down between Felix and Sanya Richards Ross- A show down which did not materialize as Felix finished 3rd and Richards Ross way down the field.

But lets get back to the wet Addidas Grand Prix. Marshevet Hooker-Myers won the women's 100m with a time of 11.36, no where near the 10.85 she ran in Eugene. The same for the women's 200m where Felix bested the field clocking only 22.92 more than a half-second off her season best.
100m Olympic and World champion Shellyann Fraser-Pryce placed a dismal 7th a rather disappointing performance after her excellent run less than a month ago at the Jamaica Invitational meet.

The less than ideal weather conditions appeared to have no such impact on the mens 400 metres. In a scintillating race, Jeremy Wariner the 2004 Olympic champion, won the race in 45.13 just narrowly beating out Jamaica's Jermaine Gonzales who showed brilliant speed in the last 20 metres to clock 45.17.