Wednesday, August 31, 2016
West Central Tribune Story on the Shocky Strand and MCA Invitationals with Results
West Central Tribune Story on the Shocky Strand Invitational and the MCA Invite with partial Results HERE
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Matt Tegenkamp Griak HOF Feature
Our final #Griak2016 Hall of Fame feature focuses on Matt Tegenkamp. | https://t.co/3WTvPlFhJ9 pic.twitter.com/cZFwK7tSZX
— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 30, 2016
Apollo Early Bird Invitational Meet Results
Apollo Early Bird Invitational Results HERE
Wayzata boys XC perfect score first meet of the season - Full results for all races on https://t.co/tzH13B6oEo pic.twitter.com/A7wa2J0and
— Wayzata Track&Field (@WayzataTrack) August 30, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
Minnesotans Competing in NYRR 5th Avenue Mile Elite Races
Heather Kampf, Ben Blankenship, and Mason Ferlic running in the Elite races at the NYRR 5th Avenue Mile HERE
What Does It Take to Run a World Record in the Women's 100m Hurdles?
What Does It Take to Run a World Record in the Women's 100m Hurdles? Analysis is HERE.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Two New Staff Hired for Gopher Women's Track Team
One of our newest alums, @lyndseythorpe is back as the #Gophers director of operations. https://t.co/6jvUQWV6Gh pic.twitter.com/UHBWm2Z6Xp
— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) August 27, 2016
Lance Elliott's Rebels Northwoods Invitational Photo Album
Lance Elliott's Rebels Northwoods Invitational Photo Album HERE
Melissa Gacek 3rd in USATF Masters Mile
Melissa Gacek 3rd in USATF 40-44 Masters Mile. Results HERE.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Need to Do Something with Your Race T Shirts? Try Making a Tote Bag out of Them
Need to Do Something with Your Race T Shirts? Try Making a Tote Bag out of Them HERE.
Rebels Northwoods Invitational Results
Rebels Northwoods Invitational Results HERE
Girls' varsity race is away #edinaxc @ Northwoods Park https://t.co/9mvuSRbE23
— John Davis (@JDruns) August 26, 2016
NHS Rules Change in 2017 for Assistance to Injured/ill Competitors
National Federation of of State HS Associations Rules Change in 2017 for Assistance to Injured/ill Competitors HERE
Rochester Mayo Team Time Trials Results
Rochester Mayo Team Time Trials. Boy's Results HERE. Girl's HERE
Time Trial Finish Girls - https://t.co/FVtMJm3zqg
— Mayo TF/CC (@mayotfcc) August 26, 2016
Time Trial Finish Boys - https://t.co/swijV4Ccil
— Mayo TF/CC (@mayotfcc) August 26, 2016
The Tale of an Ultramarathoner and the Dog that Adopted Him
The Tale of an Ultramarathoner and the Dog that Adopted Him HERE
Today is National Dog Day...
Today is National Dog Day...
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Gabe Grunewald Hopes to Go Three for Three Against Cancer
Gabe Grunewald Hopes to Go Three for Three Against Cancer HERE
Zach Siegmeier Joins Gopher Men's Coaching Staff
Welcome BACK to the #Gophers, @ZachSiegmeier! https://t.co/NUSMpF6gpu pic.twitter.com/3oydxMRszD
— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 25, 2016
Barbora Špotáková 2nd in Javelin in Lausanne
Barbora Špotáková 2nd in Javelin in Lausanne Diamond League Meet. Result HERE.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Martin Smith Griak HOF Feature
This week's #Griak2016 Hall of Fame feature...Martin Smith.https://t.co/emybuIzjgn pic.twitter.com/KUv510JdrU
— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 23, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
Gopher's Tatiana Markland: What I did on My "Summer Vacation"
Find out what #Gophers sprinter @MarklandTitania has been up to all summer. https://t.co/kylQJH7mNw pic.twitter.com/qkmP7CFJfN
— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) August 22, 2016
Sunday, August 21, 2016
MN High School Coaches Association Girl's AA XC Rankings
Teams
1, Edina
2. Willmar
3. Wayzata
4. Farmington
5. Shakopee
6. Marshall
7. Red Wing
8, Forest Lake
9. Eden Prairie
10. Minnetonka
11. Duluth East
12. Lake South
13. Hopkins
14. WBL
15. Mpls Washburn
16. Sartell
17. STMA
18. Montecello
19. Bloom Jefferson
20. Henry Sibley
21. Anoka
22. Moorhead
23. Eastview
24. Mankato West
25. Prior Lake
26. Waseca
27. East Ridge
28. Lake North
29. Buffalo
30. Rosemount
Individuals
1 Claire
Boersma, 12, Marshall
2 Lauren
Peterson, 10, Farmington
3 Sophie
Whicher, 11, Minnetonka
4 Emily
Covert, 10, Minneapolis Washburn
5 Anna
Fenske, 8, Farmington
6 Maria
Rickman, 10, Edina
7 Brianne
Brewster, 8, Lakeville South
8 Jessa
Hanson, 12, Willmar
9 Emily
Kompelien, 11, Edina
10 Sadie
Hamrin, 11, Bemidji
11 Liesl
Schreiner, 10, Edina
12 Anastasia
Korzenowski, 12, Chanhassen
Others: Amanda
Mosborg, 12, Edina; Tess
Misgen, 12, Shakopee; Natalee
Sample, 9, Marshall; Renae
Anderson, 12, Hopkins
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Heather Kampf 3rd; Garrett Heath 5th in Falmouth Elite Miles
Heather Kampf 3rd; Garrett Heath 5th in Falmouth Elite Miles. Results HERE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJWrc8wANPf/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJWrc8wANPf/
Mead 11th, Farah Gold, Chelimo 2nd, Lagat 4th in 5K
Results HEREMo Farah's last 800m was 1:52.7. No 5000m runners can match this pace. #Rio2016— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) August 21, 201
Three DQs for "Lane infringements" being reviewed. Chelimo one of the athletes charged. Could push Lagat to 3rd if upheld.
4x4 guys, be careful of those white lines.... Just sayin'— Track and Field News (@tandfn) August 21, 2016
Two of the three DQed reinstated(Chelimo and Canada's Mohammed Ahmed)During M 5K final curb was missing for W HJ. Looks like the 3 DQ'd athletes stepped on the line. DQ under rule 163.3b, lane infringement.— David Monti (@d9monti) August 21, 2016
Blankenship 8th, Willis 3rd, Centrowicz Gold in Men's 1500
Kicker's race with a blanket finish as less than two seconds separate the top 12. Blankenship 8th, Willis 3rd, Centrowicz Gold in Men's 1500. Results HERE.
#Rio2016 1500m final#Gold @MattCentrowitz 3:50.00#Silver Taoufik Makhloufi 3:50.11#Bronze @nickwillis 3:50.24 pic.twitter.com/X6JyyyHCO0— IAAF (@iaaforg) August 21, 2016
Centrowitz splits: 66+, 69+, 55+, 38.7. Last 400 in 50.62. Last 800m in 1:50.flat.— Tim Layden (@SITimLayden) August 21, 2016
Thanks to @USATODAYsports for capturing @nickwillis #MedalMoment!#MGoRio pic.twitter.com/wHllVwEwbA
— Michigan Track&Field (@UMichTrack) August 21, 2016
MN Native Bob Larsen Talks Strategy and Technique Meb Keflezighi Employs in the Marathon
MN Native Bob Larsen Talks Strategy and Technique Meb Keflezighi Employs in the Marathon HERE
Gwen Jorgensen Wins Triathlon Gold
HISTORIC DAY! @gwenjorgensen with @usatriathlon 1st ever @Olympics #Gold medal! @TeamUSA #Rio2016 #triathlon pic.twitter.com/8saIIcfRbp
— Hunter Kemper (@hunterkemper) August 20, 2016
.@gwenjorgensen wins the first ever triathlon #gold medal for the #USA! pic.twitter.com/DR9WJre2WV
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 20, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
Blankenship and Mead On a Mission
Hassan Mead and Ben Blankenship are both gifted, dedicated, and intense. Both are on a mission to see how far they can go with their talents, and on Saturday they face the challenge of testing themselves against the very best in their profession.
The journey to this milestone has not been easy. For Mead especially the road to Rio has had a number of potholes. While running for the Gophers, out on a routine training run along the River Road, Mead's lung suddenly sprung a leak. Not only was the physical breakdown scary it came seemingly out of nowhere and, though he was able to recover from it, his doctors had no explanation why it happened and/or if it could ever happen again. The condition was rare, he was told, and tended to happen to ectomorphs like him.
His body type wasn't going to change, so Mead put fear in the rear view mirror and gradually worked back into his regular program. He not only recovered from the River Run surprise, but has steadily improved as his "comeback" progressed. Over the past few years, Mead set personal bests in nearly all the distances he runs. He broke through last year on the international scene by making the US team for the World Championships. Blankenship has made similar progress. In 2015 in the midst of his breakout season he anchored the US team to a World Record, defeating the Kenyans, as the anchorman on the US Distance Medley Relay team.
While Blankenship and Mead excelled in both high school and college, neither had been a world beater, someone tagged by those ranking talent as a potential world champion and/or Olympic medalist. When each graduated from the University of Minnesota their coach, Steve Plasencia, had to "sell them" to the folks running post-collegiate development/support programs. Each ended up getting spots in the Nike OTC Elite Track Club team in Eugene. Their development was passed from Plasencia to former UK steeplechase Olympic medalist Mark Rowland, who is one of the coaches in the Nike programs.
In 1988 Rowland demonstrated his prowess as an athlete by winning a medal in the Seoul Olympics in the steeplechase, an event that had been the possession of Kenyan runners who often swept the medals in that event. As a coach Rowland's task is to develop underdogs like himself. One of the ways he has done that is to collaborate closely with his athletes who respond to such an approach.
Neither Mead nor Blankenship experienced immediate success. The training program was similar to that at the U of M, but the competition was more challenging. Instead of collegiate competition, both Gopher alums were now facing the best in the world. Searching for what the right event would be for them and how to exploit the gifts they had to climb the ladder of success.
Both Blankenship and Mead credit the collaborative approach Rowland has taken to help them in their quest. Last year Blankenship noted that at least part of his development was due to his increased involvement in his training program. Rowland was letting him be more in charge of his workouts. One of the favorites to make the 2015 US World Championship team in the 1500, Blankenship was outkicked by Leonel Manzano. Thus the goal for this year was to either change events or get ready for this year's Olympic qualifying in the 1500 so that it didn't happen again.
Blankenship worked on increasing his training volume with the possibility of moving up in distance, but that didn't pan out, so he found himself in a similar spot in the homestretch of the 2016 1500 final. This time Blankenship won the battle with Manzano for the final spot on the Olympic team in the 1500.
Mead faced a different challenge. If he wanted to repeat and better his qualifying for the US Worlds team by repeating that feat in an Olympic year, Mead raced at shorter distances, running fast 1500s and in the 5K. In the Olympic Trials he was overcome by the heat and unable to finish the 10K, the event he had qualified forWorlds in 2015, the challenge of duplicating his top three finish in the 5K was not seen as an exercise in last minute desperation. Mead was confident of his ability to make the team. All he had to do was execute on race day.
In Rio, Mead tried to duplicate his Olympic Trials performance in the heats of the 5K. As the racers approached the last 200 meters of that race, Mead was in prime position to gain a qualifying spot for the Olympic final when he was tripped and ended up flat on the ground as the other runners were accelerating to the finish. Unable to scramble to his feet and finish fast enough to get a qualifying mark for the final, Mead was deemed to be worthy of a "second chance" by the IAAF appeals panel. It's a chance doesn't want to waste.
For Mead the challenge of another "comeback" is not foreign. It's a spot he's been in before and he's demonstrated that he is up to the task. Will he be the "comeback kid" again?
The journey to this milestone has not been easy. For Mead especially the road to Rio has had a number of potholes. While running for the Gophers, out on a routine training run along the River Road, Mead's lung suddenly sprung a leak. Not only was the physical breakdown scary it came seemingly out of nowhere and, though he was able to recover from it, his doctors had no explanation why it happened and/or if it could ever happen again. The condition was rare, he was told, and tended to happen to ectomorphs like him.
 |
| Lagat, Mead, and Chelimo at the Olympic Trials. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia |
While Blankenship and Mead excelled in both high school and college, neither had been a world beater, someone tagged by those ranking talent as a potential world champion and/or Olympic medalist. When each graduated from the University of Minnesota their coach, Steve Plasencia, had to "sell them" to the folks running post-collegiate development/support programs. Each ended up getting spots in the Nike OTC Elite Track Club team in Eugene. Their development was passed from Plasencia to former UK steeplechase Olympic medalist Mark Rowland, who is one of the coaches in the Nike programs.
In 1988 Rowland demonstrated his prowess as an athlete by winning a medal in the Seoul Olympics in the steeplechase, an event that had been the possession of Kenyan runners who often swept the medals in that event. As a coach Rowland's task is to develop underdogs like himself. One of the ways he has done that is to collaborate closely with his athletes who respond to such an approach.
Neither Mead nor Blankenship experienced immediate success. The training program was similar to that at the U of M, but the competition was more challenging. Instead of collegiate competition, both Gopher alums were now facing the best in the world. Searching for what the right event would be for them and how to exploit the gifts they had to climb the ladder of success.
Both Blankenship and Mead credit the collaborative approach Rowland has taken to help them in their quest. Last year Blankenship noted that at least part of his development was due to his increased involvement in his training program. Rowland was letting him be more in charge of his workouts. One of the favorites to make the 2015 US World Championship team in the 1500, Blankenship was outkicked by Leonel Manzano. Thus the goal for this year was to either change events or get ready for this year's Olympic qualifying in the 1500 so that it didn't happen again.
 |
| Ben Blankenship winning the Medtronic TC 1-Mile Photo by Gene Niemi |
Mead faced a different challenge. If he wanted to repeat and better his qualifying for the US Worlds team by repeating that feat in an Olympic year, Mead raced at shorter distances, running fast 1500s and in the 5K. In the Olympic Trials he was overcome by the heat and unable to finish the 10K, the event he had qualified forWorlds in 2015, the challenge of duplicating his top three finish in the 5K was not seen as an exercise in last minute desperation. Mead was confident of his ability to make the team. All he had to do was execute on race day.
In Rio, Mead tried to duplicate his Olympic Trials performance in the heats of the 5K. As the racers approached the last 200 meters of that race, Mead was in prime position to gain a qualifying spot for the Olympic final when he was tripped and ended up flat on the ground as the other runners were accelerating to the finish. Unable to scramble to his feet and finish fast enough to get a qualifying mark for the final, Mead was deemed to be worthy of a "second chance" by the IAAF appeals panel. It's a chance doesn't want to waste.
For Mead the challenge of another "comeback" is not foreign. It's a spot he's been in before and he's demonstrated that he is up to the task. Will he be the "comeback kid" again?
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Mead and Blankenship Ready for Saturday
Saturday night in Rio will be fun: Ben Blankenship in 1,500, Hassan Mead in 5,000, both racing for medals. @benfblankenship @HassyHass35— John Millea (@MSHSLjohn) August 18, 2016
BOYZ 2 MEN.— Oregon TC Elite (@OregonTCElite) August 19, 2016
Behind every finalist there's a journey and a story to tell. @NikeRunning #tbt pic.twitter.com/I2qQRLXW2e
#Gophers great @benfblankenship punches ticket to Olympic 1,500 final. https://t.co/JIBmWKUyya pic.twitter.com/lTEihLDbAd— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 19, 2016
Ben Blankenship Qualifies for 1500 Finals
Ben Blankenship Qualifies for 1500 Finals. Results HERE
Stillwater's @benfblankenship will run for #Rio2016 1500M medal Sat. night. https://t.co/BFLIagnAG7 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/0ChbA0GNry
— KARE 11 (@kare11) August 19, 2016
MN XC Coaches Association Class A Preseason Rankings
STATE CROSS COUNTRY COACHES’ ASSOCIATION
CLASS A RANKINGS
PRESEASON POLL
BOYS’ TEAMS: INDIVIDUALS:
1. Perham Zack Emery LaCrescent
2. Mora Michael Schwinghamer Mora
3. LaCrescent Carl Kozlowski Lake City
4. Pequot Lakes Mike Mitchell Blake
5. Jordan Alec Sanbeck Mora
6. Trinity of River Ridge Ryley Nelson West Central Area
7 Lake City Michael Suda Pipestone Area
8. West Central Area Jake Paron Cook County-Two Harbors
9. Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB Hunter Kjelshus Perham
10. Annandale Mitchell Mund Lake City
11. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin John Schwinghamer Mora
12. Glencoe-Silver Lake Matt Steiger LaCrescent
GIRLS’ TEAMS: INDIVIDUALS:
1. Perham Morgan Ritcher Breck
2. Fairmont Erika Fox Carlton
3. Luverne Tierney Wolfgram Math&Science Acad.
4. Trinity of River Ridge Maria Pake Dilworth-Glydon-Felton
5. Annandale Anna Donnay Eden Valley-Watkins/K
6. Lanesboro/Fillmore Central Kayla Christopherson Austin Pacelli
7. Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB Grace Ennis Trinity of River Ridge
8. Proctor Ellyssa Peterson Greenway/N-K
9. Pine City Brynnan Covington Perham
10 Blake Brook Wedin Mora
11. Ely Ellie Morgan Frazee
12. United North Central Madison Schandelmeier Luverne
CLASS A RANKINGS
PRESEASON POLL
BOYS’ TEAMS: INDIVIDUALS:
1. Perham Zack Emery LaCrescent
2. Mora Michael Schwinghamer Mora
3. LaCrescent Carl Kozlowski Lake City
4. Pequot Lakes Mike Mitchell Blake
5. Jordan Alec Sanbeck Mora
6. Trinity of River Ridge Ryley Nelson West Central Area
7 Lake City Michael Suda Pipestone Area
8. West Central Area Jake Paron Cook County-Two Harbors
9. Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB Hunter Kjelshus Perham
10. Annandale Mitchell Mund Lake City
11. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin John Schwinghamer Mora
12. Glencoe-Silver Lake Matt Steiger LaCrescent
GIRLS’ TEAMS: INDIVIDUALS:
1. Perham Morgan Ritcher Breck
2. Fairmont Erika Fox Carlton
3. Luverne Tierney Wolfgram Math&Science Acad.
4. Trinity of River Ridge Maria Pake Dilworth-Glydon-Felton
5. Annandale Anna Donnay Eden Valley-Watkins/K
6. Lanesboro/Fillmore Central Kayla Christopherson Austin Pacelli
7. Lac Qui Parle Valley-DB Grace Ennis Trinity of River Ridge
8. Proctor Ellyssa Peterson Greenway/N-K
9. Pine City Brynnan Covington Perham
10 Blake Brook Wedin Mora
11. Ely Ellie Morgan Frazee
12. United North Central Madison Schandelmeier Luverne
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Bulletin: IAAF Reconsiders Hassan Mead's Petition to be able to run in the 5K Final
Read more HERE."I'm baaaaackkkkk". There are no words can describe the support and love that has been pouring… https://t.co/jywoJWmMRK— Hassan mead (@HassyHass35) August 18, 2016
MCA Boy's XC Pre Season Rankings
Minnesota Coach’s Association Boy's AA Cross Country Rankings
PRE SEASON (released 8/17/2016)
Teams
1 Wayzata
2 Edina
3 Centennial
4 Stillwater
5 Prior Lake
6 Hopkins
7 Willmar
8 Mounds View
9 Maple Grove
10 Bemidji
11 Rosemount
12 Minnetonka
Other Teams receiving votes: Minneapolis Washburn, Sartell
Individuals:
1 Patrick Roos, Edina
2 Seth Eliason, Hopkins
3 Alex Miley, Maple Grove
4 Innocent Murwanashyaka, St. Paul Como Park
5 Khalid Hussein, Wayzata
6 Reed Kurak, Centennial
7 Matt Wilkinson, Minnetonka
8 Gemechu Meskele, Wayzata
9 Kevin Dado, Totino Grace
10 Tyler Moore, Little Falls
11 Cole Streich, Waseca
12 Zachary Miller, Edina
Other Athletes receiving votes: Isaac Boedigheimer, Cloquet; Colin Dwyer, Prior Lake; Joseph Minor, Minneapolis Washburn; Mohamed Noor, Willmar
PRE SEASON (released 8/17/2016)
Teams
1 Wayzata
2 Edina
3 Centennial
4 Stillwater
5 Prior Lake
6 Hopkins
7 Willmar
8 Mounds View
9 Maple Grove
10 Bemidji
11 Rosemount
12 Minnetonka
Other Teams receiving votes: Minneapolis Washburn, Sartell
Individuals:
1 Patrick Roos, Edina
2 Seth Eliason, Hopkins
3 Alex Miley, Maple Grove
4 Innocent Murwanashyaka, St. Paul Como Park
5 Khalid Hussein, Wayzata
6 Reed Kurak, Centennial
7 Matt Wilkinson, Minnetonka
8 Gemechu Meskele, Wayzata
9 Kevin Dado, Totino Grace
10 Tyler Moore, Little Falls
11 Cole Streich, Waseca
12 Zachary Miller, Edina
Other Athletes receiving votes: Isaac Boedigheimer, Cloquet; Colin Dwyer, Prior Lake; Joseph Minor, Minneapolis Washburn; Mohamed Noor, Willmar
Hassan Mead Falls in 5K Prelims.
Hassan Mead Falls in 5K Prelims HERE and HERE. IAAF denies Hassan Mead's appeal to be allowed to run the 5K final.
Strib story HERE.Couldn't be more proud of @HassyHass35. An incredible competitor and a great representative of the #Gophers and U.S. Olympic team.— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 17, 2016
Matt Conly Selected as New Gopher Men's Throws Coach
Gopher men's track team welcomes new coach.
— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 17, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Kim Smith Griak HOF Feature
Check out this week's #Griak2016 HOF Feature -- @PCAthletics alum @Kimsmithnz! https://t.co/c1Fq1MYBIZ pic.twitter.com/5ZA6P148oO
— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) August 16, 2016
Emmanual Matadi 5th in 200 Heats
Emmanual Matadi 5th in 200 meter Heats. Doesn't qualify for the next round
Results are HERE
MPR story HERE.
Results are HERE
MPR story HERE.
Liberia! Minnesota! I thank you all for the love you've showed throughout this experience !… https://t.co/XEx32vdafD
— Matadi (@Matadi_) August 16, 2016
The Olympic Spirit
The Olympic Spirit HERE
Here is what Nikki Hamblin had to say about Abbey D'Agostino after their collision in today's Olympic 5,000m heat. pic.twitter.com/HxTFsKkcZy— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) August 16, 2016
Ben Blankenship through to the Semis
Ben Blankenship through to the semis. Results HERE
— Benjamin Blankenship (@benfblankenship) August 16, 2016
Monday, August 15, 2016
Ben Blankenship Opens with the 1500 Heats Tuesday, Hassan Mead in the 5K on Wednesday
In Rio Ben Blankenship Opens with the 1500 heats Tuesday, Hassan Mead in the 5K heats on Wednesday. Details HERE.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Strib story on what Minnesota athletes did competed in during the summer. Wayzata/LSU's Ruby Stauber talks about going for a PR HERE.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Heather Miller-Koch 18th in Heptathlon
Heather Miller-Koch finishes 18th in heptathlon🇺🇸American🇺🇸 trio after finishing the heptathlon at #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/M6fawns6on— MileSplit US (@milesplit) August 14, 2016
Results HERE.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Heather Miller-Koch 19th after Heptathlon Day 1
Heather Miller-Koch 19th after Heptathlon Day 1 Results HERE.
The Fate of Doping in Sports
COMMENTARY
By Jim Ferstle
The fastest Women’s 10K Olympic final ever run has been
transformed from what it was, a great race where the top competitors actually
raced for the full distance, into a Did
They or Didn’t They Dope question. In
the past this performance by the top runners at least would have been
hailed as a historic event, a new era in women’s distance running. Instead it has become a headline item for
doping in sports. Instead of celebrating
the world, country, and/or personal records people want to know how many of
them doped.
What it
illustrates is the fact that organizations, such as the IOC, see the doping
problem within sports as a public relations issue. It's a problem that requires
more effort to contain instead of rhetoric that attempts to misdirect those who
ask legitimate questions of why the necessary resources have not been raised for anti-doping organizations, such as WADA, which the IOC created for the express purpose of
tackling the doping problem. Yes, the
IOC contributed an extra $10 million during the past four years to help with research on
discovering ways to detect dopers.
That
seemingly large sum is about a tenth of what should have been allocated within the budget. As it is, that tenth has been effective
as the retest of stored samples from the 2008 and 2012 Games showed. Record numbers of dopers were caught, but the
IOC admits that the exercise is primarily to attempt to minimize the number of
athletes who fail a drug test during the Games, not as a strategically planned
use of the resources and funds to make testing a viable tool to deter athletes
from giving in to the temptation to dope.
As the Russian doping scandal has grabbed headlines and drown out much of the traditional pre-Olympic rhetoric much
time and energy have been wasted in counterproductive finger pointing and posturing
by the IOC and WADA about whose fault it is that doping is becoming more of a
problem, not less, as the days, months, and years pass.
There is enough blame
to go around, not only for the two agencies, but to other actors in the
equation, such as the athletes themselves.
But when some athletes became pro-active by being openly critical of
athletes who have doped and are returning to competition the IOC basically tells them to shut up even though the athletes have
a legitimate concern as to what the proper punishment is needed to deter the tempted. To establish a new
motto about doping.
Right now the
mantra is that athletes have to dope because “everybody is doing it.”
Everybody doesn’t dope, but nobody really knows who is or isn’t. It would be safe to say that there are more
dopers now than there were when WADA was created, and continues to be "handled" as a public relations problem, not as it is a public health issue.
The IOC has ordered WADA to hold
a meeting to talk about the problem and what can be done. Who
will fund this? What is the agenda? How transparent will the process be, and who
gets to take part in this exercise?
Will
it just be more of a finger pointing and a blame fest, or will the participants be able to define the tools necessary to
really address what needs to be done? If so, where will the money come from to fund this transformation? All serious and necessary questions that must be answered.
There is little trust in the system right
now, and that trust must be restored. It
won’t be solved with press releases and rhetoric. It won’t be solved by the athletes calling each
other names. All the “stakeholders” have
to leave their vitriol at the door and come prepared to draft an action plan
that is properly funded and able to develop the systems to combat what has become
the “cancer” in sports.
Will Rio be seen
years down the road as the beginning of being able to deal with doping, or the
tipping point toward turning sport into a freak show rather than a stage for
the World’s best athletes?
Thursday, August 11, 2016
The Path to Clean Swimming
The Path to Clean Swimming
By John Leonard
We see admirable courageous stances by athletes from multiple nations in Rio with regard to the immediate and important need to protect our sport.
This comes about because the IOC and its subsidiary International Federation Puppets such as FINA in our sport, have abdicated their moral responsibility to protect and preserve the sanctity of Olympic Ideals and Values. They have revealed themselves as simply a financial machine generating BILLIONS of dollars while sharing pittances with the Athletes on whose backs those dollars are generated, AND THEN, they are so arrogant as to ask the athletes to protect their private money generating circus by not protesting the prostitution of clean sport, as FINA and the IOC have done by allowing the dopers to swim.
Which leaves us with “WHAT TO DO”?
Here are the SIMPLE (not easy, but SIMPLE) steps:
1) The real power in sport is with the athletes. Read that again three times. As athletes, you have become so used to the mindset of “big brother IOC will take care of all” that now that that trust has been betrayed, you have not realized ITS ALL ABOUT YOU. Your heart, soul, passion and BODY are what the IOC is getting rich on, and all the IF’s underneath them as well, (Read FINA, with their 100 Million in the bank while you starve.)
2) ATHLETES MUST UNITE, form your own organization and TELL THE IOC under WHAT CONDITIONS YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CIRCUS. (Suggestions on conditions to follow.)
3) And PS. You can run your own Swim Circuit without them, earn REAL money, and be in control of your destiny. See GOLF and TENNIS. I am here to help you do it, when you are ready and I have a team in place to help you do it. And I won’t accept an American nickel to do it. No money for me.
This is about you and generations to follow. I want my children who coach, to be able to coach CLEAN ATHLETES and aspire to win in the generations ahead. That’s my personal motivation for the cynics to understand.
4) Once you have a viable option to the IOC and their Circus, you are in control. Yes, keep the Olympics, but have it drug free, have it the way you dreamed of it when you were a child and emerging elite athletes. Not the cynical freak show of today, all marketing, no soul. Value your Dreams. They can be real. They can be real. They can be real.
5) What conditions do you want? Here are “suggestions”.
A) WADA must be rebuilt with a REAL anti-doping reformer at the helm. (I suggest Travis Tygert, of USADA, the ONLY administrator in all sport to truly SPEAK UP for you. He’s real. He’s at odds with the USOC because they are just more fakers hiding behind nonsense like “Zero Tolerance.”
The only ZERO TOLERANCE they recognize is for anything that threatens their bank account. Note to the USOC – why hold an Olympics in Los Angeles when it’s just another corrupt operation serving no clean athletes…..? When you cave in to the IOC on everything, to get the Games in LA, YOU STAND FOR NOTHING! ATHLETES, DEMAND A REBUILD of WADA. And real power for WADA to set rules, test for doping and ENFORCE RULES FOR ALL OF OLYMPIC SPORT.
B) A thing called “HIGH THROUGHPUT TESTING” which exists TODAY, can find the doping needle in the haystack that current testing can’t. It can immediately create CLEAN SPORT. Why don’t “they” use it now? Because they don’t want clean sport, they want the charade of “Zero Tolerance” rhetoric. The Science EXISTS NOW. ATHLETES, INSIST WE USE 2016 Science to catch 2016 cheats, NOT 1950’s technology which is what is used now.
C) MONEY – It’s all about the money right now, isn’t it? Why are the IOC making BILLIONS while you struggle to get the money to eat and keep a roof over your head? ATHLETES, insist on a fair distribution of revenue to keep YOU at the center of the picture. How? See number two above.
Athletes, every problem that frustrates you and your coaches and the entire world that wants CLEAN SPORT, can be solved by YOU. Unite. OWN YOUR SPORT. Many of us are here to help you. Fix swimming for your generation and hundreds of generations to come. You have the power to do it. Use it. Please.
John Leonard
American And World Swimming Coaches Association.
JLeonard@swimmingcoach.org
By John Leonard
We see admirable courageous stances by athletes from multiple nations in Rio with regard to the immediate and important need to protect our sport.
This comes about because the IOC and its subsidiary International Federation Puppets such as FINA in our sport, have abdicated their moral responsibility to protect and preserve the sanctity of Olympic Ideals and Values. They have revealed themselves as simply a financial machine generating BILLIONS of dollars while sharing pittances with the Athletes on whose backs those dollars are generated, AND THEN, they are so arrogant as to ask the athletes to protect their private money generating circus by not protesting the prostitution of clean sport, as FINA and the IOC have done by allowing the dopers to swim.
Which leaves us with “WHAT TO DO”?
Here are the SIMPLE (not easy, but SIMPLE) steps:
1) The real power in sport is with the athletes. Read that again three times. As athletes, you have become so used to the mindset of “big brother IOC will take care of all” that now that that trust has been betrayed, you have not realized ITS ALL ABOUT YOU. Your heart, soul, passion and BODY are what the IOC is getting rich on, and all the IF’s underneath them as well, (Read FINA, with their 100 Million in the bank while you starve.)
2) ATHLETES MUST UNITE, form your own organization and TELL THE IOC under WHAT CONDITIONS YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CIRCUS. (Suggestions on conditions to follow.)
3) And PS. You can run your own Swim Circuit without them, earn REAL money, and be in control of your destiny. See GOLF and TENNIS. I am here to help you do it, when you are ready and I have a team in place to help you do it. And I won’t accept an American nickel to do it. No money for me.
This is about you and generations to follow. I want my children who coach, to be able to coach CLEAN ATHLETES and aspire to win in the generations ahead. That’s my personal motivation for the cynics to understand.
4) Once you have a viable option to the IOC and their Circus, you are in control. Yes, keep the Olympics, but have it drug free, have it the way you dreamed of it when you were a child and emerging elite athletes. Not the cynical freak show of today, all marketing, no soul. Value your Dreams. They can be real. They can be real. They can be real.
5) What conditions do you want? Here are “suggestions”.
A) WADA must be rebuilt with a REAL anti-doping reformer at the helm. (I suggest Travis Tygert, of USADA, the ONLY administrator in all sport to truly SPEAK UP for you. He’s real. He’s at odds with the USOC because they are just more fakers hiding behind nonsense like “Zero Tolerance.”
The only ZERO TOLERANCE they recognize is for anything that threatens their bank account. Note to the USOC – why hold an Olympics in Los Angeles when it’s just another corrupt operation serving no clean athletes…..? When you cave in to the IOC on everything, to get the Games in LA, YOU STAND FOR NOTHING! ATHLETES, DEMAND A REBUILD of WADA. And real power for WADA to set rules, test for doping and ENFORCE RULES FOR ALL OF OLYMPIC SPORT.
B) A thing called “HIGH THROUGHPUT TESTING” which exists TODAY, can find the doping needle in the haystack that current testing can’t. It can immediately create CLEAN SPORT. Why don’t “they” use it now? Because they don’t want clean sport, they want the charade of “Zero Tolerance” rhetoric. The Science EXISTS NOW. ATHLETES, INSIST WE USE 2016 Science to catch 2016 cheats, NOT 1950’s technology which is what is used now.
C) MONEY – It’s all about the money right now, isn’t it? Why are the IOC making BILLIONS while you struggle to get the money to eat and keep a roof over your head? ATHLETES, insist on a fair distribution of revenue to keep YOU at the center of the picture. How? See number two above.
Athletes, every problem that frustrates you and your coaches and the entire world that wants CLEAN SPORT, can be solved by YOU. Unite. OWN YOUR SPORT. Many of us are here to help you. Fix swimming for your generation and hundreds of generations to come. You have the power to do it. Use it. Please.
John Leonard
American And World Swimming Coaches Association.
JLeonard@swimmingcoach.org
Physiological Profile of Chris Froome, Tour de France Champion
Physiological Profile of Chris Froome, Tour de France Champion HERE
Barbora Špotáková seeks Another Olympic Medal
#Athletics begins tomorrow at #Rio2016! More on #Gophers All-American Barbora Spotakova ➡️ https://t.co/bw0B5kq9oY pic.twitter.com/YJaUf480e1
— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) August 11, 2016
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Tyler Sigl's Griak Hall of Fame Feature
Congrats to Tyler Sigl, one of our #Griak2016 HOF inductees. 👏👏👏 https://t.co/o3ATXkI0PS pic.twitter.com/MZzaTGR2FQ
— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) August 9, 2016
Monday, August 08, 2016
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Effect of Hand Cooling on Performance in the Heat HERE
Bethel's Andrew Rock Recalls Gold Medal Performance from 2004
ICYMI: @BethelRoyals T&F Coach Andrew Rock reflects on his Gold Medal experience as the #Olympics begin! https://t.co/InQ5VsHIH0 #MIACPride
— MIAC (@MIACathletics) August 8, 2016
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Patrick Smyth 9th Open men in 29:21
Maddie Van Beek 9th women open in 33:23
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Maddie Van Beek 9th women open in 33:23
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Antihistamines minimize delayed muscle soreness?
Antihistamines minimize delayed muscle soreness? HERE
Friday, August 05, 2016
MSU Mankato grad Emmanuel Matadi is Flag Bearer for Liberia
@Matadi_ big timing as the Olympic flag bearer for Liberia!! @msumavericks @USTFCCCA pic.twitter.com/PXpyzewWcg
— Minnesota State T&F (@MavTrack) August 6, 2016
Thursday, August 04, 2016
Ben Blankenship on the Road to Rio
Ben Blankenship on the Road to Rio HERE And "gratuitous male objectification at the Olympics
Well, @NYMag - I do brew my own kombucha, so I'm going to assume I belong on this list. https://t.co/IOu4Rz6KLb pic.twitter.com/xrR6CFMXsk
— Benjamin Blankenship (@benfblankenship) August 5, 2016
In an Era When Track and XC Programs are Being Dropped, San Jose State is Bringing Back Track
In an Era When Track and XC programs are being dropped, San Jose State is Bringing Back Track HERE
Wednesday, August 03, 2016
Doping Humor
The latest from RIO! 😎 pic.twitter.com/OBBtFjGNvn
— Renee Anne Shirley (@RAnneShirley) August 4, 2016
Macalester's Logan Hovie Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Congrats to @MACathletics Logan Hovie on earning a prestigious @NCAA Postgrad Scholarship! https://t.co/WI5fQDSztg pic.twitter.com/Tpdj3H1fPy
— MIAC (@MIACathletics) August 3, 2016
UPDATED: Research on Sweat and Salt
Research on sweat and salt. Interindividual variability in sweat electrolyte concentration in marathoners HERE
Tuesday, August 02, 2016
Some Call It Innovation, Others Technical Doping. Objective is to Improve Performance
Olympians suit up in high-tech apparel to shave off seconds: https://t.co/Gn4mEzggHD pic.twitter.com/IqWIJsySwH
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) August 3, 2016
Carrie Tollefson Interviews Jenny Simpson
New episode! Carrie interviews @trackjenny! https://t.co/UcOhSEAm3H
— C Tolle Run (@CTolleRun) August 3, 2016
Jo Rider Griak Hall of Fame Feature
The #Gophers' own Jo Rider will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at #Griak2016. https://t.co/JgIoGep4ID pic.twitter.com/n75hXGU97e
— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) August 2, 2016
Monday, August 01, 2016
St. Scholastica Head Track & Field Coach Kirk Nauman is leaving for Virginia
— CSS SAINTS T&F (@CssSaintsTnF) August 2, 2016