Track Ledger

21 June 2012

Warren Weir on the verge of stardom

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[caption id="attachment_3171" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Warren Weir at the 2012 Adidas GP in NY. Photo by O'Neil Reid"][/caption] “I think the trials [Jamaican] is harder than some of the races on the circuit because every round is a hard round, there is no easy round,” said 22-year-old Warren Weir, who will be ready to contest for a spot on the Jamaican 200m team to London 2012. Weir continued “I am feeling pretty good, I am having a good season and I am pretty confident going into the trials.” Weir is having a breakthrough season; he established a lifetime best of 20.08 seconds in the 200m at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York on June 9. As....

21 June 2012

The Bahamas BTC/Scotia Bank Olympic Trials – Preview

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[caption id="attachment_1059" align="alignleft" width="111" caption="Trevor Barry with his 2011 World Championship Bronze Medal"][/caption] The Bahamas BTC/Scotia Bank Olympic Trials schedule for June 22-23 in Nassau, will offer some exciting match-ups as the top three finishers from each event will book their tickets to London, provided that they meet the qualifying A or B standards. The marquee events include the men’s 400m, the women’s 100m and the women’s 200m. The men’s 400m will feature defending national champion Demetrius Pinder, Chris “Fireman” Brown, Ramon Miller and Avard Moncur. Michael ....

22 June 2012

Warren Weir, Fraser-Pryce, Luguelin Santos audio Interviews (unedited) in NY

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Track Fans: I had so much fun interviewing these athletes and writing about them. I just want to share these unedited audio interviews from the Adidas Grand Prix in New York . Click on the first Hypertext (link) for the audio and enjoy. O'Neil [caption id="attachment_3170" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Warren Weir at the 2012 Adidas GP in NY. Photo by O'Neil Reid"][/caption] Warren Weir Interview with O'Neil Reid from TrackLedger.com June 9, 2012

26 June 2012

Ryan Brathwaite sets sights on Podium in London

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[caption id="attachment_3386" align="alignleft" width="241" caption="Ryan Brathwaite at the 2012 Adidas GP in NY; Photo by O'Neil Reid"][/caption] “For me it is all about preparation. It’s hard for me to predict how well I will do in a race. [In London] I am prepared to just run my PB and not worry about anybody else," said 24-year-old Ryan Brathwaite. Ryan continued, “I am just going out there, aiming for the podium and see what happens.” After capturing the 110m hurdles title at the 2009 Berlin championship in a lifetime best of 13.14 seconds, Ryan has failed to recapture that mag....

30 June 2012

Fraser-Pryce Romps, Blake Sizzles - Highlights Day 2 of Jamaican Trials

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[caption id="attachment_3505" align="alignleft" width="143" caption="Fraser-Pryce at 2012 Adidas GP in NY. Photo by Ridley Ingram (Sporting Events Fotos)"][/caption] Reigning Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a personal best and world leading 10.70 seconds to capture the 100m title on Day 2 of the 2012 Jamaican Senior National Trials at the National Stadium in Kingston. Fraser-Pryce got a brilliant start and by the midway point of the race had built an insurmountable lead before winning comfortably ahead of Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.82), Kerron Stew....

03 July 2012

10 Takeaways from the Jamaican Trials

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[caption id="attachment_3590" align="alignleft" width="159" caption="Yohan "The Beast" Blake at the 2012 adidas GP in NY. ( Photo by O'Neil Reid)"][/caption] 1. Yohan “The Beast” Blake is the Real Deal The twenty two year-old Yohan “The Beast” Blake was clearly the outstanding male performer of the Trials. The Beast as he is called because of his intense training and workout regiments has the distinction of beating the 100m and 200m world-record holder Usain Bolt not once but twice over four days of competition. In the process, “The Beast” established lifetim....

08 July 2012

Calvert, Hyman, Bailey-Cole Shine at Madrid World Challenge

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[caption id="attachment_3762" align="alignleft" width="215" caption="Anneshia McLaughlin 2012 Penn Relay - Photo by O'Neil Reid"][/caption] Twenty-three year old Schillonie Calvert ran a strong race to win the women’s 200m in a time of 22.68 seconds at the 2012 IAAF Madrid World Challenge yesterday. Calvert finished ahead of fellow-Jamaican Anneshia McLaughlin (22.70) and St Kitts and Nevis’s Tameka Williams (22.85). Calvert who has a personal best 22.55 seconds in the 200m, had made the finals in the 200m at the recently concluded Jamaican Olympic Trials but did not compete. Calvert victory can be viewed as redemption of sorts and signal that she is in fine form. McLaughlin just ....

08 July 2012

Evans, James fail to qualify for Olympic 800m

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[caption id="attachment_3778" align="alignleft" width="105" caption="Aaron Evans - University of Georgia Media Relations"][/caption] The English-Speaking Caribbean will not have a presence in the men’s 800m in London as Bermuda’s Aaron Evans and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jamaal James both failed in their bids to meet the B qualifying standard of 1:46.30. Evans, along with James and the Jamaican-duo of Ricky West and Aldwyn Sappleton was considered the best 800m prospects of making it toLondon. In a last ditch effort to meet the qualifying standard which closes today July 8; Evans and James on Thursday (July 5), battled each other at the Moncton Hub Track and Field....

10 July 2012

Dane Hyatt had more left in the tank - coach George Williams

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[caption id="attachment_3806" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Dane Hyatt - Photo courtesy of Lincoln University Athletic Media Relation Office"][/caption] Dane Hyatt ran a personal best of 44.83 seconds to capture the men’s 400m title at the Jamaican Championship on July 1 at the National Stadium in Kingston. Dane finished ahead of 19 year old Rusheen McDonald (45.10) and Jermaine Gonzales (45.18). Dane’s impressive victory may be the sparks that the Jamaican 4x4 relay team needs as the injury bug has kept stars Ricardo Chamb....

13 July 2012

How much do you know about the False Start Rule?

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[caption id="attachment_3954" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="High School Boys facing the Starter at the 2012 Penn Relay Festival. Photo by O'Neil Reid"][/caption] When Usain Bolt, the 100 and 200m world record holder, false started in the 100m final at the 2011 Daegu world championships, the world stood and took notice. Opponents of the current false start rule were very vocal, calling for its immediate modification. The current rule went into effect on January 1, 2010 and has been heavily debated as to its fairness to the athletes. The “one false start and you are out rule” has faced criticism from both track fans as well as the athletes them....