Olympic trials

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Record Run Seals Richardson's Comeback

Sprint star's path changed after she tested positive for marijuana in 2021

(Newser) - American Sha'Carri Richardson won the women's 100-meter world title Monday in Budapest, Hungary, outsprinting a star-studded field to take a gold medal two years after a positive marijuana test derailed her Olympic dreams. Running on the far outside in Lane 9, Richardson finished in 10.65 seconds to...

They Crossed the Finish Line Hand in Hand. Bad Idea

British triathletes ended up disqualified from key Olympic test event

(Newser) - Jessica Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown were in step with each other for much of the World Triathlon Olympic qualification event in Tokyo Thursday, and so as the British triathletes crossed the finish line before anyone else, they grabbed hands. That move ended up getting them both disqualified, the Guardian reports....

40 Years Later, Prefontaine's Last Big Record Is Busted

Galen Rupp beats his 5K meter record by 0.13 seconds

(Newser) - It took 40 years, but Steve Prefontaine's US record in the 5,000 meters finally fell Thursday night. It was the last major record held by Prefontaine, who died in a 1975 car crash at age 24, reports the Wall Street Journal . Galen Rupp finished his race at the...

Why Is 'Supermom' Getting the Bonds Treatment?

If it weren't for McNamee, maybe we'd still be happily naive about sports doping

(Newser) - Some are calling five-time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres "Supermom," but Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star thinks that "Wonder Woman" might be more appropriate. Everyone's wondering how a 41-year-old new mother could come back from retirement and surgery to take first place at her fifth qualifiers....

Cramp Fells Tyson Gay in 200m Trials

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...

Coughlin Gives Up, Regains World Record

Swimmer loses top time in backstroke, for only one heat

(Newser) - The US Olympic swim trials in Omaha, Neb., today looked more like a final in Beijing, as Hayley McGregory took the 100-meter backstroke world record from Natalie Coughlin—who promptly took it back, the Los Angeles Times reports. McGregory swam it in 59.15 seconds, and Coughlin stroked it in...

Gay Is Fastest Man, Ever*
Gay Is Fastest Man, Ever*
OPINION
Jun 30, 2008 2:10 PM CDT

Gay Is Fastest Man, Ever*

*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...

Phelps, Hoff Smash Records in Omaha

(Newser) - Records fell at the Olympic trials in Omaha yesterday as both Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff triumphed in the 400 IM, USA Today reports. Each swimmer had a personal motivation: Phelps took almost a second of his own world record, and Hoff recaptured the record from Stephanie Rice.

Busy Beard Narrows Focus to Beijing

Three-time Olympian puts endorsements aside to shoot for fourth Games

(Newser) - Three-time Olympian Amanda Beard has endorsements and extracurriculars to worry about, but only one thing really matters right now: this week's Olympic swimming trials. The red-carpet fixture and onetime Playboy cover model is all business as she dives into the pool of hopefuls competing to represent the US in breaststroke...

As US Track Trials Begin, Field Is Wide Open

Few household names are present for Oregon trials

(Newser) - Before US track and field athletes can book their tickets to Beijing, they must prove themselves at the Olympic Trials in Oregon, which get under way today. With the field this year largely devoid of big names and the sport still shrouded in shame over doping scandals, the New York ...

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