"Olympic" sports

[da man]

I've been distracted by life and recently by tennis, but let's talk track and field.

This is one of those weird in-between seasons for the sport, that one in every four years with no Olympics or world championships. To remedy that situation, World Athletics has come up with something to fill that gap -- the inaugural Ultimate Championships -- and it actually seems like a great idea.

Instead of inviting athletes from each nation like the world championships, this event, set for Sept. 11-13 in Budapest, is for champions and top performers regardless of where they're from. The gold medalists from the most recent Olympics and worlds are automatically in, as are the winners of the Diamond League finals the week before. The rest of the field will be filled in based on this year's world rankings in each event. There will also be mixed 4x100 and 4x400 relays that include the top six finishers in last month's World Athletics Relays.

The field will consist of 16 athletes in the track events through 800 meters, with 12 runners contesting the 1500 and 5000, and eight entries in the field events and relays. As noted, there is no limit to the number of entries from any country.

BTW, it doesn't look like Lutkenhaus will be competing in that meet. He's said he'll end his season with the USATF national championships in late July in order to be back in school on the first day of his senior year at Justin Northwest (20 miles north of downtown Fort Worth) in mid-August.

 

[Gym Beam]

One more kinda important note from today's jam-packed track and field day:

JA'KOBE THARP!

 

[da man]

One more kinda important note from today's jam-packed track and field day:

JA'KOBE THARP!

Wow. Didn’t see that coming at all.

 

[da man]

Just to catch everyone up, Tharp's was not the first world record set this year. A month earlier, Jamaica's mixed 4x100 relay team put up a world record 39.62 to book their spot in the Ultimate Championships, breaking the record of 39.99 they'd set in the prelims earlier that day.

Yesterday at the NCAAs, Georgia's Adaejah Hodge ran a barely wind-legal 10.63 100, breaking Sha'Carri Richardson's collegiate record and making her the fifth-fastest woman in history. She now has the two fastest times in the world this year. In the pole vault, Amanda Moll of Washington cleared 4.84 meters (15-10 1/2) to beat her teammate and twin sister Hana, who currently owns the world's best women's vault this year at 4.88 meters.

Between them, the Moll sisters have four of the five best vaults in the world so far in 2026.

 

[da man]

The college kids are on fire. Alabama's Samuel Ogazi just put up a 43.38 400. That's the fastest time in 10 years and the fourth-fastest ever, behind only Wayde van Niekerk's record 43.03, Michael Johnson's 43.18 and Butch Reynolds' 43.29.

 

[da man]

Just realized I hadn't mentioned this.

If you're wondering when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is going to open her season, well, wait 'til next year, at earliest. Right now, she's getting ready to be a mom.

Yup, the sport's most dominant athlete is expecting her first child, due next month. In a USA Today story, she said she's now in "mom mode" and hopes to "will bring a new type of motivation for the next seasons to come." She said she hopes to run in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but, "We'll see how pregnancy goes and postpartum and all of those different things, and it's going to be a slow progression back. ... I really hope to be back there with the USA on my chest, representing our country.”

 

[UPChip]

Just realized I hadn't mentioned this.

If you're wondering when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is going to open her season, well, wait 'til next year, at earliest. Right now, she's getting ready to be a mom.

Yup, the sport's most dominant athlete is expecting her first child, due next month. In a USA Today story, she said she's now in "mom mode" and hopes to "will bring a new type of motivation for the next seasons to come." She said she hopes to run in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but, "We'll see how pregnancy goes and postpartum and all of those different things, and it's going to be a slow progression back. ... I really hope to be back there with the USA on my chest, representing our country.”

Yeah, I figured that was happening within like a week of the end of the Olympics.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Arkansas wins another track title. Sun rises in East.

 

[Gym Beam]

Arkansas wins another track title. Sun rises in East.

First outdoor title in quite a few years, and they really tried hard to spit the bit!

 

[Gym Beam]

The college kids are on fire. Alabama's Samuel Ogazi just put up a 43.38 400. That's the fastest time in 10 years and the fourth-fastest ever, behind only Wayde van Niekerk's record 43.03, Michael Johnson's 43.18 and Butch Reynolds' 43.29.

Unbelievable anchor by Simms, the Georgia frosh... 42.99 to walk down LSU and win.

 

[Slacker]

Arkansas wins another track title. Sun rises in East.

Bear Pig ****s in the woods. Sooooooooooooo-eeeeeeeeey!!!

 

[da man]

It’s their first men’s outdoor title since 2003 (2004-05 championships were vacated).

 

[Gym Beam]

It’s their first men’s outdoor title since 2003 (2004-05 championships were vacated).

That's Gay.

No, really. That's Tyson Gay's fault. Well, Lance Brauman mostly, but...

 

[Gym Beam]

Another marvelous night of women's track and field to polish off the NCAA Championships. Collegiate records in the 200, 400 and 800, as well as some other really great stuff. We have the best development system in the world.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Arkansas wins another track title. Sun rises in East.

Just another dynasty for the Ghost of SI to ignore.

 

[da man]

Cooper Lutkenhaus is no longer undefeated. He came into last weekend's Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., expecting to make a run at Bryce Hoppel's American record of 1:41.67 -- he's run 1:42.08 this year. Instead, he was run down in the stretch by fellow American Brandon Miller, who blew past and won going away in 1:43.68. Lutkenhaus took second in 1:44.62

 

[UPChip]

Haven't seen this here, but the IOC made some pretty significant changes in the Winter Olympic program for 2030:

Nordic combined (the only Winter Olympic sport with no women) is out for at least 2030. In is "freeriding" for both skiers and snowboards (going down an ungroomed mountain and being judged on navigating the terrain with speed and creativity) and synchronized skating. We can and should make a few jokes about the girl at the center of the pinwheel, so to speak, but I do know a few synchronized skaters and it's got to be a great development for them.

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story...olympics-adds-synchro-skating-freeride-events

 

[da man]

As usual, the Pre featured a bunch of really strong races. Let's start with the men's 200, headlined by reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo. Turned out, though, that Tebogo wasn't the headline. Texas teenager Tate Taylor -- who was only running because Australian Gout Gout dropped out -- delivered a stunning and convincing victory in 19.75, well ahead of Tebogo's 19.93. It was a huge PR for the recent high school graduate and newly-minted pro, putting him on the map.



The women's 100 was about as close as it gets, with three of the world's fastest going head-to-head-to-head. World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, unbeaten in the 100 since 2024, barely outleaned Sha'Carri Richardson, second-fastest in the world this year, with NCAA champion and world leader (10.63) Adaejah Hodge just a hair behind them. Jefferson-Wooden clocked 10.78, Richardson 10.79 and Hodge 10.80.



In the 110 hurdles, Ja'Kobe Tharp, who set the world record of 12.75 at last month's NCAA meet, was beaten by Jamal Britt, who put up a PR 12.86 to Tharp's 12.91. The 100 hurdles included six of the seven fastest women of all time, led by world record holder Tobi Amusan and No. 2 all-time Masai Russell. While they didn't touch Amusan's record of 12.12, Russell smoked them all in 12.24, a full tenth ahead of Amusan.

 

[Gym Beam]

Cooper Lutkenhaus is no longer undefeated. He came into last weekend's Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., expecting to make a run at Bryce Hoppel's American record of 1:41.67 -- he's run 1:42.08 this year. Instead, he was run down in the stretch by fellow American Brandon Miller, who blew past and won going away in 1:43.68. Lutkenhaus took second in 1:44.62

Miller has had quite a season so far! That was an impressive win, Lutkenhaus looked uncomfortable from the start. Pre is an awesome meet, maybe the best one-day meet in the world.

 

[da man]

Miller has had quite a season so far! That was an impressive win, Lutkenhaus looked uncomfortable from the start. Pre is an awesome meet, maybe the best one-day meet in the world.

It’s two days! July 3-4 this year.