• E-mail
  • Save
6 Stories on Jon Drummond
Search this topic

SI.com: Tim Layden: Recovered Gay has all his apples in Olympic basket

BEIJING -- In the last weekend in June, Tyson Gay finally seemed to have found his path to the Olympic Games. Less than a month after he was crushed in the 100 meters by 21-year-old Jamaican Usain Bolt's world record of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Track Classic in New York, Gay won the U.S. Olympic Trials.

SI.com: Tim Layden: The Phenom

The Beijing games beckoned, far in the distance, as three sprinters aligned themselves last winter for a run at the grandest title in track and field -- Olympic 100-meter champion. They had clearly defined roles: the favorite, the record holder, the upstart.

SI.com: Tim Layden: Hooker, Edwards could emerge as dominant U.S. 100-meter runners

Marshavet Hooker glided through the finish line in her 100-meter quarterfinal heat Friday night at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and then heard the voice of public address announcer Scott Davis as he announced her winning time. "10.76 seconds...''

SI.com: Tim Layden: Sprinter Tyson Gay is shooting for four gold medals in Beijing

Sprinter Tyson Gay was expected to chase three gold medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing. A year ago at the World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, Gay rushed to the first page of history by winning the 100 meters, (humbling world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica) 200 meters and anchoring Team USA's gold medal-winning 4x100-meter relay.

SI.com: Tim Layden: Webb has plan to be USA's best

When it comes to U.S. runner Alan Webb, there has always been a plan. The plan has been detoured, as plans will be, but Team Webb -- primarily Alan and longtime coach Scott Raczko, but also agent Ray Flynn -- have always had their eyes on more distant goals than the people who evaluate them from afar (media, bloggers, anonymous web posters).

SI.com: Tim Layden: Sprinter Gay eyes U.S. title with coach incarcerated

The track coach has a strange and limiting job. He writes the workouts and provides whatever motivation he can offer and when race day arrives, he finds a place among fans in the bleachers and hopes that the lessons have stuck. It is an unusual vocation under the best of circumstances: Part trainer, part planner, part shrink. And on race day, he has absolutely no control.

Advertisement
Quick Job Search :
keyword(s):
enter city:
Home  |  World  |  U.S.  |  Politics  |  Crime  |  Entertainment  |  Health  |  Tech  |  Travel  |  Living  |  Business  |  Sports  |  Time.com
Podcasts  |  Blogs  |  CNN Mobile  |  Preferences  |  Email Alerts  |  CNN Radio  |  CNN Shop  |  Site Map
© 2009 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.