Track & Field Championships: Who or What to Watch For

As I mentioned in my previous post, the World Track & Field Championships is underway. But with little to no publicity, very few people even know about it, much else what to watch for. So here are the names or stories you should know about.

The Kenyans: Their main rivals in the distances are their East African neighbors from Ethiopia, but this country continues to dominate the long distance races. The Kenyan women already swept both the women's marathon and 10,000m on Day 1, claiming all six medals. The highlight: Edna Kiplagat winning the marathon despite being tripped by her teammate as they made a grab for water. Watch her fall here:

David Rudisha

Kiplagat made her marathon debut in 2005, finishing 10th and didn't run another until last year when she won the L.A., and then New York City marathons. Now she is a world champion at 31. It makes you wonder just how many undiscovered champions reside in this country. With the likes of 2010 T&F male athlete of the year David Rudisha yet to compete in the 800m, they could challenge the U.S. dominance at the top of the overall medal count. Rudisha broke the world record in his race twice last year and is the overwhelming favorite to win.

Walter Dix

Men's 100m: It's not really about who could win since the only things stopping Usain Bolt from meeting the finish line first are a false start or an injury mid-race. The story here is who could give him the push for second place. American Walter Dix is my pick for that spot, but there's also Jamaica's Yohan Blake. This race also has sub-plots with Jamaica's Asafa Powell, who had the world-leading time this year (9.78), out with an injury, as well as compatriot Steve Mullings and American Michael Rodgers, who were both medal contenders but tested positive for banned substances. Blake served a three-month suspension in 2009 after registering a positive test supposedly from consuming a sports drink. Also look out for former Olympic champion and world record holder Justin Gatlin of the U.S., who returned to the track this year after a four-year ban. Despite being deprived of running in European events because of his reputation as a drug cheat, he served notice with a second-place photo finish behind Dix at the U.S. Nationals. But recent revelations about sustaining frostbites in both feet two weeks ago–no toes were lost– could hurt his chances.

Men's 110m hurdles: Last year, and early this year, American David Oliver owned this race, winning 12-straight races. But he's lost some steam heading into the championships. His main rivals, China's Liu Xiang and world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba suffered injuries last year, but have each returned to beat Oliver. All three have never raced together this season, so this should be an interesting 13 seconds of action.

LaShawn Merritt: There have been more than a good share of extraordinary explanations about positive drug tests. And then there's Merritt's. The reigning 400m Olympic and World Champion just returned from a two-year ban after testing positive for a substance, which was attributed to his use of extenze, the male organ enhancement pill, in the off-season. Unfortunately for him, by the time the season started, it hadn't cleared his system, resulting in the embarrassing revelation. At the time of this report, he just cruised to a world-leading time in the 400 despite only running one event (second-place finish) prior to the Worlds. The withdrawal of an already struggling Jeremy Wariner blew this race open, so if he's stayed true to form, Merritt could complete his comeback/redemption story.

Bernard Lagat: This ageless naturalized American (formerly competed for Kenya) is still a force to reckon with at the 1500m and 5000m at 36. Lagat qualified for both events, but is opting to race in just the 5000; a smart move. He isn't looking to medal, he wants to win. And given his age, he is better off concentrating on one race alone.

Decathlon: This was shaping up to be the battle of the old versus new with two former Olympic champions, America's Bryan Clay and Czech Republic's Roman Šebrle cast as the old, and Trey Hardee and Ashton Eaton as the new. But Clay pulled out with a knee injury and Šebrle is a shadow of his former self. Still, there's much to watch for. Hardee is the defending World Champion, but Eaton is the unconventional, but slowly improving athlete who finished second to Hardee in 2009 and set the indoor world record in this event. At the time of this report, the two have traded leads, with Eaton currently at the top.

Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee are vying for the men's decathlon title

Carmelita Jeter

Women's 100m: Another race that is unpredictable. The favorite is U.S. Carmelita Jeter who's run a world-leading 10.70 this year. Her personal best of 10.64 makes her the second fastest woman ever behind Florence Griffith-Joyner. I am a bit surprised at how quickly she climbed to the top, especially given her age. She's significantly more muscular than she's ever been at 31. My eyebrows are raised, like many others, given the notoriety of drug use in this sport. Even confessed drug cheat Marion Jones recorded a personal best of 10.65. Jeter has to be aware of the skepticism surrounding her sharp improvements, which Sports Illustrated writer Tim Layden chronicled in this article, but the only way she can brush it off is by continuously testing clean. The fact that she doesn't also dominate the 200 may actually be a good thing for her. There aren't any real contenders among her country women, but Marshevet Myers has had a great season and could sneak onto the podium. Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown is an aging champion who always seems to produce her best runs at the biggest stage. She is Jeter's biggest threat. Also watch out for Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was a surprise winner at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Sally Pearson, with Perdita Felicien in background

Women's 110m hurdles: The shortest hurdle races are quickly replacing the 200m as the second most dramatic event in track. Not only is the men's race stacked, but the women also have a ton of contenders. Australia's Sally Pearson is the current favorite, but thanks to Gail Devers and Lolo Jones, we've seen how a favorite can go down in a split second. Waiting to end Pearson's streak are Americans Kellie Wells, Danielle Carruthers and Dawn Harper (current Olympic champion.) Canada's Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep are former champions who could also sneak into the top three on a well-executed race. Britain's Tiffany Ofili-Porter, who until recently competed for the U.S. has also thrown herself in the mix.

Women's 200m: Another hotly contested race because three of the main contenders in the 100 will also be in this race. Add to that U.S. Shalonda Solomon and Allyson Felix, who's this race's best bet. However, she lost the Olympic final to Campbell-Brown (see above reference on Brown,) and is also taking on the difficult combination of running the 200m and 400m. She'll run six races in six days between the two events and is also entered into both relay races for the U.S.

Women's 400m: One of three women could win this race. Felix, who's won a few races this year is one. Botswana's Amantle Montsho has really established herself as the one to beat in this event. She's entering the competition with five straight wins, including wins over Felix, though Felix also beat her earlier in the season. Sanya Richards-Ross, the defending champion, struggled to get back to her 2010 form, but recorded her first sub-50 win since 2009, a 49.66 win in London earlier this August. She has the fastest time among the three women and may have returned to form just in time to regain her seat on the throne.

Amantle Montsho

Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya: Remember the then-18-year-old South African who was forced to take a gender test after winning the 800m at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin? Well she was finally cleared to run. After nearly two years of inactivity, she returned to the circuit with respectable results. Mozambique's Maria Mutola was the last African queen of this event. Semenya could be next in line.

Others: Among the names mentioned above, you should also pay attention to long jump's Brittney Reese (U.S.), high jump's Blanka Vlašić (Croatia), triple jump's Phillips Idowu (GBR), long jump's Dwight Phillips (U.S.) and the men's shot put and discus events.

Track & Field still exists

I had a conversation last night with someone who revealed he didn't know any track athlete besides Jamaica's Usain Bolt. What??? The horror! I threw the name Tyson Gay–the only man who can legitimately stop Bolt from owning the 100–at him and he admitted that he knew him as well, although not too convincingly. Back in the day, track & field greats like Jesse Owens, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Bruce Jenner, Dan O'Brien and Gail Devers were household names in sports. But as performance enhancing drugs became more immersed in the sport (you can read about Ben Johnson and the Balco scandal, which also implicated athletes in other major sports,) interest in it waned.

The preliminary rounds of the track & field championships being held in Daegu, South Korea, just got underway and there's very little publicity surrounding it in the U.S. Track & field is still a popular draw in Europe, where the world's best are still treated like rock stars, but there's no doubt about the negative impact drugs has played in its declining popularity. Even prior to the start of competition, two notable athletes have already tested positive for banned substances.

Steve Mullings

First it was Jamaica's Steve Mullings, who became an early medal contender in the 100m after a then world-leading 9.80 win at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon in June, and an upset win over his training partner Gay at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York the following week. Barely two weeks later, Mullings tested positive for furosemide, or Lasix, a diuretic used to hide the existence of banned drugs. It's a second positive test for Mullings, who would likely get a lifetime from the sport.

American Michael Rodgers has chosen to withdraw from the championships after also testing positive for a stimulant. The sprinter's agent said he tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a stimulant present in energy drinks. Rodgers reportedly ordered vodka with an energy drink at a club last month and competed at a meet in Italy two days after. He had the choice to participate while investigations into the severity of his positive test is ingoing, but risked distracting the U.S. delegation or costing the entire relay team a medal.

Michael Rodgers

With an already depleted team, which is missing Gay and 400m Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, Rodger's withdrawal further worsens the U.S. men's chances of taking gold at the 400m relay. He was third in the 100 at the U.S. Nationals and figured to be one of the main legs of the team's 400 relay. But the U.S. still has plenty of sprinters with realistic chances of grabbing a medal. And while the men may be struggling, the women are stacked with title hopes in the sprints. Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter and Sanya Richards-Ross hope to keep the Jamaicans, America's main rivals in the sprints, from owning the shorter distances. Africans, particularly the Kenyans, usually dominate the longer distances, but two women from Botswana and South Africa are proving that the continent can also produce champions in shorter distances.

In a separate post, I'll highlight my main athletes or stories to watch for. But in the mean time, do you have a favorite track & field athlete or story to share?

ESPN under fire for photo recreation

Take a look at this picture. Recognise the face?

That's comeback NFL maverick Michael Vick. And no he didn't develop a sudden case of vitiligo overnight. Nor did he pay a visit to Sammie Sosa's dermatologist. It's simply a case of photoshop manipulation by ESPN's D'arcy Hyde, who created the illustration to go with an article by journalist Touré for ESPN The Magazine.


Touré, who's widely regarded as a cultural critic, wrote a column addressing general comments about the type of punishment Vick would have received if he was white. Touré reasoned that it was meaningless to draw punitive comparisons between black and white players because it suggests that being white earns a "get-out-of-every-crime-free" reward. Switching one's race, he said, changes his entire existence. This would mean setting his life in a different trajectory from the one he's taken now, which would likely not have involved growing up in the projects of Newport News, Va., where he was raised to think dogfighting was normal. You can click here to read the entire article.

Sadly, the story created more buzz for the picture than for its actual contents, which like it or not, was thought provoking. Touré said he asked the editors not to use the title "What if Michael Vick were white?" and was not consulted on the decision to re-cast Vick as a white player. I can understand why he'd question the headline, especially since it doesn't quite reflect the writer's perspective. But why is the illustration that much of an issue. Are we as a nation so sensitive that ANY form of reference to black versus white causes a major controversy?

In my opinion, the magazine's editors knew that using the illustration would generate publicity, which it ultimately did. Maybe too much publicity than was expected because they soon pulled the picture, but reversed the decision and re-posted the picture online. Sometimes you need to grab the attention of your audience, and the picture was successful in doing that. I didn't think it was as bad as this ad released by Nivea. I don't think the illustration, which is a common practice in print journalism, warranted all that backlash. 

What do you think? Weigh in on the controversy.

Soccer's highest paid player?

Take your pick on who the world's highest paid soccer player is. David Beckham? Not close. Lionel Messi? Good guess, but not quite. If you guessed Portugal native and Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo, you'd be right. But that's about to change.

Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala is set to make Camerounian national and Inter Milan star Samuel Eto'o the most expensive soccer player when a deal currently being negotiated is finalized. Why would a player still considered in his prime at 30, leave one of the top teams in the Champions league to join a team in a developing, but unpopular league? Simple. Money. With an estimated $28.8 million annual salary, Eto'o would earn far more than Ronaldo, whose current annual salary is valued at $17.3 million.

                                            Samuel Eto'o

Eto'o has won three Champion league titles; one with Italian powerhouse Inter Milan and the other two with his previous team Barcelona. Though he's still in great shape, I'd imagine Eto'o is starting to think about life beyond soccer. Once soccer players hit 30, their careers are considered on the decline and very few have remained dominant by their mid 30s. So as much as this move may kill his ability to compete against other top teams in the world, it's a smart decision for the striker. Eto'o will team up against former Brazilian star Roberto Carlos, who was once ranked among the world's best midfielders, and is currently the team's captain. The 38-year-old Carlos is undoubtedly at the end of his career, and it's been a while since I saw him play. But he probably still has some of that widely recognized knack for delivering the right passes at the right time. If he can develop a connection with Eto'o, then maybe a Russian league title can grab some attention. Not that either should care. Their places among soccer's best is rightfully secure.

For more on the story, click here.

Mikel Obi's father found

The father of Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi, who was kidnapped more than a week ago, has been found, and his abductors have been arrested. Michael Obi was abducted while driving in Jos, a troubled city in Central Nigeria, but was found at the kidnappers hideout in the northern state of Kaduna. Here's a picture of his alleged abductors and Michael Obi (in insert) when he was found.

The footballer's father said he was tortured by his abductors, who were dressed in army uniforms (usually not that difficult to get access to in Nigeria) when he first encountered them. Police confirmed two of the suspects were military personnel. The kidnappers had reportedly asked for a $4 billion ransom, calling it "chicken change" for the footballer. I'm happy this incident ended on a positive note for the Obi family.

The business of kidnapping

In the early hours of Monday morning, I read a wire report that the father of Chelsea FC midfielder John Mikel Obi had been kidnapped in Jos, Plateau State. You may recognize Jos as the Central Nigerian city that has been in the news for its ongoing religious warfare between Christians and Muslims.

I have actually been a little surprised by the global attention Michael Obi's abduction has garnered. ESPN, Yahoo and MSN are just a few major news outlets that have reported this sad news. I didn't realize he was viewed as a big enough star to command such coverage, but I'm glad that the word has gotten out. A friend of mine, a fellow sports journalist, emailed me asking how frequent kidnappings are in Nigeria. So as sad as this news is, I hope it can draw attention to the bigger issues contributing to this widespread problem.

Police have reported that the kidnappers have demanded a N20 million (about $130,000) ransom for Michael, who was kidnapped on Friday. Which should ordinarily be no problem for Mikel, who currently earns a little more than $100,000 a week playing for the English Premiership soccer team. But the dilemma is should Mikel cough up the money, which would only continue to encourage similar behavior or should he continue to plead for his father's release without a ransom?

                               Mikel Obi                                       Michael Obi

In 2008, the brother of defender Joseph Yobo, also a Super Eagles (the Nigerian national soccer team name) player, was abducted in the oil rich city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He was released 12 days later, but the family and Police refused to say if a ransom was paid. I suspect, this may be the same approach taken in this case. Kidnapping in Nigeria has become a lucrative business, much like it is in Mexico and many South American countries where poverty and unemployment are the order of the day. But it only recently became the go-to method of getting paid in the mid to late 2000s. Nigeria earns significant revenue from black gold (oil), but very few Nigerians benefit from its profit. Nigeria doesn't have a welfare system that puts money in the pockets of unemployed or provides shelter for the destitute. It's simply a dog eat dog world out there. A form of Darwinism where the elite build up their wealth with the resources meant for the masses, with nothing trickling down to help the country's majority.

Residents of the the Niger Delta, which produces almost all of Nigeria's oil, have suffered the most under these circumstances. Ever since Shell Oil, with the support of the Nigerian government, set up a base in the Niger Delta, the living condition of its residents has significantly deteriorated. Just think of last year's massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast, but spread out over a period of about three decades, and you'd understand the diseases and desperation lurking among its people. With no compensation or jobs for its population, some of its educated youths have taken matters into their hands through an organization called the Movement Against the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

The kidnappings started with foreign oil expatriates as a way to gain widespread attention, but has since increased as more people notice the government's lack of involvement in ending this practice. The Nigerian government has no control over anything that doesn't look like or cannot be benefited from oil. Unfortunately, the more unstable and desperate Nigerians have become, the more kidnappings have become the norm. Abductions have now expanded to include anyone suspected of being wealthy enough to let go of a large amount of cash with little to no repercussions for the perpetrators. Victims have included political figures and their families, popular Nollywood actors and notable athletes like Mikel Obi.

This is why I hope stories like Mikel's will continue to grab global attention by shining the spotlight on this problem and forcing the Goodluck Jonathan administration to address it and the many bombings and police attacks that are the latest extension to this never-ending story.

Goodbye Miami Part 2

In the last few weeks before I left Miami, I chose a more active social lifestyle. No I didn't hit the club scene save for one trip with my friend Oyinkan, which bagged me a hug from one of my favorite singers (you can find out who here).  And if anyone has experienced the South Beach nightlife, you'd know how hard it can be to shun this sleepless ritual. Instead, I chose the concert routes.

The first was the biggest concert of the summer. The rare concert performance of Sade Adu, with a guest appearance by John Legend. One word. Amazing. Sade averages one tour every decade, so I wasn't going to miss seeing this never-aging beauty from my homeland. Besides, you never know if it'll be her last.

                    From left: Yinka, me, Utibe, Idy, Faith at Sade Adu's concert.

For an hour, before she took the stage, John Legend wowed the audience with his powerful vocals, smooth piano skills, and even his suave dance moves. Belting out favs like "Ordinary People," "Green Light" and "This Time," he took us to that old school mood that was the perfect preparation for Sade. My only regret was not being the lucky lady he called onstage to serenade.

I was curious to see just how Sade would hold the audience's attention for about two hours, not being a performer with back up dancers and all. No problem! She had everyone singing along to everything from "Cherish the Day" and "Smooth Operator," to "Soldier of Love," "No Ordinary Love," to "By Your Side." I was so enamored by her stage presentation and use of curtains to set up the scene, and even more by the video director's live editing on the jumbotrons. It seemed like you were watching an after concert version, edited for DVD.

For Miami residents, the annual Zo's Summer Grove weekend, which helps raise money for retired Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning's charity benefiting kids, is as ubiquitous as boats sailing around the city. I met Zo one summer, years ago (I'll save that awkward encounter for another day,) but had never had the chance to participate in his charity weekend. Until this summer; its 15th year of existence and the first time the gala's concert was opened to the general public. It wasn't a coincidence that I was attending just to see another fav singer, Alicia Keys, perform. I'd had a chance to see A. Keys perform at the World Cup Opening Concert last year (you can read my review of that concert also featuring John Legend here) but I was seated a lot farther from the stage then.

She also performed "Diary," my favorite song of hers as well as "No One," and three others. Cee-Lo was also in the house though my videos of him are lodged in a Picasa album, of which I cannot download videos from. The big spenders never got up through performances from opening acts "Black Violin" and another really good acapella group who made it to the semis of America's Got Talent,  but when Cee-Lo started belting out his popular tune "F@#k You," everyone jumped to their feet.

I can't say the same for Dave Chappelle, who was brought up to introduce comedian Carlos Mencia, but who seemed a bit out of it. From what I heard, he was a huge disappointment the night before, when he was supposed to headline the star-studded comedy night. It was a fun night with Tee regardless and I felt good knowing I was helping out kids even with my measly contribution.

On my last day at the Miami Herald, the world editor invited me to sit in on an interview with a special guest. It turned out to be Seun Kuti, son of the legendary Afrobeat musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. If you don't know who Fela is, then you ought to check out the award-winning Broadway play produced by Jay-Z and Will and Jada Smith, which is still touring the country.

I'd seen Fela's first son, Femi Kuti, perform at the Central Park Summer Stage in New York back in 2007, but not Seun. I'd heard the Kutis were a friendly bunch, but didn't expect Seun to be so down to earth. I wasn't planning on attending his concert, but Seun wasn't having it. He invited me and a friend Yinka to be his personal guests, so I had no choice but to oblige. I'm sure glad I did.

I had a very long day at work and barely managed to make it on time-- straight from work-- before it started. The number of Oyibos in the house was unbelievable. I'm not sure how they understood Nigeria's indigenous Pidgin English. But they stayed jamming throughout the night to some of his father's popular songs as well as his own original music, backed by Fela's old band Egypt 80. Seun is a spitting image of his father, even more than Femi. And his stage presence is exactly like Fela's.

After the concert, Yinka and I went backstage to meet Seun and the rest of Egypt 80. The younger members of the band were very friendly.

Seun has actually been invited to perform at next year's New Orleans Jazz Festival and Coachella, the famous music festival in California. I wonder if I'd score another personal invite as well. Either way, I couldn't have asked for a better way to close out my summer in Miami.

Goodbye Miami Part 1

I have a strong bond with Miami-Dade County and the Greater Miami area. The genesis of my adult life began in 2000, right in the smack of Downtown Miami and within the confines of a high-rise apartment situated just next to the Miami Arena (which now ceases to exist.) In 2006, my family relocated to Atlanta, putting the exclamation mark on my severed relationship with the city, which began when I chose Florida State University as my home during the school year.

By the time I moved back to commence a 10-week internship at the Miami Herald this past May, I had become a stranger in my own land. Somewhat of a tourist. It just wasn't the same feeling I had as a 16-year-old, leaving my native country Nigeria for the first time. Then I was eager to discover all the trappings of Miami Beach. But this time, I hardly left my apartment on weekends. Before I knew it, I was approaching four weeks left at the Miami Herald and hadn't experienced anything new.  Staring out the huge window of the fifth floor ladies restroom in the newsroom, I could see my old apartment where life outside of Nigeria had begun. Still dressed in the same colors, everything about my first home in the U.S. was still the same, but everything around it had changed. My life in Miami was just the same.  A lot about me was still the same, but seemingly everything around me had changed.

I decided to make the best of my last four weeks, and fortunately, had more than enough events in the city to occupy my time. My high school senior and friend Oyinkan came into town with some friends for the American Black Film Festival. We had dinner at Philippe Chow on Collins Avenue and met Robin Thicke--who I am a huge fan of--and his wife, actress Paula Patton, at Eden Lounge.

                               My high school senior and friend Oyinkan


I met up with friends Tee and Idy the following week for a social night out in Fort Lauderdale, a city just north of Miami.  I have to say these two really provided a good support system.

                Top pic: Tee's shoe game on display. Middle pic: Tee's cousin Idy

As I reflect on those last four weeks, my only regret is not taking advantage of all that my backyard had to offer. Still, I managed to make up some ground in my exploration of my adopted hometown. In reality, I doubt that I'd ever really call Miami home again. But I know that I'll continue to drop in occasionally to pay my respect to this southern city with the most diverse cultures in the U.S. It's been five years. Five years too long.

To be continued...