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As Jamaicans dominate, Americans disappear
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 17, 2008 9:53 AM ET
BEIJING - The Olympics are all about who shows up when it's time to show up.
In three nights of track and field at the Bird's Nest, it's clear the Americans are not showing up as many had expected. And while there is considerable action left, the U.S. performance so far has to be a concern to American officials sizing up medal counts.
It's also clear that the Jamaicans -- at least in the sprints, races Americans are used to dominating at the Olympics - are showing up big time.
And that is intriguing, indeed.
Jamaicans went 1-2-3 Sunday night in the women's 100m, a 21-year-old with little international experience, Shelly-Ann Fraser, taking the gold in 10.78 seconds. The Jamaican trio became the first women from the same country to take all three 100m medals at a single Olympic Games or world championships.
The three American women were -- obviously -- shut out.
In the 1500m, all three American men, including Bernard Lagat, were eliminated Sunday. In the semifinals. He failed to qualify by two-hundredths of a second.
Also eliminated: Lopez Lomong, the U.S. flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, and Leo Manzano.
Lomong and Manzano, young and inexperienced on the international stage, were never going to win here. But Lagat - winner at the 2007 world championships of both the 1500 and 5000m?
"I tried to follow the pace and the strategy that was planned," to stay out of tangles amid the elbow-throwing and close contact that's part of a world-class 1500m, Lagat said, "but my body just didn't respond."
He also said, "I feel bad that it didn't go well."
The American failures Sunday added to unexpected performances earlier.
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Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell breeze into final; American Tyson Gay does not qualify.
Tyson Gay, the best American sprinter, was eliminated Friday from the 100m. In the semifinals.
American shot putters Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell came into the Games with seven of the top 10 throws of 2008. Nelson and Hoffa didn't even make the final six here Friday night; Cantwell salvaged a silver medal.
For the first time in Olympic history, there were no American men finalists in the high jump.
What's going on?
Is it that the U.S. Olympic Committee vowed to send a clean team to these Games?
How is it that Jamaica, an island nation of not even three million people, has produced four medal winners in the marquee Olympic sprints? On Saturday, in the men's 100m, Usain Bolt ran 9.69, a world record that looked frighteningly easy.
Fraser ran away with Sunday's women's 100m.
Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart tied for second, at 10.98.
Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, the 2007 world champion in the 100m, didn't even make it out of her country's Olympic trials in the 100m. Maybe now we know why?
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"I don't know if I should cry, smile, jump, I don't know," Stewart said. "I think this is a fabulous thing for the three of us to win the medals and for Jamaica to get one, two, three. What else can you say?"
Simpson said, "Today's victory boosts my confidence to win the 200m," which American Allyson Felix won at last year's world championships. "We will also do well in the 4x100m [relay]. I believe we can beat the Americans."
Fraser said afterward, referring to the Jamaicans, "We train hard and it's our time."
Is that it?
The American women finished fourth, fifth and eighth.
Torri Edwards, who finished eighth, got caught in what she believed was a false start - her own.
Muna Lee, fifth, said she, too, believed the race would be called back. "I've never had a bad start like that," she said.
American officials late Sunday filed a formal protest "looking at whether Torri Edwards false-started and whether the race should have been called back," USA Track & Field spokeswoman Jill Geer said. The protest was promptly rejected.
Lauryn Williams, fourth, said, emphasizing that she was speaking with respect for her rivals in the race, said, "Definitely Jamaica has it out for the U.S. They have very strong competitors. We dominated for all the years prior to this. Everybody deserves their one chance in history to do well."
Is that it?
The Jamaicans have undergone rigorous and extensive testing here overseen by anti-doping officials. Is there, Williams was asked, any reason to suspect anything undue about the Jamaicans?
"Not at all," she said. "I have confidence in my competitors and I really look forward to competing against them and getting to the finish line before them, clean and drug free."
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 17, 2008 9:53 AM ET
BEIJING - The Olympics are all about who shows up when it's time to show up.
In three nights of track and field at the Bird's Nest, it's clear the Americans are not showing up as many had expected. And while there is considerable action left, the U.S. performance so far has to be a concern to American officials sizing up medal counts.
It's also clear that the Jamaicans -- at least in the sprints, races Americans are used to dominating at the Olympics - are showing up big time.
And that is intriguing, indeed.
Jamaicans went 1-2-3 Sunday night in the women's 100m, a 21-year-old with little international experience, Shelly-Ann Fraser, taking the gold in 10.78 seconds. The Jamaican trio became the first women from the same country to take all three 100m medals at a single Olympic Games or world championships.
The three American women were -- obviously -- shut out.
In the 1500m, all three American men, including Bernard Lagat, were eliminated Sunday. In the semifinals. He failed to qualify by two-hundredths of a second.
Also eliminated: Lopez Lomong, the U.S. flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, and Leo Manzano.
Lomong and Manzano, young and inexperienced on the international stage, were never going to win here. But Lagat - winner at the 2007 world championships of both the 1500 and 5000m?
"I tried to follow the pace and the strategy that was planned," to stay out of tangles amid the elbow-throwing and close contact that's part of a world-class 1500m, Lagat said, "but my body just didn't respond."
He also said, "I feel bad that it didn't go well."
The American failures Sunday added to unexpected performances earlier.
Thank you for installing the latest version of Silverlight. To complete the installation and begin viewing video please close all your open browsers and return to NBCOlympics.com.
Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell breeze into final; American Tyson Gay does not qualify.
Tyson Gay, the best American sprinter, was eliminated Friday from the 100m. In the semifinals.
American shot putters Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell came into the Games with seven of the top 10 throws of 2008. Nelson and Hoffa didn't even make the final six here Friday night; Cantwell salvaged a silver medal.
For the first time in Olympic history, there were no American men finalists in the high jump.
What's going on?
Is it that the U.S. Olympic Committee vowed to send a clean team to these Games?
How is it that Jamaica, an island nation of not even three million people, has produced four medal winners in the marquee Olympic sprints? On Saturday, in the men's 100m, Usain Bolt ran 9.69, a world record that looked frighteningly easy.
Fraser ran away with Sunday's women's 100m.
Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart tied for second, at 10.98.
Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, the 2007 world champion in the 100m, didn't even make it out of her country's Olympic trials in the 100m. Maybe now we know why?
Related Stories
"I don't know if I should cry, smile, jump, I don't know," Stewart said. "I think this is a fabulous thing for the three of us to win the medals and for Jamaica to get one, two, three. What else can you say?"
Simpson said, "Today's victory boosts my confidence to win the 200m," which American Allyson Felix won at last year's world championships. "We will also do well in the 4x100m [relay]. I believe we can beat the Americans."
Fraser said afterward, referring to the Jamaicans, "We train hard and it's our time."
Is that it?
The American women finished fourth, fifth and eighth.
Torri Edwards, who finished eighth, got caught in what she believed was a false start - her own.
Muna Lee, fifth, said she, too, believed the race would be called back. "I've never had a bad start like that," she said.
American officials late Sunday filed a formal protest "looking at whether Torri Edwards false-started and whether the race should have been called back," USA Track & Field spokeswoman Jill Geer said. The protest was promptly rejected.
Lauryn Williams, fourth, said, emphasizing that she was speaking with respect for her rivals in the race, said, "Definitely Jamaica has it out for the U.S. They have very strong competitors. We dominated for all the years prior to this. Everybody deserves their one chance in history to do well."
Is that it?
The Jamaicans have undergone rigorous and extensive testing here overseen by anti-doping officials. Is there, Williams was asked, any reason to suspect anything undue about the Jamaicans?
"Not at all," she said. "I have confidence in my competitors and I really look forward to competing against them and getting to the finish line before them, clean and drug free."
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