How times have changed; or have they?

At the recent Jamaican Trials, the seemingly invincible Bolt was twice beaten by youngster Yohan Blake but reports have it that Bolt was suffering from a troublesome back injury. Regardless the race for the fastest human being on two feet has become a much more interesting situation with Bolt’s apparent vulnerability in competition.Along with countrymen Asafa Powell and Blake, there are the Americans represented by 2004 champion Justin Gatlin fresh from a doping ban and the second fastest man the often hampered Tyson Gay whose recovery from hip surgery is astounding.

In a race as short as the 100 meters, the room for error and variables increases greatly and this is what makes this a more open event then once thought. With Bolt’s DQ at Daegu, no athlete in the race is safe if the closest approximation to the Flash can be thrown out. If all remains clean the race in this writers view is that Bolt wins though without the ease of earlier years where there was no human capable of standing the line with him. Though his health, dedication to training and still unsteady start from the blocks remain issues, it is merely shouts from the peanut gallery as Bolt is the fastest without doubt.

If mistake is made, there are men willing to pick up the pieces and first would be Yohan Blake who has the fastest time in the world this year. He will not be easy to shrug off and most likely looks to be a prime nominee for silver after Bolt’s winning. Forgotten Asafa Powell in search of individual gold can be a factor but has consistently been spurned in championship races. His speed in mid race is near the fastest even as he ages.

The Americans have a long shot to make noise but this is tenuous. Tyson Gay has had extremely limited races and is not at the best he needs to be to beat healthy Jamaican athletes. His teammate Justin Gatlin has come a long way from his suspension and has proven he can compete but it would be a tall order to win the race. His start is good and may be the chance to nudge into a bronze.

Not to be forgotten is Bolt training partner Daniel Bailey of the island Antigua who is always a threat to be at the podium.

Outside of these individuals the odds become longer to be a winner however who thought that Bolt would not be the reigning world champion let alone national leader? With that said the race should be Bolt and Blake with a third party attempting to make a move.

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This week has seen Greek triple jump champion Voula Papachristou tweet blatantly racist comments concerning African immigrants to Europe and subsequently left off the team. For a country struggling with financial and social instability, the bad coverage of the action weighs heavily on the torn state.

However one chooses to take her comments or whether she deserves to be able to compete, this is a link in a long chain of gaffes and nutty behavior that has plagued track and field. Here I will list five of my favorites of the past.

5. Lightening strikes twice for Usain Bolt

This June, Usain Bolt, the undisputed fastest man in history, destroyed his pricey BMW while driving home at the break of dawn after a night of festivities. The official report said no alcohol or any intoxication played a role. Bolt was left happily uninjured. We though also have to remember his 2009 eerily similar crashing of a BMW after a late night. Take it easy on the cars, Usain, for your own sake.

4. Maurice Greene put out the fire

As California track fans, we mourn the Home Depot Invitational no longer being held, but it gave viewers a wonderful chance to see Maurice Greene prove why he was a showman and a competitor. In 2004 after running a quick 9.86 seconds (yes, that was once fast) Greene grabbed a fire extinguisher, threw off his shoes and doused the spikes in the cool foam. Over the top, but highly entertaining. The sport could use this type of showmanship more often. See the G.O.A.T.’s shoes set on fire here.

3. Shawn Crawford the zoo keeper

Before he was an Olympic champion, Shawn Crawford was humanity’s Man vs. Beast representative. In 2003 Fox televised a competition of various human athletes against their animal counterparts. For the foot race, Crawford was paired against a giraffe and a zebra. Winning the first matchup against his long-necked rival but then losing twice to the zebra, he proved mankind has a chance to claim king of the wild. Watch video of the exhilarating races here.

2. L.A. Marathon: What is the white guy doing?

At the 2008 L.A. Marathon a Ukrainian runner with a 64 minute half marathon PR took the lead in a mid race move at which prompted a question by commentator Toni Reavis as to why a white runner would be leading. For that matter he questioned whether the African contingent took it serious. The ensuing silence spoke loud and gave viewers a chuckle. Video of the uncomfortable moment here.

1. Carl Lewis makes Francis Scott Key cry

Olympic dominance, world records and a clean record. Very difficult to come by in the modern era of sports, but Carl Lewis and his four straight gold medals in the long jump will likely never be matched. His speed on the track allowed to him to be the world record owner for years against unfair competition. However his singing could not be as sparkling as he struggled through the national anthem and became a pariah for his vocals after a performance prior to a NBA game. If you have not seen it please visit YouTube to survive this rare and uncomfortable event. Watch the epic fail here.

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However you want to put it, Kenya has been the face of distance royalty for decades. But just like the Bronx Bombers there has to be some drama with holding the crown of athletic preeminence. This year’s Olympiad in London is turning out to be no exception.

What first seemed a no brainer for who would represent the country in the marathon, its most cherished event, turned into a game of musical chairs and pouting that would be akin to a benching Alex Rodriguez. World record holder Patrick Makau was left of the team very conspicuously after setting the new mark in Berlin and instead went with Emmanuel Mutai, Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang. This also left off Geoffery Mutai another athlete who was projected to be on the team even after the drop out of Moses Mosop due to injury.

The fact that any one country could be so bountiful in marathoners is impressive but has led to some the athletes to scratch their head to how Athletics Kenya made their selection. Makau and Mutai have both voiced some displeasure by their being overlooked. Regardless of this the marathon team is sending by far the best ever assembled for an Olympics. This has once again called into many people’s minds the inner workings of Athletics Kenya and its sometimes tempestuous relationship with athletes and some odd decisions which leave the outside observer to wonder what is going on in the hierarchy of this governing council.

Going above and beyond the oddity of the marathon team selection was the case of steeplechase world champion Ezekiel Kemboi. In the weeks leading up to the Games after already securing a spot on the prestigious steeplechase team, Kemboi allegedly stabbed a woman in the chest after she had rejected his advances. Luckily the woman survived and was treated for her wounds but Kemboi in his swaggering fashion was arraigned in court. While charges were read against him he smiled and was nonchalant about the entire instance. Some questioned whether he would be selected to attend London with this kind of legal trouble following him. Rather than reprimand or drop him, Kenyan Athletics decide to ship him out with the rest of the team to its training base in Bristol, England away from further questioning.

This is itself a bit absurd. Though not yet proven guilty, the fact that Kemboi retained his place on the team when suitable alternates such as Paul Koech who was not chosen due to his poor performances at altitude could simply be sent. This in itself has been a contentious issue as Kenyan athletes who are poor racers at altitude feel they are inhibited by the trials being held at Nairobi where the elevation can work against them despite the competition of the Games being at sea level settings.

Despite the kind of uncoordinated and haphazard style of organization that seems to plague Kenya’s ruling sports council, it has borne success on the track as last year’s World Championships was one of its strongest performances. Hoping to translate that into the Olympics should be a test but definitely possible. This comes in the shadow of the 2008 Games where rival Ethiopia walked away with the more impressive hardware total but don’t think that has not played on the minds of Kenya’s athletes and their overseers.

The constant infighting and reckless behavior that is becoming more noticed about Kenya’s system of sports governance and decision making could as easily be that of an American professional sports team of baseball (cue Yankees and Red Sox) or European soccer clubs (always a joy to watch a star player and coach bicker). These formulas have worked to propel them to victories so why would Kenya be any different? Whatever happens at the Games for Kenya’s track team, we can be assured it should not be without a little soap opera vibe and a pleasure to watch no matter what the performances deliver.

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