NBCSN Presents Live Coverage of USA Track & Field


NBCSN PRESENTS LIVE COVERAGE OF THE USA TRACK & FIELD PENN RELAYS AND DRAKE RELAYS THIS SAT., APRIL 25, BEGINNING AT 12:30 PM ET
4.5 Hours of Live Track & Field Coverage Coverage Available on NBC Sports Live Extra

STAMFORD, Conn. –  NBCSN presents live coverage of “USA vs. the World” at the Penn Relays and the Drake Relays presented by HyVee this Sat Saturday, April 25, at 12:30 p.m. ET, immediately followed by the Drake Relays at 3 p.m. ET. The Penn Relays and Drake Relays are part of the USA Track & Field Championship Series.

Coverage from the Penn Relays at Franklin Field includes U.S. men’s and women’s 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, and 4x400m relay. Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin leads Team USA in the men’s competition, with youth star Kaylin Whitney headlining the women’s team.

NBCSN’s coverage of the Drake relays include men’s and women’s 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay, highlighted by Olympic gold medalists LaShawn Merritt, Team USA, and Kirani James of Granada facing off during the men’s 4x400m relay. Additional events include:

  • Olympic gold medalist and World Record holder Aries Merritt facing 2013 World Champion David Oliver and Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton in the men’s 110 hurdles
  • 2013 World Champion Brianna Rollins facing off against 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper-Nelson in the women’s 100 meter hurdles
  • Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Roll headlining the women’s 400m
  • Olympic champion Christrain Taylor battling two-time Olympic silver medalist Will Claye in the Men’s triple jump

Paul Bumeister hosts coverage of the Penn Relays, joined by Olympic gold medalist Dan O’Brien, two-time Olympic medalist Lauryn Williams and Carolyn Manno at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Penn.

Todd Harris handles the call for the Drake Relays from Des Moines, Iowa, joined by four-time Olympic medalist Ato Boldon, Lewis Johnson, and Paul Swangard.

NBC Sports Live Extra
NBCSN’s coverage of the USA Track and Field Penn Relays and Drake Relays will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play and Windows Store.

SOURCE NBC SPORTS GROUP



High School Standout Runner Mary Cain Skips College, Turns Pro


MARY CAIN TURNS PRO, SKIPPING COLLEGE TRACK
Teenager middle distance star Mary Cain is skipping college and turning pro.

The 17-year-old became the youngest runner to represent the United States at the world championships in Moscow last summer. She finished 10th in the 1,500 meters.

The high school senior said in a statement released by her management company Friday that she believes “in the long this is the best way for me to continue to develop as an athlete.”

Cain will graduate from Bronxville High School in New York this spring. Her father, Charles, stressed that she will be “pursuing her college education while competing.”

The charismatic Cain is coming off a season in which she set numerous high school and American junior records. She trains under the guidance of former marathon star Alberto Salazar.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press



USA To Host 2016 World Indoor Track & Field Championships


Press Release:
World Indoor Championships to return to U.S. in 2016

11/15/2013 – MONTE CARLO, Monaco – Portland, Oregon, will host the 2016 World Indoor Track & Field Championships after the IAAF Council on Friday voted to bring the meet back to the U.S. for the first time since 1987.

USATF President Stephanie Hightower, USATF CEO Max Siegel, and TrackTown USA President Vin Lananna presented the joint Portland bid to the IAAF Council on Friday morning in Monaco. Birmingham, England, also bid for the event.

The 2016 World Indoor Championships will mark the first time a senior World Athletics Series (WAS) event has been held in the United States since the World Cross Country Championships in 1992. Eugene will host the 2014 World Junior Championships.

“We thank the IAAF Council and President Diack for entrusting us with the 2016 World Indoor Championships,” Siegel said. “We are honored and proud to be given the opportunity to again host the world’s national track & field teams on U.S. soil. USATF and TrackTown have the vision and execution that will make the meet a truly world-class experience.”

“We plan to leave a lasting legacy of new facilities, a renewed passion, and a new model to present indoor track and field,” Lananna said. “We will work tirelessly to create the most awe-inspiring event ever held in the U.S. for the athletes, fans, officials, media, partners and the entire IAAF family. We want to demonstrate our commitment with action.”

The three-day meet will be held in March, 2016, at Portland’s Oregon Convention Center (OCC). As configured for World Indoors, the facility will easily accommodate more than 8,000 spectators. A new 200-meter IAAF-certified track will be built and then repurposed as a legacy of the event.

As a local organizing committee, TrackTown USA has a track record of robust fan-engagement spaces. The OCC configuration for the meet includes creating a fan festival inside the facility and will put thousands of passionate and knowledgeable fans on top of the action.

TrackTown USA has hosted the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials, which reach record attendance levels. The group also serves as local organizing committee for the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, to be contested this July in Eugene, Ore., and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.

via www.usatf.org



Video: Lolo Jones 12 Years for 12 Seconds


USA Track & Field star Lolo Jones is one of our favorite hardbody women to follow on twitter (LoloJones). If you’re not following you her you’re missing out on hilarious interactions with her fans. She may be a bit of a jokester but rest assured she’s all business when it comes to running hurdles.

Via Lolo’s Facebook page:
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lolo was favored to win the 100 meter hurdles. In the final, she was pulling away from the pack when she clipped the 9th hurdle (of 10) and stumbled, breaking stride to drop her back to a 7th-place finish.

Imagine training for that one race, only to have one mistake keep your from it. In this latest video from her sponsor Asics, Lolo shares how she is battling back from a spinal surgery and determined to win Gold at the Olympics. As she says, she’s trained 12 years for 12 seconds.

“I’ve had time’s where I wasn’t number one and I fought and crawled to become number one.” – Lolo Jones.

Props Asics America.



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