(Reuters) – Olympic 100 metres champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce eased to victory on a damp evening at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Saturday while world champion Carmelita Jeter was stretchered off the track after finishing third. As low clouds settled around the stadium for the evening meet, the Jamaican sprinter pulled away from her American […]

By Gene Cherry March 5 (Reuters) – After perhaps the greatest year ever by a high hurdler, world record holder Aries Merritt has visions of conquering another barrier. The American Olympic champion, whose whirlwind 2012 brought him every major hurdles title and the outdoor world record, believes running under his top mark of 12.80 seconds […]

By Iain Rogers BARCELONA, Nov 23 (Reuters) – After Aries Merritt set a world record of 12.80 seconds in the 110 meters hurdles in September he changed his PIN codes to the faster mark he is targeting next year. “My numbers have all been changed and it is a number faster than 12.80,” the 27-year-old […]

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (Nov. 8, 2012)- The U.S. women’s bobsled team has a goal of finishing 1-2-3 at the 2014 Sochi Games, and the talented squad proved they are on track by earning silver and bronze in today’s World Cup season opener at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Jazmine Fenlator (Wayne, N.J.) and Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones […]

This July 26, 1952 file photo shows Milt Campbell, center, of Plainfield, N.J. getting set to clear the final hurdle to make him the winner in the fifth heat of the 110-meter hurdles event in the Olympic decathlon at Helsinki, Finland. Campbell, who became the first black to win the Olympic decathlon in 1956 and […]

This Oct. 5, 2012 file photo shows Lolo Jones competing in the U.S. women’s bobsled push championships n Lake Placid, N.Y. Jones says she’s still planning to compete in hurdles at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Only now, a trip to the 2014 Sochi Games may come first. Jones was one of 24 athletes […]

Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman (C) celebrates as he won the men’s 800m race in front of David Rudisha of Kenya (R) during the Weltklasse Diamond League meeting in Zurich, August 30, 2012. (REUTERS/Ruben Sprich) By Brian Homewood ZURICH, Aug 30 (Reuters) – Olympic 800 meters champion David Rudisha suffered a shock defeat at the Weltklasse diamond […]

Mo Farah of Great Britain during the Samsung Diamond League 2012 Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix at Alexander Stadium on August 26, 2012 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Aug 26 (Reuters) – Sleep-deprived double Olympic champion Mo Farah was almost caught napping during the two-mile race at a Diamond League meeting in Birmingham, […]

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (C) celebrates after winning ahead of his compatriot Warren Weir (R) and Netherlands’ Churandy Martina in the men’s 200m race during the Athletissima Diamond League meeting in Lausanne August 23, 2012. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse) LAUSANNE, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Olympic champion Usain Bolt ran 19.58 seconds for victory in the 200 metres at […]

Mohamed Farah (GBR) celebrates after winning the gold in the men’s 5000m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) – Britain’s double gold medalist Mo Farah will lead a glittering cast of 42 London Olympic medal winners, including 16 champions, when he races over […]

Christian Taylor of the U.S. jumps to win the men’s triple jump at the Stockholm Diamond League in Stockholm August 17, 2012. (REUTERS/Christine Olsson/Scanpix) STOCKHOLM, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Olympic women’s 400 meters champion Sanya Richards-Ross won her first race since the London Games and Yuliya Zaripov clocked the year’s fastest time in the women’s […]

Xiang Liu (CHN) kisses a hurdle after competing the men’s 110m hurdles heats during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports) BEIJING, Aug 14 (Reuters) – Former Olympic champion Liu Xiang wants to return to competition after crashing out of the 110 meters hurdles heats at the London Games last […]

Usain Bolt (JAM) wins the gold in the men’s 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports) By Alan Baldwin LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) – The London Olympics were packed with sporting highlights, personal dramas and emotional highs and lows. Here are 20 golden moments from the Games. […]

United States’ Ashton Eaton leads in the men’s decathlon 1500-meter during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. Eaton won the gold medal for the event. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) By Alison Wildey LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) – Ashton Eaton deservedly took the unofficial title of the […]

Allyson Felix (USA) competes in the women’s 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Greenwich Park. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) By Alison Wildey LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) – It was third time lucky for American Allyson Felix who won Olympic 200 meters gold on Wednesday after taking silver at the previous two Games. […]

Xiang Liu (CHN) falls in a mens 110m hurdles heat as Artur Noga (POL) and Balazs Baji (HUN) react during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) By Nick Mulvenney LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) – China’s Liu Xiang experienced deja vu of the most agonizing kind on Tuesday when the […]

Aries Merritt of the U.S. reacts after winning the men’s 100m hurdles event at the Herculis Athletics Meet at Louis II stadium in Monaco, July 20, 2012. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard) MONACO, July 20 (Reuters) – American hurdler Aries Merritt and Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare showed that they are in prime form and real threats to the […]

After leaving Bryan Clay behind at Trials, can the USA’s big two in the decathlon — Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee –  give America the chance to still claim majority rule on the podium?  (Photo by Getty Images) By Mike Tierney, Special to Universal Sports They had a dream. U.S. decathletes and friends Bryan Clay, […]

Jamaica’s Yohan Blake (R) and his compatriot Michael Frater compete in the men’s 100 meters event at the athletics meeting in Luzern, July 17, 2012. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann) LUCERNE, Switzerland, July 17 (Reuters) – World 100 meters champion Yohan Blake showed he was in good heart to challenge compatriot Usain Bolt for Olympic sprint dominance in […]

Sally Pearson of Australia competes in the women’s 100m hurdles heats during the Diamond League London Grand Prix athletics meet at Crystal Palace in London, July 14, 2012. (REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett) By Alison Wildey LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) – Australia’s red-hot Olympic favorite Sally Pearson suffered her first defeat of the season in the 100 meters […]

Mo Farah of Britain competes in the men’s 5000m during the Diamond League London Grand Prix athletics meet at Crystal Palace in London, July 13, 2012. (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez) By Alison Wildey LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) – World 5,000 meters champion Mo Farah underlined his credentials to become Britain’s first Olympic long-distance gold medalist by winning […]

It was a 12-day mini-Olympics, a stretch ending July 1 that delighted us with the overlapping U.S. trials for track and field, swimming and gymnastics. Out of these 12 days of Christmas-in-summer came the rosters for perhaps the three most high-profile sports at the Games. We were served heaping helpings of high-end performance, along with […]

Yohan Blake (L) and Usain Bolt (front R) cross the finish line during their men’s 100 meters final event at the Jamaican Olympic trials in Kingston city, in this file photo taken June 29, 2012. The men’s 100 meters is the jewel in the Olympic crown and Yohan Blake’s surprise humanization of Usain Bolt has […]

Tyson Gay of USA wins the 100m men race ahead of Justin Gatlin of USA, left, at the IAF Diamond League athletics meeting at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Friday, July 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau) By Julien Pretot PARIS, July 6 (Reuters) – Tyson Gay beat fellow American Justin Gatlin […]

By Mike Tierney, Special to Universal Sports By and large, track and field events are rooted in the most fundamental of physical activities. Running, either all-out in sprints or at a controlled pace over a distance. Jumping, either horizontally or vertically. Tossing objects, most of them heavy. Then there is the steeplechase, often called the […]

Usain Bolt (C) runs during the men’s 200 meters semi-final at the Jamaican Olympic trials in Kingston city, June 30, 2012. (REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado) By Steve Keating KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 30 (Reuters) – Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake sauntered through their 200 meters semi-finals on Saturday to set up another rematch and an explosive finish to […]

World champion Yohan Blake, left, celebrates after crossing the finish line ahead of current world-record holder Usain Bolt, second from right, Nesta Carter, right, and Michael Frater to win the 100m final at Jamaica’s Olympic trials in Kingston, Jamaica, Friday, June 29, 2012. Blake pulled a stunner finishing in 9.75 seconds to upset Bolt by […]

Sanya Richards-Ross (C) finishes in the women’s 200 meters qualifying at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 28, 2012. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 29 (Reuters) – Sanya Richards-Ross sprinted to the year’s second fastest time as she won her women’s 200 meters semi-final at the U.S. Olympic athletics […]

Galen Rupp (R) and Bernard Lagat finish in the men’s 5,000 meters final at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 28, 2012. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 28 (Reuters) – Galen Rupp ran down favorite Bernard Lagat to win a spine-tingling 5,000 meters and secure the first men’s long […]

World record holder Usain Bolt, left, runs ahead of countrymen, from right, Mario Forsythe, Jacques Harvey and Kimmari Roach to win the 100m quarterfinal heat of the Jamaica’s Olympic trials in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, June 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid) By Steve Keating KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 28 (Reuters) – Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Asafa […]

U.S. decathlete Ashton Eaton sets a new world record as he crosses the finish line in the men’s decathlon 1500m at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 23, 2012. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 23 (Reuters) – Ashton Eaton set a glittering decathlon world record at the U.S. Olympic […]

By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 23 (Reuters) – Former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin took a confident step forward on his comeback trail, breezing through the first round of the men’s 100 meters in an eye-catching 9.90 seconds at the U.S. athletics trials on Saturday. Gatlin, who won gold at the 2004 Athens Games but […]

Decathlete Bryan Clay grabs last hurdle in decathlon 110m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon, June 23, 2012. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 23 (Reuters) – Bryan Clay’s chances of defending his Olympic decathlon title ended on Saturday after a sequence of events, including a temporary disqualification, left […]

  They are staging a sequel of sorts to “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Call it “Fast Times at High-flying Eugene, Ore.” Instead of Spicolo and Stacy and Rat, characters in the stoner movie that toasts its 30-year anniversary this year, the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials features Tyson and Justin and Carmelita and […]

FILE – This June 2, 2012 file photo shows United States’ Justin Gatlin winning the 100-meter event at the Prefontaine Classic athletics meet in Eugene, Ore. Now 30 and eight years removed from his last Olympic trials, Gatlin’s all business as he steps to the line this weekend. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) By Gene […]

Yohan Blake (L) from Jamaica beats Lerone Clarke (C) of Jamaica and Trell Kimmons of the U.S. in the men’s 100 meter dash at the Donovan Bailey Invitational track and field meet in Edmonton, Alberta, June 16, 2012. (REUTERS/Todd Korol) June 16 (Reuters) – World champion Yohan Blake tuned up for a Jamaican Olympic trials […]

Cuba’s Olympic hurdling champion Dayron Robles trains in Havana May 8, 2012. (REUTERS/Desmond Boylan) June 5 (Reuters) – The New York grand prix meeting on Saturday lost Olympic hurdling champion Dayron Robles to injury but added another former gold medalist when Meseret Defar, the 2004 5,000 meters winner, was added to the field on Tuesday. […]

Liu Xiang of China (C) wins the men’s 110 metre hurdle event with Jason Richardson of the US (R) and Aries Merritt of the US (L) trailing during the Diamond League athletics meet in Shanghai on May 19, 2012. (PETER PARKS/AFP/GettyImages) By Nick Mulvenney June 5 (Reuters) – In 12.87 seconds on an Oregon track, […]

Track and field athlete Lolo Jones poses for a portrait during the USOC Portrait Shoot at Smashbox West Hollywood on November 17, 2011 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images for USOC) Hurdler out to put Beijing ‘crash and burn’ behind her By Phil Minshull, Special to Universal Sports Not even an Olympic […]

Liu Xiang (C) of China leads David Oliver (L) and Jason Richardson of the United States over the last hurdle in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League track meet in Eugene, Oregon June 2, 2012. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 2 (Reuters) – Liu Xiang sent an ominous […]

Wilson Kiprop and Moses Masai react after placing first and second in the Kenyan Olympic Trials 10,000m in 27:01.98 and 27:02.25 at the 2012 Prefontaine Classic press conference at the Valley River Inn. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon, June 1 (Reuters) – Wilson Kiprop never imagined he would be Kenya’s […]

Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele celebrates after winning the men’s 10.000m during the Diamond League athletics meeting in Brussels on September 16, 2011. (JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images) By Gene Cherry EUGENE, Oregon (June 1) – One has built a track on the outskirts of his country’s capital to aid his recovery from injury, the other trained in the […]

Nery Brenes (L) of Costa Rica, LaShawn Merritt (C) of the U.S. and Oscar Pistorius of South Africa compete during men’s 400 meters event at the Golden Spike International track and field meeting in Ostrava May 25, 2012. (REUTERS/Petr Josek) By Jan Lopatka PRAGUE, May 25 (Reuters) – Usain Bolt labored to victory in the […]