2008 Olympics Mini-Preview: Track and Field
This continues my blog about the Summer Games for dabblers. Make a small bet on one of these markets and you’ll be amazed at how much more fun you find the games!
Traditionally, the most popular Olympic events in the US are track and field – and its no coincidence that we tend to excel in many of the events. However, the recent doping scandals involving former superstars like Marion Jones has cast a pall over the sport. As usual, the US will field a strong team this year but there are few well known athletes this time around.
Tyson Gay – America’s fastest man, Tyson Gay was expected to medal in both the 100m and 200m dash at the Beijing Olympics with a good shot double gold but a shocking cramp during the Olympic trials last month left him qualifying only for the 100m dash. He ran a wind aided 9.68 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded for the 100m and will remain a force to be reckoned with between the 100m and 4×100 relay, but the video of the cramp will likely be shown over and over (and over and over) anytime an Olympic announcer mentions his name.
Will Tyson Gay win any gold medals at the Beijing Olympics?
100m dash – Possibly the most anticipated (and hyped) match up of the Olympic games: three amazing athletes in the marquee event of the games. Jamaican teammates Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt and the USA’s Tyson Gay all hold valid claims to the title of Worlds Fastest Man and now they will go head to head. Powell has held the record for quite some time, only to have it snatched away by Bolt at the end of May. Tyson Gay, of course, has recently run the fastest time ever recorded for the 100m dash, a wind-aided 9.68 seconds. No matter who wins, there’s a definite chance the world record will fall again when these three men face each other in the finals on August 16th.
Will the 100m men’s world record in running be broken in the beijing olympics? 
Liu Xiang - A relative unknown, Xiang shocked the world when he won the 110 hurdles in Athens. He was the first Chinese sprint gold medalist and has since become a mega-superstar in China (his legs are insured for over 13 million dollars!). But just to add to the drama, Cuban Dayron Robles broke Xiang’s two year old world record last month, so its clear he will have some heavy competition with the hopes of over a billion people resting on him (no pressure!). In fact many in China have said that this medal is the most important. (Finals are on August 21st)
Will China’s Liu Xiang win the 110m hurdles at the Olympics?
More track and field questions
Track and Field Olympic Schedule
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