The Summer Olympic Games get on track today when the track and field competition gets under way in Athens. We've heard about the cloud hanging over these events because of performance enhancing drug use, but there should be an ample supply of highlights.
Here are just a few of some of the things you can watch for:
• Local link: Bryan Clay is a serious medal contender is one of America's many rising stars and a gold medal contender in the decathlon on Monday and Tuesday. He also happens to be coached by Kevin Reid, a 1983 Carson High School graduate who has been the head men's track and field coach at Azusa Pacific University the last nine years. Clay has a legitimate shot at taking the gold, although the favorites are reigning world champion Tom Pappas of the U.S. and world record holder Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic. This could turn out to be one of the best competitions in Athens.
• High altitude trained: Watch for Mammoth Lakes resident Deena (Drossin) Kastor in the women's marathon on Sunday. Though Kastor was second behind Colleen De Reuck at the U.S. Trials in St. Louis in April, she set the American record of 2 hours, 21 minutes and 16 seconds in 2003. She easily won the women's 10,000 at the Trials last month (31:09.65), but gave up her spot in the event in order to concentrate on the marathon in Athens. She will not come in as one of the favorites, that distinction falls to Great Britain's Paula Radcliffe, but look for Kastor to run with the lead pack.
• American star: Don't look for Marion Jones to make a big impact in Athens, although she could add to her haul of three gold medals taken from Sydney in 2000 by winning the long jump. The 4x100 relay is another possibility, although the U.S. coaches may not want to risk using her because of the threat of a drug suspension.
• Still flying high: Stacy Dragila, a product of Auburn, Calif., is the defending Olympic women's pole vault champion, but she will be hard pressed to win another gold medal against Russians Yelena Isinbayeva and Svetlana Feofanova. The three have taken turns holding the world record in 2004. Dragila went 15-10 on June 8, then Isinbayeva cleared 15-11 3/4 and Feofanova became the first woman to clear 16 feet on July 4 in a meet in Athens. Isinbayeva took the record again with a 16-0 3/4 clearance in London (and says she has cleared 16-4 3/4 in practice). The record could fall again Tuesday night. Don't count Dragila out, after all, she is still the defending Olympic champion. In the men's pole vault, Americans Toby Stevenson and Tim Mack are gold medal favorites, along with Dmitri Markov, a native of Belarus who now competes for Australia.
• Another veteran star: Gail Devers has won two gold medals in the 100 meters, now she is trying to pick up her first gold in the 100 hurdles. At age 37, that would be a tremendous achievement that should cement her place as one of America's all-time greats in the sport. She survived a serious bout with Graves' Disease in 1988 - doctors considered amputating both legs - and came back to win the Olympic 100 in 1992 and '96.
• Great race: Alan Webb made a name for himself when he broke Jim Ryun's high school mile record in 2001 and is now looking to take his stardom to a new level in Athens. Look for Webb to make it to the final late Tuesday night. Olympic distance races are normally tactical and won by the runner with the best kick, but look for Webb to break from that tradition. Look for him to make a move with 700 meters to go, just as he did at the Trials. Look for him to still be in the lead with one lap to go - and a pack of stronger kickers in hot pursuit that should include Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, Kenya's Bernard Lagat (formerly of Washington State) and Isaac Songok, Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain and Mehdi Baala of France. Can the 21-year-old Virginian hold on? El Guerrouj has four world titles and three world records, but has yet to win Olympic gold. Lagat recently beat El Guerrouj on Aug. 6 with a world best time of 3 minutes, 27.4 seconds in Zurich, Switzerland. Webb ran a personal record 3:32.73 to beat Lagat in Ostrava, Czech Republic, earlier this summer. Webb probably isn't ready to win Olympic gold just yet, but stay tuned, this could be a great race.
• Young guns from Texas: Sanya Richards, 19, has all the makings to be a star of Marion Jones-like status in the future, and that could be as soon as the women's 400 meters final on Tuesday. Richards finished second at the Trials and won NCAA indoor title in the 400 this year for Texas. Baylor's Jeremy Wariner, 20, has run the fastest 400 in the world in 2004 (44.37 at the Trials) and now figures to contend for gold. Like Richards, this has been a long year for Wariner, who became the first runner ever to finish as a winner the 400 meters and 4x400 relay at the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships in the same year. On the upside, he runs for Baylor's Clyde Hart, who coached world record holder and two-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.
• World's fastest human: There has always been special recognition for the 100-meter champion and America is looking for a sweep of the medals with its trio of Maurice Greene, Shawn Crawford and Justin Gatlin. Asafa Powell of Jamaica beat Greene in back-to-back races leading up to the Olympics, Crawford has clocked the fastest time in the world this year (9.88) and the smooth Gatlin always looks like has plenty left in the tank. All four could hit the wire together in a photo finish Sunday night. Greene is the defending Olympic champion.
Contact Dave Price at dprice@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-1220.