By Louis Ritchie
As far as I’m concerned, the men’s 100 meter dash is going in my trash can! There are too many super star Track and Field athletes (men and women) that deserve more attention, than who’s who in the men’s 100 meter dash! My focus right now, is going on other stars, like Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards Ross, Machel Cedenio, Ajee Wilson, Jasmine Stowers, Elaine Thompson, Jenna Prandini, and Kirani James etc.
I’m tired of wondering when and where the likes of Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay, and a few other sprinters are going to meet. My mind is pretty much made up, that it won’t be until the World Championships in August, that I can expect to see them run against each other anyway, so why continue to write about them in May!
The women’s sprinting and other events have garnished (WRONG WORD USE “ATTRACTED”) more appeal this year, than the men’s 100 meter dash! When Justin Gatlin ran 9.74, was Asafa Powell Tyson Gay or Usain Bolt in the race? (NO)! When Asafa Powell ran 9.84, was Justin Gatlin, Usain Bolt, or Tyson Gay in the race? (NO)! Now Usain Bolt is going to run the 200 meters in Ostrava, is Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay or Asafa Powell in the race? (NO)! Asafa Powell is going to run the 100 meter dash in Ostrava, is Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin or Tyson Gay in the race? (NO)!
But look at the women’s 100 meter dash in Shanghai, when Blessing Okagbare won the race, was Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Tori Bowie, Veronica Campbell Brown, and Michelle-Lee Ahye in the race? (Yes) When Kirani James set the world leading time in the 400 meters, was LaShawn Merritt in the race? (YES)!
This past weekend, at the Prefontaine meet in Eugene, Oregon, Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards Ross clashed over 400 meters! Now that’s two super star track and field athletes, who seem to be flying under the radar, with so much attention on the men’s 100 meter dash this year! That’s what I love about Allyson Felix, she’s fearless, and doesn’t duck anybody! Allyson will take on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at her specialty the women’s 100 meter dash, and she’ll take on Sanya Richards Ross, at her specialty, the 400 meter dash!
I think that’s one of the reasons Allyson Felix is the only woman in history to win US national titles in the 100, 200, and 400 meter dash!.
I also think that’s one of several reasons Allyson Felix is so beloved around the track and field community, not only because of her humility, but Allyson volunteered to join PROJECT BELIEVE, along with a few other athletes to take extensive blood and urine tests other than those mandated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)! In military terms, that’s like going above and beyond the call of duty!
From this point on, up to the World Championships, the men’s 100 meter dash is in file 13, the trash can! My attention will be solely on all the other super star athletes who are willing to compete against each other, well before the World Championships!
**The views expressed in this article are those of the author (Louis Ritchie) and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, TrackAlerts.com.
