Modesto meet's talent showed in Beijing

By RON AGOSTINI
ragostini@modbee.com

last updated: August 31, 2008 03:18:04 AM

Fans of the California Invitational Relays recognize that the following is not news.

The meet always draws world-class athletes, though we wish its pocketbook allowed for more. Sometimes, as the Relays has added a community festival and youth events to its program over the years, we forget the basic point: It's still a track meet, 67 years running, the nation's third-longest.

That fact was reinforced on Gregg Miller, the Relays director, as he watched the Olympics in Beijing. Then it dawned on him on the flight home: If Relays athletes formed a hypothetical "country," they would be hard to beat.

When he compiled his list, he was proven right.

There was Jeremy Wariner (2005 and 2006), bringing home the gold in the 4x400-meter relay, and Galt's own Stephanie Brown Trafton winning the women's discus. Some Relays products stuck to our memory, like Christian Cantwell winning here the last three years. Others arrived as up-and-coming stars, like 16-year-old Allyson Felix running a relay in 2002.

But when you combined the 10 Relays medalists in Beijing, they would have placed third in the Olympic medal count.

Just a hunch: I bet that chart will be used in Relays promotions in 2009.

"People don't have to wait for the Olympics. They can go to the Relays every year," Miller said. "I'll always go after the best athletes and bring in the best possible field."

Other post-Olympic observations with insight from Miller:

JAMAICA -- The numbers laid down by Usain Bolt add up to the greatest Olympic performance by a sprinter: 9.69 while pulling up in the 100 meters, 19.30 in the 200 and, with help from his mates, 37.10 in the 4x100 relay, all world records. The USA sprinters were humbled by Jamaica, which established a stronghold.

"We probably better get used to it for a while. Bolt is only 22 and they've got kids coming back," Miller said.

WARINER -- Critics chided Wariner for switching coaches during an Olympic year and attributed the change to his runner-up showing against teammate LaShawn Merritt. Also true, however, is the fact Wariner -- bidding for a second consecutive gold medal in the 400 -- went out too fast.

"He was going for Michael's (Michael Johnson's) world record and started way too hard. Bolt was stealing the show so Jeremy gambled," Miller said. "Merritt ran a smart race. Jeremy is not going away, either. We've got a great rivalry with him and LaShawn."

BOLT -- The ongoing duel between Merritt and Wariner may be one fascinating moot point if Bolt turns his freakish 6-foot-5-inch frame toward the 400. "I told Merrit, 'Enjoy it while you can,' and he laughed," Miller said. "Bolt is a big guy who doesn't run like a big guy. He runs like any sprinter of normal size. He actually runs like Carl Lewis."

BATON DROPS -- The Americans' drops in both the men's and women's 4x100 impacted Miller like a slug in the gut. He believes the errors underscored USA Track and Field's mixed results at trying to fortify the relay races. He's probably right. For the last six years, the organization has identified four early-season meets as relays training grounds. The Relays always has been one of the quartet.

"The problem is they don't mandate attendance from the athletes. That's a joke," Miller said. "In our case, we lose possible relay runners to bigger-money meets. They should say, 'You have to make three of the four, or you're off the team.' We're spending good money with no results."

USA coach Bubba Thornton also was second-guessed when he replaced 4x100 anchor Felix with Lauryn Williams only a few hours before the heat. The exchange between Torri Edwards and Williams was botched.

A caveat: The American men and women swept the 4x400, so there's no absence of speed. What's missing is the technique and precision demanded by three perfect high-speed passes in the 4x100.

FALSE START -- Jamaican women dominated with a 1-2-3 finish in the 100, a sweep aided by an uncalled false start on Torri Edwards. "Tom Moore (the Relays longtime director and starter until his death in 2002) would have called them back," Miller said. "The starter relied too much on the electronics. The sensors on the starting-block pads set off a beep when they sense motion, but the starter didn't hear the beep. The electronic system should only be a backup to the starter's eyes."

USA -- The Americans' up-and-down performance didn't hide the bottom line, at least according to Miller: "We were still the No. 1 track and field team in the world."

With help from athletes who still come to Modesto.

Bee sports columnist Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.

• Comments
• Add Comment
• Disclaimer