U.S. runners pull off rare 1-2 feat
Americans Courtney Frerichs and Emma Coburn outran two Kenyans to the finish line Friday and finished 1-2 in the steeplechase at the world championships in London.
Coburn finished in an American-record time of 9 minutes, 2.58 seconds, while Frerichs set a personal best at 9:03.77. These marked the first two steeplechase medals for U.S. women since the event began at the world championships in 2005. It marked the first time Americans have finished 1-2 in a women’s or men’s steeplechase at the worlds or the Olympics.
These also were the fourth and fifth medals for the U.S. distance runners at the championships in London, including a bronze from Amy Cragg in the marathon, a bronze from Evan Jager in the men’s steeplechase and a silver from Jenny Simpson in the 1,500.
None were more shocking than this.
Over the decades, the U.S. has had its share of moments at the long distances that have generally been dominated by Africans: Billy Mills winning gold in the 10,000 at the 1964 Olympics; Jim Ryun held world records in the 1960s and has Olympic silver from the 1,500 in 1968. Frank Shorter, Mary Decker, Joan Benoit and, more recently, Deena Kastor, Bernard Lagat and Meb Keflezighi have made headlines over the years.
One big difference: There’s evidence that this most recent triumph could be more the norm than the exception.
Vin Lananna, the president of USA Track and Field, credited a long-term commitment to distance once lacking in a country that has always been more fascinated with the sprints.
“We’ve been close a lot,” Lananna said. “Then, just like anything else, eventually you push it over the edge.”
Motor sports KESLOWSKI WINS NASCAR POLE »
Brad Keselowski won the pole for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race, putting himself in good position to try for an elusive victory at Michigan International Speedway.
Keselowski is winless in 16 career Cup races at Michigan, but he does have eight top-10 finishes.
“I’m not really known as a great qualifier, so maybe over time I’ve probably put a little less stock in qualifying,” he said. “But I can tell you that when I saw that we were going to win the pole those last few seconds of qualifying, it put chills down my body. It’s a great feeling. It’s a special track for me to have any kind of success at.”
Keselowski’s pole was his 14th on the Cup Series and first at his home-state track. It was his second this year.
Joey Logano was second, giving Team Penske a 1-2 showing in qualifying for Sunday’s race. Kevin Harvick, another Ford driver, was third.
Keselowski took the pole with a lap of 35.451 seconds (203.097 mph) in his No. 2 Ford. Logano was close behind at 35.457.
Colleges UPSHAW DIES AT 81 »
Monte Upshaw, a track and field standout for Cal in the late 1950s and a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, died recently due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.
Upshaw attended Piedmont High School, and as a senior in 1954 he broke Jesse Owens’ national high school long jump record.
CAL SETS FAN FEST » Cal’s Football Fan Fest will be held on the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Plaza at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 26.
The free two-hour event allows fans meet and interact with players and coaches of the Golden Bears. Gates open at 12:30 p.m. LOUISVILLE APPEALS ITS PENALTIES » Louisville says the NCAA “abused” its authority when it disciplined the school for a sex scandal that could result in the loss of its 2013 national basketball championship.
The school also says in a 68-page appeal released Friday that the governing body imposed “draconian” penalties and ignored the school’s self-imposed discipline. Louisville banned itself from the 2016 postseason after its investigation uncovered violations.
This is the latest step in a case that began nearly two years ago. Escort Katina Powell alleged in a book that former Cardinals staffer Andre McGee
hired her and other dancers for sex parties with recruits and players from 2010 to 2014.
The NCAA vacated up to 123 victories in which ineligible players received improper benefits. It also suspended Louisville coach Rick Pitino for failing to monitor McGee. NEBRASKA INKS DEAL WITH
ADIDAS » Adidas and Nebraska have agreed to a new sponsorship deal that will funnel more than $128 million in cash and goods to the athletic department over the next 11 years.
The university’s Board of Regents on Friday unanimously approved the contract extension. Adidas will pay $64 million in cash and provide $64.7 million in apparel and equipment.
Olympics
KOREAN TENSION CAUSES CONCERN »
Escalating tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program have caused security challenges posed to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to be assessed at an upcoming IOC meeting.
The International Olympic Committee session comes five months before the Winter Games are staged 50 miles across the border from North Korea.
Although regional concerns have been building for months amid new missile tests by the North, the pace has intensified since new sanctions were passed against Kim Jong Un’s regime by the U.N. Security Council last week. It led to heated rhetoric between the U.S. and North Korea, with threats of attacks.
“We are monitoring the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region very closely,” the IOC said on Friday from Lausanne, Switzerland. “The IOC is keeping itself informed about the developments. We continue working with the organizing committee on the preparations of these games which continue to be on track.”
France Olympic Committee president Denis Masseglia said the North Korea situation will be discussed at the IOC session in Lima, Peru, in September.
“There is no reason to be too worried at the moment,” Masseglia said. “We are five or six months away from the Olympics. We are monitoring the situation carefully. Of course if the tension escalates, we’ll need to adapt. But Pyeongchang is ready to host the Games.”
Pyeongchang is presenting the IOC with the third successive problematic build-up to an Olympics after Sochi in 2014 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016 were beset by human rights, environmental and political crises.
Soccer
2026 WORLD CUP GETS COMPETITIVE »
North America has a late challenge from North Africa in the contest to host the 2026 World Cup.
Morocco will also bid for the tournament, with its announcement coming on FIFA’s deadline day on Friday.
Morocco’s last-minute move takes on the joint bid between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Morocco formally launched its bid and sent relevant documents to FIFA, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said in a brief two-sentence statement.
It’s the North African kingdom’s fifth attempt at hosting the World Cup.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico launched their joint bid in April and hoped to be awarded the World Cup unchallenged, with no other bids seemingly on the horizon. But FIFA decided to keep the contest open, and Morocco made the deadline just.
The 2026 World Cup is open to bids only from the Americas, Africa, and Oceania.