2002 Season off to a sizzling start

So far this 2002 sprinting season, World record holder Maurice Greene has yet
to contest an open 100 metre dash, 4-time Olympic medalist Ato Boldon has a
seasonal best of 10.39 and Tim Montgomery's feet are two metres behind his 
mouth.  Are they waiting to peak for a Olympic Games or a World Championships?
Nope, only Boldon could be concerned about a major championship this year - 
the Commonwealth Games.  Yet the men's short sprints early this year have been
as exciting and as fast as ever.

With a new wave of talent, such as Joshua J. Johnson, Justin Gatlin, Shawn
Crawford, Dwain Chambers, Coby Miller and Bernard Williams hitting their
stride, along with a rejuvanated Frank Fredericks, this year as seen five
men go under then seconds in th 100 and many exciting races in the process.

The American sprinting depth is evident in the top lists.  Johnson, who only
first started competing internationally last July, has a 9.95 clocking while
Crawford has already broken ten seconds twice and twenty seconds once in the
200.  Miller, Williams, and Brian Lewis who have shown they are capable of 
breaking or running around ten seconds in any race have impressive wins under
their belts early on.  In the college ranks, 20 year old Gatlin of Tennessee
has run 10.05 and 19.86 this year and appears to have no rivals in his rear
view mirror in reach in the NCAA.

Montgomery, the 2001 U.S. 100m Champion, has looked great in his appearances
this year, but his plight is that he has not been able to live up to his
quotes.  While he has clockings of 9.94, 9.99 and 10.03, Montgomery has been
talking about lowering Greene's World record of 9.79 and that has made his
accomplishments seem rather ordinary.  Montgomery has also made aspirations 
of beating Greene clear, but when he loses to Crawford because he was 'not
expecting a challenge', it makes one wonder whether he is ready to take
Greene's crown.

While Montgomery's talking could become old and tiresome, the return of
Fredericks has been very refreshing.  One of the classiest sprinters ever has
returned to form after two injury plagued seasons.  The Namibian has run 9.94
at home in Windhoek and a windy 9.85 in Kenya and has hiis sights set on the
Commonwealth Games and World Cup later this year.

On the opposite end of the spectrum where Fredericks plans to retire after
the World cup, many young talents look to have big years as well.  Mark
Lewis-Francis of Great Britain should be able to rumble with the 'big boys'
and Darrel Brown of Trinidad and Tobago will face the world's best juniors
at the World Junior Championships in Jamaica.

So even though some of the usual suspects are taking a slower approach to
the earlier part of the season, the times are still blazing and the competition
is stiff and without any major global championships, sprinters should be willing
to drop fast times anytime.  So sit back, and enjoy the races across the globe
and don't blink!