Fast times

You know how sometimes you know something is wrong but don’t want to admit it? As the 2004 Olympic Trials in Sacramento approach, I’m afraid for my lifelong favorite sport. Over the past year, U.S. track and field athletes have been tainted by drug/doping accusations, bans, and a general sense of scandal. Some of my favorite athletes have been affected. Now the story has hit the front page of the New York Times.

I’ve followed Kelly White’s career since she was a promising prep at James Logan High School in nearby Union City. I lost track of her when she went off to Tennessee to continue her career, but was elated to see her win a medal at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. I thought “keep training hard, Kelly, you could be the next big thing.”

When I saw her at the U.S. Championships last year, I knew something was different. She was much more muscular. She complained to the press of being tired and dehydrated. She looked more like a handsome fellow than the attractive young woman I’d seen in previous years. I knew, but didn’t want to admit, that something was awry.

With this breaking news, I can only imagine how her family, friends, and supporters must feel. I’m very, very disappointed, and I fear that we haven’t seen the end to this track and field doping morass (especially now that Kelly will be a federal witness).

I’m also worried that this will be a comparatively weak Olympic track team, given that the track superstars of the last Olympiad are retired, inconsistent, or of questionable eligibility: Maurice Green, Marion Jones, John Drummond, Inger Miller, Chryste Gaines, Tim Montgomery, Regina Jacobs, and Jerome Young. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Torri Edwards, who ran well at last year’s World Championships in Paris.

I’m still going to go to the Oly Trials, and hope that the next generation of U.S. track stars will do us well - without the added chemical enhancements.