Loose Talk: The Editors' Take

Ah, track and field: while considered a rather obscure professional sport in the United States, the Summer Olympic Games turns track athletes like Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix into household names. Track is one of the most popular high school sports participation-wise, but coverage of national and international meets rarely reaches mainstream media. So, we have taken on the task of filling you in on the most important track news before the 2016 Olympics arrive:While Usain Bolt has been cemented as the most recognizable sprinter of our era, it is his long time rival, Chris Gatlin, that has emerged as the most dominant force in the 100m.  After a four year suspension frm the sport, due to a doping violation. Gatlin’s carrer experienced a resurgence in 2013, when he took home the silver medal in the outdoor 100m championships and was ranked as the second best sprinter in the world. From then to 2015, Gatlin experienced an undefeated span of races culminating in a personal best 9.74 100m and a number one overall world ranking. While Usain might be a household name, Chris Gatlin serves as perhaps the greatest threat to his supremacy.Among the women sprinters, the young English Gardner has continued to ascend through the ranks. At 23 years-old, Gardner already has a world championship under her belt, getting gold with a then personal best of 10.85, slotting her as the second best sprinter in the U.S.A. From then she has only improved, running a personal best 10.79 in Paris. In 2016, she hopes to take home the gold in the 100m and 4x100m relay.In the marathon, Desi Linden seems to be America’s greatest hope at the grueling long-distance race. After capturing second place at the 2012 Olympic Trials, many have deemed Linden as a shoe-in for this year’s race. However, anything can happen over the course of 26.2 miles, and she will face fierce competition from defending champion Shalane Flanagan on February 14th at the U.S. trials.On the men’s distance side, one of the biggest names for the United States is Galen Rupp, athlete of controversial coach Alberto Salazar. He is rumored to be attempting a 10k marathon double, something that has not been attempted by an American athlete since 2004, when Dan Browne placed 12th in the 10k and 65th in the marathon. In the 2012 Olympics, Rupp’s second-place finish in the 10k marked the first time an American had medaled in the event in 48 years. While Rupp is certainly the most talented American distance runner our country has seen in recent history, stepping up to the marathon and winning both events would be an unbelievable feat.Ultimately, the United States track team seems poised to have another successful Olympic Games, with talented athletes in all distances and events. Hopefully, America’s most talented athletes can repeat their dominating medal count from 2012, where they earned almost 28 Olympic track medals to Russia’s 17, beating out the next-placed country by a large margin.