Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

[tm71]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

NBC has way too many announcers for Track and Field. I understand each one doing what they know best: Ato Boldon with the Sprints and Hurdles, Lewis Johnson with the distance races and Dwight Stones for the field events, but Stones does the distance races as well for all of the DL events overseas, so really no need for Lewis Johnson.

It'll get more complicated if they bring on Carol Lewis for the Olympic Trials like they did in 2008. I am fine with Ato Boldon doing the sprints and hurdles. We don't need anyone else for that. And people question why the sport is irrelevant in the United States.


i agree with that. personally i would keep dwight and ato and consider bringing in shorter for any distance of 5k and longer. no caror lewis, paul sunderland or lewis johnson or uncle tom.

[Trackrunner]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

Have you actually been to ICAHN stadium? This is a pro meet featuring the sport's elite athletes. The meet is being broadcast LIVE by network TV. The venue looks shabby with the makeshift stands. It does not look like a real stadium but more like a community facility where hobby joggers go for a morning workout. Like I said I've seen classier facilities at neighborhood high schools.

Huh? What a strange complaint. Icahn is almost brand new. It opened in 2005. It's the finest track facility on the east coast, and one of the most used too. The permanent stands are more than big enough for 90+% of the meets held there. They put up the temporary stands on the backstretch for the Adidas GP meet to handle the overflow from the sold-out main stands. Where else would you have the meet held? Yankee Stadium?

What I saw of the stadium was from the backstretch. I decided to go at the very last minute . When we got there tickets were sold out for the main section but available for the back stretch. We walked all the way around from the main section to get there - through a hilly grass patch where there was no clear walking path to find make shift stands and port a potties. Even from a distance the track surface looked faded out and showed a lot of wear. The venue would be fine for a community lets-get-fit jog fest, but this is an international meet with elite athletes in every race. Perhaps ICAHN was built in 2005 but it needs an upgrade now to give it a better look.

[Charley Shaffer]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

I agree with Trackrunner . . . the Mondo track surface at Icahn Stadium is badly worn. I've seen tracks in worse condition, but not tracks that were hosting a major international or even national competition. There has obviously been some patching done, as well as replacement of Lane 1, at least on the home straight.

I applaud the fact that this facility apparently gets used a lot by local and community programs--that's great, that's better than not using it. And I realize that all municipal budgets are strained, but to host a DL meet, the track should be resurfaced.

That said, it didn't seem to affect performances, so WTH.

[Ned Ryerson]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

I agree with Trackrunner . . . the Mondo track surface at Icahn Stadium is badly worn. I've seen tracks in worse condition, but not tracks that were hosting a major international or even national competition. There has obviously been some patching done, as well as replacement of Lane 1, at least on the home straight.

I applaud the fact that this facility apparently gets used a lot by local and community programs--that's great, that's better than not using it. And I realize that all municipal budgets are strained, but to host a DL meet, the track should be resurfaced.

That said, it didn't seem to affect performances, so WTH.

I've heard the track is being replaced at the end of the summer.

[Ned Ryerson]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

There are middle and high schools in my neighborhood that have classier facilities.

Which ones?

[ATK]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

[quote=Ned Ryerson]

I agree with Trackrunner . . . the Mondo track surface at Icahn Stadium is badly worn. I've seen tracks in worse condition, but not tracks that were hosting a major international or even national competition. There has obviously been some patching done, as well as replacement of Lane 1, at least on the home straight.

I applaud the fact that this facility apparently gets used a lot by local and community programs--that's great, that's better than not using it. And I realize that all municipal budgets are strained, but to host a DL meet, the track should be resurfaced.

That said, it didn't seem to affect performances, so WTH.

I've heard the track is being replaced at the end of the summer.[/quote:jjzqsozm]
That what I heard as well.
The track really is in bad condition. Lane 1 was replaced all around, and patches where the starting blocks go in lanes have been replaced. But everywhere else it is ripped apart, it literally feels like walking on plastic, but times seem to not get slower so I guess its not bad.
The stadium is amazing though, and I think beautiful to look at, especially at night.
I competed there all throughout HS when it was first built in 2005. They host tons of HS middle school, elementary school and open meets. They don't allow practice there as far as I know, unless its a special occasion, but the tons of meets held make up for it.

[26mi235]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

I guess Rudisha ran almost entirely on that repaired lane 1 -- did not seem to hurt him much. On the other hand, the 400 times were a bit on the slow side (winner @ 45.24 has run 44.4x...), which might account for people writing JW(and Clyde Hart) off.

[ATK]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

I guess Rudisha ran almost entirely on that repaired lane 1 -- did not seem to hurt him much. On the other hand, the 400 times were a bit on the slow side (winner @ 45.24 has run 44.4x...), which might account for people writing JW(and Clyde Hart) off.

So I would assume UO and Ostrava are slow as well considering Merrit has run 44.1?
SRR(Clyde Hart's athlete) ran fast, McCrory ran fast, Gay ran fast for his situation, Bledman ran fast, SAF ran fast, Madison ran fast, Tierra Brown ran fast, the list goes on.
Wariner is being written off for the legitimate reasons.

[wineturtle]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

[quote=Ned Ryerson]

I've heard the track is being replaced at the end of the summer.

[/quote:921baysu]
Yes conformation from two sources connected to RISF/ichan say end of summer/early fall

[26mi235]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

So I would assume UO and Ostrava are slow as well considering Merrit has run 44.1?

I do not know about Ostrava, but UO it was windy and windy conditions hurt the 400m runners the most, especially if there are strong cross winds.

[ATK]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

So I would assume UO and Ostrava are slow as well considering Merrit has run 44.1?

I do not know about Ostrava, but UO it was windy and windy conditions hurt the 400m runners the most, especially if there are strong cross winds.

Womens 400m went pretty well there.
And what about all the other athletes I mentioned who ran fast in NY?

[Al in NYC]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

The track at Icahn pretty much lived out its predicted lifespan, even though the place hosted more events than originally thought. People have to realize that the Randalls Island Park Alliance (formerly the Randalls Island Sports Foundation) is a private/public non-profit that is responsible for all of the recreational facilities on the island (including baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis center, bike paths, wetland areas, etc.) not just Icahn Stadium. And that the Adidas GP meet is really something of a sideshow for them, since their main mission, and the main mission of the Icahn facility, is to host high school and other local meets.

There are middle and high schools in my neighborhood that have classier facilities.

Which ones?

Yes, I'd like to hear about those too. Are they Track & Field only facilities like Icahn? I doubt it.

For instance, Columbia U's Wein Stadium has a newer track than Icahn (at least until Icahn's is replaced). And Wein has many more permanent seats. So I guess an argument could be made that it's a better track facility than Icahn. But that track, like so many in the U.S., is wrapped around a crowned artificial turf football field, making it wholly unsuitable for a major track and field event like the Diamond League.

[Trackrunner]

Re: Adidas Grand Prix 2012 - New York

They're multi use facilities and not track only facilities. Let's just say for an elite meet I was surprised to see the make shift stands and portable toilets thrown up on the back stretch. And yea Its my fault I waited to buy tickets and had to settle for the backstretch but still.