RelatedPosts
Jenny Simpson, the 2011 WC gold medalist at 1,500 meters and 2013 WC silver medalist, took the SPIKESmag challenge. Jenny will be racing two miles at the Reggie Lewis Center this Saturday, February 4, 2014 at the 2014 NB Indoor Grand Prix! Be there!
If I could change the rules…
SPIKES asked three US track and field stars, Jenny Simpson, Will Claye and Queen Harrison, to tell us what they’d change if they were in charge of the sport for the day.
Jenny Simpson, 1500m
Change: Get the public involved
“I’d like to see an accountant line up in the 100m just to show people how incredibly fast the athletes are. It would have been good to see some high school kids up against Dwight Phillips in the long jump or Jesse Williams in the high jump.
“This would give people a much better idea about just how exceptional these athletes are. I don’t know if this would practically apply to every event, I’m not sure the crowd would really want to see a non-top athlete finish a 10,000, but it could add a really fun element to the sprints and field events.
“Can you imagine me up against Valerie Adams in the women’s shot? It would be hilarious. I think I could only throw the shot about four inches beyond my fingertips. It would give added perspective just to show how gifted and skilled these women are.”
To read the ENTIRE story, please go to: http://spikes-mag.tumblr.com/post/72870218408/if-i-could-change-the-rules
Author
-
Larry Eder has had a 51-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."