Despite Hardships, Opportunities Lie Ahead

By Scott Bush

It was a tough fourth day of competition for Team USA at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships Tuesday morning (Tuesday evening in Beijing). It seemed as though everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

It started earlier in the competition, where Bershawn Jackson and Johnny Dutch, who own the fastest two times in the world this season, failed to qualify for the 400m hurdle final, while Marquis Dendy, who ranks top three in the world in the long jump, failed to qualify for the final.

Fast forward to Tuesday, both Jeff Henderson and Michael Hartfield failed to qualify for the top eight in the long jump, missing out on three more chances to jump on the medal podium. In the 400m hurdles, Michael Tinsley faded after a fast start, as both he and Kerron Clement missed the podium.

As if that weren't enough, Jenny Simpson's left shoe flipped off during the women's 1,500m, as both she and Shannon Rowbury missed out on a top three finish, while Justin Gatlin was the only American to move forward in the men's 200m prelims. 

Needless to say, it was a very disappointing and depressing morning for American track and field fans. 

But with so much bad news comes a silver lining, as Team USA has plenty of opportunities ahead to redeem itself. Here's a few events and athletes to look forward to as we move forward in Beijing:

• Allyson Felix. She's the easy pre-race favorite in the women's 400m. She cruised through her rounds and is ready to jump across the podium once again. With no Sanya Richards-Ross and Francena McCorory in the event, Felix shoulders the burden of American medal hopes, but the longtime veteran is obviously up for the challenge.
• Bolt v Gatlin - Round 2. While Bolt narrowly edged Gatlin in the 100m event earlier in these World Championships, the two are set to battle again in the 200 meter final. While most may think Bolt is the favorite in the half-lap event, do note that Gatlin's seasonal best is over a half second faster than Bolt's. Clearly Bolt is in a different place regarding his fitness compared to earlier in the season, so this final should be as exciting as the 100m final. 
• Shamier Little. The Texas A&M standout seemed to struggle through the rounds, but she's in the final, has the fastest seasonal best and no longer has the pressure of advancing weighing on her. It'll be interesting to see where her confidence lies, as she certainly didn't coast in her previous two races, but she's a future star of American track and field and Beijing could very well be where she makes a statement that she's arrived internationally. 
• Team USA looks extremely strong in the short hurdles, where David Oliver has to be considered among the top 1-2 favorites in the 110m hurdle event, while the U.S. quartet of Dawn Harper-Nelson, Sharika Nelvis, Keni Harrison and Brianna Rollins could very well sweep their event. 
• Ashton Eaton. Is there really anything else to say? The decathlon world record holder is looking strong and should defend his championship title. 
• The relays. Team USA is so deep and so strong across the board and has to be considered the favorite to win gold in at least both 4x400m relay races and the men's 4x100m relay. Of course, hanging onto the baton is always the challenge, but there is plenty for U.S. fans to root for here. 

Stay positive Team USA fans. The United States has the world's strongest and deepest track and field team and the country's talent should shine in the days ahead.