Amid Doping Scandals, United States Still Offers Fast, Winning Track and Field Athletes

The recent headlines for USA Track And Field have been anything but positive. With the multiple doping scandals, most recently with track star Marion Jones, many have turned on the team. There are multiple stars competing for USA Track and Field that deserve attention and praise. All statistics found through the official USA track website, found at http://www.usatf.org/.

Tyson Gay

Tyson Gay is the fastest American that the USA track team has to offer. Gay is the fastest man in the 100 m race for Americans this year. He is also the fastest man in the 200 m race for Americans in 2007. In the 2007 World Championships, he won 3 gold medals (100m, 200m, 4X100 relay). His speed in both the 100 and 200 m races places him as a contender for multiple medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Jeremey Wariner

While Tyson Gay holds the fastest times of the year for the 100 and 200 m races, Jeremey Wariner owns the 400 m race for US track athletes. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Wariner walked away with two gold medals; one in the 400 m race, and another in the 4x400 relay. Wariner is a force for the US in the upcoming Olympic Games.

Torri Edwards

On the women's side, Torri Edwards is the fastest in the country for the US. She holds four of the top ten 100 m times for the year in the US, and was a part of the 4x100 relay team that captured the bronze medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix is easily one of USA Track and Field's track stars. Allyson is the top US runner in the 200 m race this year. While her silver in the 2004 Olympics is impressive, her recent showing at the 2007 World Championships commands more attention. Felix won three gold medals at the championships, solidifying her as a contender in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sanya Richards

It's hard to decide what is more impressive about Sanya Richards athletic achievements. In 2004, she was a member of the gold medal-winning 4x400 relay team. She followed up that performance with the same medal and race at the 2007 World Championships. What may be most impressive of all, however, is the fact that of the top ten 400 m race times for US women this year, Richards owns eight. This almost makes her a lock as a member of the 2008 Olympic Team.

While the USA Track and Field team has struggled to keep its reputation positive in light of the doping scandals, it can hold its head high, as it offers strong competition for the 2008 Olympic Games.