Luzern Wrap: Uceny, Carter and Dix Shine

The results from this Sunday's meet in Luzern are unlikely to lead Sportscenter, nonetheless, there were a few eye-opening results that bear mentioning.
The men's 100m marked the return of early-season headliner, American Walter Dix, in a duel against the overshadowed but consistent sub 10 threat, Jamaican Nesta Carter. Carter emerged with the victory in 9.86 over Dix's 9.88 in a close battle, but both will be happy as a cooperative wind (+1.0 mps) rewarded both with personal bests. It is nice to see that Dix, who withdrew from a matchup with Gay due to "financial difficulties", is still fit this season after his excellent 19.72 200m at the Prefontaine classic. As for Carter, he ran .11 faster than his countryman Usain Bolt did in his ballyhooed matchup versus Tyson Gay.

Someone you might have missed: It was nice to see former high school phenom and Arkansas Razorback, J-Mee Samuels, run 10.03 for a new personal best. Samuels had the high school record (10.08 I believe) for the event before NCAA Champion Jeffrey Demps took it down. At Arkansas and beyond, Samuels has struggled to live up to that exemplary high school performance, which it should be noted was an outlying performance for him at the time. It is always pleasant to see a talented guy who's stuck with it through some hard years reap some reward. Certainly, disgraced champion Justin Gatlin will receive a lot more press, but this is a comeback I personally prefer much to that.

The standout performer of the women's 800m was American Morgan Uceny.

Uceny garnered some praise in this week's cooldown for her progress into a consistent 4:02 performer, and in this meet she took a hefty chunk off her PR to run a solid 1:58.67. After watching Uceny's Workout Wednesday on Flotrack.org, I can't say I'm too surprised that she ran this. With her combination of speed (if I recall, a 54.1 400 in that flotrack-documented practice) and strength, it was only a matter of getting the right opportunity to have a clean run at it. Uceny, who was perhaps an afterthought to begin the season, now has nearly as strong 800/1500 credentials as her more-heralded countrywomen Anna Pierce, Shannon Rowbury, and Christin Wurth-Thomas. Given her steady improvements and the type of closing abilities she showed in Stockholm, she is one to watch if she can make a 1500 final at a global championship. Interestingly enough, as a pro she began as primarily an 800 runner, but she broke through this season first with some stellar 1500s. Her recent sub 2 performance, and now 1:58.67 followed for what is now yet another promising female American middle distance runner.

Just behind Uceny, Jamaican Kenia Sinclair and Briton Jemma Simpson came in with solid times of 1:58.78 and 1:59.34. My favorite subplot of the London 2012 Olympics is the British fascination with and love of middle-distance racing. I think there will be tremendous pressure on the British athletes to perform there, and the ones with the greatest chances of medals are on the female side in Jenny Meadows and Simpson.

Someone you might have missed: Last year's revelation Maggie Vessey continued her season of ups and downs with a down of 2:02.18 for 6'th. Vessey's strategy of going out at the back appears to be the only thing consistent in her runs. Over the past two years, some days she looks like a force as she comes through with a 400 meter splits of something like 59 and then another 59 and passes everyone with ease. Other times, she looks perfectly mediocre with splits of something like a 60 first lap followed by a 61. It's hard to explain, and I guess the only hope is she can discover some consistency in her performance before the next major world championships. Right now, in a one-off race she is much more dangerous than in the world championships format that punishes her for an off race.

Elsewhere in the men's 200m, American Wallace Spearmon won easily in 20.18 with a still wind. Spearmon is a fun athlete on the circuit, if only for his entertaining interviews and goofy partner-in-crime relationship with Usain Bolt. He is, however, exceedingly frustrating to watch race as he runs the closest thing to a "sit-and-kick" strategy there is for a 200m sprinter. [When distance runners tell me their strategy is to run all out the whole way for an 800 I scoff, for a 200 I could see this.] I think with Bolt and Gay in his event, his only chance of a medal is running someone down for the bronze. With Dix, Richard Thompson, Churandy Martina, and emerging Great White Hope Christophe Lemaitre this will not be easy. However, if he finds himself within spitting distance of the third-place runner at 100m to go, I'm not betting against him.

Last thing I'll highlight is David Torrence's victory in the 3000m. Though the time of 7:54.6 is pretty much meaningless on the world stage, in the frame of an already-impressive campaign, Torrence's improvements on both sides of his 1500 are noteworthy. More important than the time was his victory over 8:15ish ST/13:25ish 5K runner Dan Huling. I'm dubious on whether Torrence will ever become a factor on the international stage or make a major American team, but he's continually improved after a mostly unremarkable college career. There's something to be said for that.