It seems there will be some review of their coaching and training practices:
Track leader not happy with U.S. relay debacle
By The Associated Press
Posted Friday, August 22, 2008 4:36 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- The leader of USA Track and Field said the federation will conduct a "comprehensive review" of the way it trains and coaches its relay teams after the men's and women's 4x100m relay teams each blew medal chances by dropping the baton in Olympic qualifying.
American men's and women's 4x100m relay teams drop the baton and do not advance to the finals. In his weekly blog on the USATF Web site, CEO Doug Logan said he has received a number of e-mails from fans saying the dropped batons in both relays Thursday were "reflective of a lack of preparation, lack of professionalism, and of leadership."
"I agree," Logan wrote Friday. "Dropping a baton isn't bad luck, it's bad execution. Responsibility for the relay debacle lies with many people and many groups, from administration to coaches to athletes. That's why, when these Games are completed, we will conduct a comprehensive review of all our programs."
Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay missed on the final exchange in the men's semifinal heat. Gay worked on exchanges with Patton in Beijing but was not present at the U.S. track team's training camp in Dalian, China, where two full practices were dedicated to baton passing.
Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams bobbled the last exchange in the women's race.
The men missed the final for the first time since 1988, and the second since 1912, and the women for the first time since 1948.
It means the U.S. will go 0-for-6 in Olympic sprint events -- 100, 200 or relay -- for the first time ever.
"We could win the gold medal in every single track and field event, but if we don't win a single thing in the sprints and relays, the public will view our performance as a disaster," Logan wrote. "When we drop the baton in back-to-back relay races, the public views our performance as a disaster."
Jim Scherr, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said the track and field program can't be judged by only one Olympics.
"I think you have to look at it in the totality of what they've been able to do over the quadrennium in world championships and world cups and the Games," he said.
The Americans headed into Friday night's action with 20 medals, nine more than the next team, Russia. But only four of the U.S. medals were gold.
"When the men's marathon concludes on Sunday, we'll still be the world's No. 1 team in terms of medal count," Logan said. "We can be a much better team. And we will be."
