dude Carl Lewis is ripping them a new one...
“In track and field, the individualized part of it, every agent is down there, every person is down there talking (to the coaches), they want their guys to run, they’re all saying we’ve got to run six guys so they can all get a medal. The last thing they’re thinking about is coming across the line for the United States. It’s back to the same thing, selfish.”
After the American debacle, two members of the U.S. team spoke with the media in the mixed zone, according to USA TODAY Sport’s Tom Schad. Asked how much practice they had for the event as a group before the race, Fred Kerley, the second leg, said, “Don’t know,” and Ronnie Baker, the third leg, added, “Not much.”
Lewis focused on Baker, who had to run the turn in the track between the 200- and 300-meter mark, in his comments to USA TODAY Sports.
“I’ve never seen Ronnie Baker run a turn in my life,” Lewis said. “Go back and watch the third leg, look at him, he looks like he’s running on ice because he’s never run a turn. He doesn’t run the (individual) 200, so why is he running a turn when he never runs a turn?”
Said Lewis: “We’ve been talking about this forever. The relay program has been a disaster for years because there’s no leadership and no system. When I said everything is wrong, it is. If you break it down, people were in the wrong legs, obviously they were not taught how to pass the baton in those legs. Just simple things like that. I watched it. I’m not blaming the athletes so much. This was leadership.”
When asked if he’s ready to take over the U.S. relay program, Lewis laughed loudly. But he was not laughing about what he witnessed from Tokyo on his TV at home.
“I’m so frustrated because I’m so passionate about those three letters, USA,” Lewis said. “That’s why. I love my country. I love winning. That’s what gets me. How can we let the United States down so much in an unacceptable way like that?”
Carl Lewis watched the 4x100m relay from his Houston home and couldn't contain his frustration. "It's so disheartening," he told USA TODAY Sports.
www.usatoday.com