Posted: July 18, 2007

Athletics: News & Notes, Volume 8, Number 65

Wariner, Tibbs win ESPY Awards Jeremy Wariner and Casey Tibbs were the recipients of ESPY Awards earlier this week presented to the Best Track & Field Athletes of the Year. The ESPYs recognize outstanding achievements and performances by athletes during the previous year and include 19 "Best in Sport" categories, which pit athletes from different sports against each other, along with 17 individual sport categories and two sponsored awards. In going undefeated on the U.S. and European circuit, Jeremy Wariner posted the fastest 400-meter time and 10 of the top 12 marks in the world in 2006, including 10 of the top 11 American times. Wariner completed a perfect run of the IAAF's Golden League series, winning a $249,999 share of the Golden League jackpot. His season's best time of 43.62 seconds at Rome on July 14 is the #7 all-time mark, making him the #4 all-time performer. Other nominees for the award were Sanya Richards, Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix. The first active duty member of the military to compete in a Paralympic Games, Casey Tibbs had a banner year in 2006. At the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships in Assen, The Netherlands, Tibbs clinched gold in the men's T44 (lower leg amputee) pentathlon with 4,248 points. The pentathlon consists of five events: long jump, shot put, 100m, discus and 400m. Tibbs also won silver in the men's T44 long jump with a leap of 6.12 meters/20 feet 1 inch. In addition to his athletic agenda, Tibbs, 26, is a Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, for which he has served since 1999. He currently works at the Naval Medical Center, mentoring amputees returning from the conflict in Iraq. He splits time between the Medical Center and the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center, where he is part of the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field Residence Program. For more information on the 2007 ESPY Awards, visit: ESPN.com. Michelsohn, Gatling set masters records Marie-Louise Michelsohn and Darnell Gatling set masters records recently in the W65 and M45 age-groups, respectively. Michelsohn of New York, N.Y., set a new W65 age-group world record in the 5,000 meters on July 7. Michelsohn crossed the finish line in 20 minutes 27.08 seconds at the Pride Track & Field Meet in San Francisco, which bettered the previous record of 20:42.4 set last year by Australia's Theresia Baird. Michelsohn's performance also bettered the previous U.S. record of 22:41.8 set in 1986 by Jaclyn Caselli. Darnell Gatling of New York established a new U.S. M45 masters record in the 400m hurdles Saturday at the USATF National Club Track & Field Championships at Icahn Stadium in New York. Gatling finished the race in 55.72 seconds, which betters the listed record time set by Jack Greenwood in 1972 of 55.7 seconds (hand time). Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest