new track world record

While neither of us were hurdlers at Oberlin, we both were obsessive runners. The world record in the 110-meter hurdles has just been broken, by a man only 21 years old (and not the 2004 Olympic champion). It is the second short-distance event record to be broken in the last two weeks, setting the stage for a potentially exciting schedule of races at the Olympics in August. Kara Goucher, former NCAA 3000m, 5000m, and cross country champion, has already set the American half-marathon record (beating Paula Radcliffe's time!) and set a personal record in the mile this year. With so many young and new faces on the track and field scene, could we possibly overcome the doping scandals that have tarnished what little excitement there was for this sport in the U.S.?
The trials for the track and field events are scheduled for the end of June and beginning of July; as long as people are on their game for these races, it looks like the U.S. could really bring home some metal in track this year!

olympic official calls torch protests "crisis"

So, does that mean he doesn't consider the Tibetan people's situation or China's indifference to promoting human rights a crisis?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the Olympics, the love of competition, the spirit of athletic accomplishment, but the International Olympic Committee's fierce stance against protests that have been disrupting the torch relay that was made known in today's NY Times is quite ignorant.
Many people are trying to argue that the Olympics are neither the time nor place for politics and protests against human rights violations. Personally, this is a pretty overly simplified view of an event that brings together almost every nation in the world, while almost every nation in the world watches. What do we say to those who have no chance at participating in or watching said event due to atrocities going on in their country or region? That even though we are promoting unity through sport on a world level with the Olympic games, we actually don't want to hear your whining even if unity and sport are not accessible to you? Because calling protests on behalf of those suffering at the hands of China's government a "crisis", and thus an inhibitor to your so-called unity, pretty much tells these people that you only care about this unity when it doesn't interrupt your fun and games.
The Olympic games are a world forum, whether the IOC likes it or not. If we are going to promote the love of competition on a world level, we need to make sure the entire world is able to participate. Generally, this means people aren't dying, starving, or being oppressed first, because I'd imagine suffering in said situation makes it hard to train for a 10k.

Lastly, I can't help but point out the complete irony in this comment made by a Swiss IOC member. Denis Oswald is quoted as saying that those disrupting the relay “do not respect the freedom of people who want to enjoy it.”
Seriously? Seriously?? He's going to bring up respecting freedom??? First of all, where is the respect of Tibetan freedom? And last time I checked (at least in San Francisco's case), we have the freedom to protest...