Latest news with #relays
Forbes
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Wallace Spearmon Talks About His New Role With USATF, And Shaping The Future Of U.S. Relays
US' Courtney Lindsey reacts after competing in the men's 4x100m relay heat of the athletics event at ... More the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 8, 2024. (Photo by Martin BERNETTI / AFP) (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images) Wallace Spearmon has always been interested in the science behind performance. In 2011, less than a year removed from one of his best efforts on the track when he ran 200 meters in 19.79 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League, he was called upon by the television show MythBusters to determine whether a human could walk on water. 'Wallace, how far do you think you're going to get?' the show's host, Jamie Hyneman, said. 'I'm hoping for three steps,' Spearmon replied. The Chicago native sped down the sloped dirt path and proceeded to land directly in the water, ending that experiment's hopes. But 14 years later, maybe Spearmon has some tricks up his sleeve. As the General Manager of International Teams, Athletes, and Coaches Services for USA Track and Field (USATF), he's earned an opportunity to shape the direction of the U.S.'s hopes in the relays and says he intends to lean on data science to help promote future success at the national level. His appointment in February was part of a major restructuring of USATF's High Performance Department, which also saw Robert Chapman become its Chief of High Performance Operations and Tyler Noble as its Lead Sports Science & Data Analyst. In total, the USATF made a swift culture change – while at the same time laying off high-ranking employees, according to a report by LetsRun. In the aftermath of that organizational change, the USATF also moved on from relay coaches Mechelle Freeman, who coached the women's 4x100 team to Olympic gold in 2024 and World Championship wins in 2022 and 2023, and Mike Marsh, who were operating on contracts which ended after the 2024 year. Marsh's men won gold in 2023 at the World Championships, but were disqualified at the Paris Olympics following a head-scratching hand-off in the zone. Daryl Woodson, an assistant during the Paris Olympics, was hired in March to take over as head coach of the division. The American men haven't run faster than 37.40 in the 4x100 since 1992, while the U.S. women hold the world record of 40.82, though that time was last broken in 2012. Spearmon, 40, revealed to me that there's a grand vision in place. 'I'm actually really excited about this,' he said. 'Tyler Noble, he has some programs that can motion-capture stride length, stride frequency, gait – they can almost project injuries. And he's at every relay practice.' An Important Time For Change With USATF EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 06: Athletes compete in the Women's 10,000m Final during the 2023 USATF ... More Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on July 06, 2023 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) This moment is particularly important for Spearmon, who became a world champion in 2007 as a member of the U.S. men's 4x100 team and reached both the Beijing and London Olympics in the mid aughts. His most gut-wrenching setback, however, came when he was not selected to be a part of the men's 4x100 lineup in 2008. And in fact, failure in the relays has been an ongoing sore subject for Team USA. The American men's 4x100 team has not won gold since 2000, enduring a drought of six straight Olympic cycles. This bothers Spearmon, because the U.S. men have won three Olympic golds at the men's 100 meters since 2000 and won the last four golds at the World Championships. It's not an issue of talent. 'I believe we have the best athletes in the world,' Spearmon said. The most important piece to the puzzle, Spearmon contends, is an overarching, consistent vision of the team's objectives and its strategy. He confirmed to me that flaws in communication were an issue in previous cycles. Prior to Spearmon's appointment, the USATF pivoted from a model of hiring relay coaches who were, more or less, volunteers or contractors, to a more precise and long-term outlook decided upon by USATF. Woodson's hire reflects that vision, he said. What also elevated that strategy was a directive by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which issued a $6.2 million dollar grant to the governing body and advised for a more centralized model of hiring. Florida track coach Mike Holloway, who is on the executive committee of the USATF High Performance Division, told LetsRun that he felt that Freeman and Marsh, who do not coach college or professional athletes, were more akin to 'relay coordinators' than coaches of the program. Spearmon said shoring up communication issues within the relay pool is one of his main priorities. 'As an athlete, if you're given at the beginning of the year a certain direction, you can train for that. You can make sure you're ready for it,' he said. 'But when you don't receive any information until you make the team, that's too late. So we've addressed that by hiring a relay coach who applies consistent concepts from the youth level all the way up to our senior teams.' But this also applies for athletes who aren't ultimately selected for teams. Notably, U.S. 400 meter runner Kendall Ellis expressed frustration in Paris when she was not selected to run in the Olympic final. 'If we win and people are feeling negative about the experience, then that's something I would like to address,' Spearmon said. 'I feel like it's our job to provide you with information. It is not our job to ensure you like that (information), but it is our job to make sure you have it.' Hiring Woodson was the first step, Spearmon said. Next were key hires like Jeremy Wariner, the Olympic 400 meter champion in 2004 and a three-time gold medalist; Kyra Jefferson, a 3-time NCAA champion; and Taylor Washington, an Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400 in Rio in 2016. All three are assistants under Woodson. If not more important are the relationships USATF's new coaches forge with the likes of Lance Baumann, Mike Holloway and Tonja Buford-Bailey—three coaching veterans whose technical acumen lead the likes of Noah Lyles, Grant Holloway and Gabby Thomas, among others. Can a collaborative vision coincide with U.S. success ahead of Los Angeles 2028? Spearmon said he got his first glimpse of his new standard in March at the Texas Relays. The 4x100 foursome of Tamari Davis, Thomas, Jenna Prandini and Anavia Battle ran a time of 41.74, which was four-hundredths of a second faster than the U.S. women's winning time from Paris. 'This is the most prepared we've ever been,' Spearmon said of USATF's relay strategy. 'We have some big goals and I would say we have some big expectations for LA28. I think we'll be able to achieve those.' What's Next For Wallace Spearmon's Vision On The Track With USATF BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 26: Noah Lyles of Team United States reacts after winning the Men's ... More 4x100m Relay Final during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 26, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by) Spearmon will get answers for all of his questions soon enough. And he says his experience will have prepared him for it. From his time as the USATF Athlete Commission's Chair, to his tenure as an Associate Director of Athlete Services, which saw him work through governance and advocacy for athletes, his influence has grown and shaped around the changing dynamics of the sport itself. Spearmon has even coached at the international level, from the under-20 ranks all the way up to the senior team. From 2017-2019, he was an assistant relay coach and in 2021 became the team's lead when Orin Richburg could not attend the Tokyo Olympics, per LetsRun. Identifying objectives and meeting core expectations will be a subject shared between Spearmon and the staff that reports up to him. 'What I felt like as an athlete was completely different then what I felt as a coach,' Spearmon said. 'So in this administration role, I believe it's going to be different then either one of those previous experiences. 'It's my job to make sure that our relay coach operates within a certain scope and does the best job he can do,' he continued.
The Verge
25-06-2025
- The Verge
These teensy multi-protocol relays work with every platform.
All the smart home news, reviews, and gadgets you need to know about See all Stories Posted Jun 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM UTC These teensy multi-protocol relays work with every platform. Shelly's Gen4 relays start at $18 and can automate anything that's wired, from light switches and garage door openers to sprinkler systems and appliances. Designed to fit inside electrical boxes, relays are a super versatile solution for the smart home. Shelly's new line is now available in the U.S., and all the models offer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Matter (over Wi-Fi), so they'll work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and more.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Olympians vie for Worlds qualification
The world's best sprinters head to China this weekend to compete for titles and qualification places for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this can watch the action on the BBC as Guangzhou hosts the seventh edition of the World Athletics Relays. The mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relay events are set to make their global debut in Guangzhou, while athletes will compete in a total of six events, including the women's 4x100m and 4x400m relay and the men's 4x100m and 4x400m relay. World track stars to look out for Olympic legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Wayde van Niekerk, Letsile Tebogo and Shericka Jackson will join 730 athletes from 43 countries in men's 4x100m gold-medal winning squad from Paris 2024 remains unchanged, led by the country's joint-most decorated Olympian Andre de Grasse. He and his team-mates will be battling for their nation's first World Relays title after finishing second to the United States last year. The USA squad includes Kenny Bednarek and fellow world medallist Erriyon Knighton. Great Britain will be counting on 60m world indoor champion Jeremiah Azu and Olympian Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake among their 30-strong team. World Championships qualification up for grabs Qualification places for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo are available on both days of action in Guangzhou. The top 14 teams in each of the men's and women's 4x100m and 4x400m, as well as the 4x400m relay, will secure their place for September. The two remaining spots in each event will be determined by the World Athletics 'top list', which is the global governing body's points-based system of ranking Saturday, the top two teams in each of the four heats will progress to the final, while securing their qualification for the Worlds. The remaining teams will compete on Sunday in the repechage round, with qualifying spots for the top two in each of the three heats - a system introduced at last year's World Relays in the Bahamas. World Athletics Relays schedule and BBC coverage Live coverage of all the action, including the finals of each event, will be available on iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app from 11:50 BST on Saturday, 10 May and from 11:55 BST on Sunday, 11 May. Saturday, 10 MayMixed 4x100m relay heatsMixed 4x400m relay round oneWomen's 4x100m relay round oneMen's 4x100m relay round oneWomen's 4x400m relay round oneMen's 4x400m relay round oneSunday, 11 May Mixed 4x100m relay finalMixed 4x400m relay round twoWomen's 4x400m relay round twoMen's 4x400m relay round twoWomen's 4x100m relay round twoMen's 4x100m relay round twoMixed 4x400m relay finalWomen's 4x100m relay finalMen's 4x100m relay finalWomen's 4x400m relay finalMen's 4x400m relay final
