The Track Minute Daily Report is available Monday through Friday with the top news and stories from the world of track and field. Listen to the Track Minute Daily Report on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and subscribe to the newsletter at https://trackminute.beehiiv.com/
Letsile Tebogo saves stranded drivers in Botswana floods
The Olympic 200m champion was filmed using his Toyota Land Cruiser to rescue motorists stranded in floodwaters in Gaborone. In a post to Facebook, a poster shared a video of Tebogo pulling a nearly submerged vehicle with the winch attached to his SUV while reversing through the waters. Recent and continuing heavy rains have led to significant flooding in Botswana’s capital, which has led to extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
Cole Hocker to race 5000m at BU DMR Challenge
At this evening’s BU Terrier DMR Challenge, Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker is set to compete in the 5000m alongside his SOVA teammate Cooper Teare. This will be just the seventh time in Hocker’s professional career that he has contested the distance, with the most recent coming at last year’s USATF Olympic Trials, and it will mark his first time doing so indoors. He has a personal best of 12:58.82 in the 5000m. Notably, Hocker nor Teare are listed on the entries for this weekend’s USATF Indoor Championships.
Sha’Carri Richardson announced for Pre Classic 100m
Sha’Carri Richardson will headline the 100 meters at the 50th Prefontaine Classic on July 5 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon’s campus. She returns as the defending champion in the event from last year’s meeting. Since her 2023 declaration, “I’m not back. I’m better,” Richardson has secured multiple medals, including gold in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the 2023 World Championships, and silver and gold in the 100m and 4x100m relay, respectively, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
TCL signs on as Olympic sponsor through 2032
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a long-term partnership with global technology company TCL, extending through 2032. This agreement designates TCL as the official Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner in the Home Audiovisual Equipment and Home Appliances category. TCL will support the IOC by providing advanced equipment and exploring the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the Olympic experience.
Two-thirds of casual fans prefer long jump take-off zone after two test meets
Following two test events in the past week and a half in Dusseldorf and Berlin, the new take-off zone for the long jump is showing positive results for casual viewers of track and field, with an equal and opposite reaction from more avid fans. Per a World Athletics report, “Spectator surveys showed an overall preference for the take-off zone in future competitions. The divide, however, was striking: more than two-thirds of casual fans favored the innovation, while those actively involved in the sport leaned just as strongly towards the traditional board.” Also in the report was a reduction in fouls, from a historical average of 32% to a significantly lesser 13% from the two meets.
Weekend Viewing
Friday:
- Simplot Games: 10:30am ET on RunnerSpace
- BU Terrier DMR Challenge: 6pm ET on FloTrack
Saturday:
- JDL Last Chance Invitational: 10am ET on RunnerSpace
- Simplot Games: 10:30am ET on RunnerSpace
Sunday:
- USATF Indoor Championships: 1pm ET on NBC / Peacock
A full listing of the weekend’s broadcasts and streams is available via the USTFCCCA
