Tyson Talks

Well, here I am two days after the Beijing Olympics 100m. I wish things went better for me and wish I could explain what exactly went wrong. Now that I don't have the race to prepare for, I have a lot of time to think about the last 6 weeks and how much of a challenge I had to get healthy and ready since the Trials. If I had just one more week, I wonder what would have happened. But as I said on Saturday after the semi-finals, I don't want to list excuses. All athletes have to deal with the ups of downs of sports...I just wish I could have taken home a 100m medal for myself, my family and my country. The good news is that I hope I still have a chance to team up with my teammates in Beijing and bring home a medal in the 4 x 100m relay. This won't be easy but that is what I am focusing on now.

I will write more after the competition ends here in Beijing. For now, I want to say thank you to all of you who have written to me on my blog. I am still very disappointed but it helps to hear how people are following me here at the Games.

Congratulations to Usain Bolt, Richard Thompson and Walter Dix on a great final and winning their medals.

Tyson

Not much more for me to say right now but I did want to write one more time before the rounds start in the 100m on Friday. For those who are wondering, I am ready, I am excited and I am looking forward to RACING. The media wants to know who is the favorite or who has the edge but this is the Olympics and I believe everyone will be at their best. The medalists are going to be the guys who handle the rounds the best… Physically AND Mentally.

Thank you to everyone for their support in getting me this far.

Wish me luck.
Tyson

A lot of rain here in Beijing today but that hasn't made the Games any less special so far. This is my first Olympic Games and I want to try and experience as much as I can without forgetting why I am here. I arrived in China less than a week ago but have adjusted to the time and the ways things happen here already.

Off the track, the highlight for me so far has been the Opening Ceremony. I wasn't sure whether I should should go to them. Of course, I want to get rest and do all that I can to make sure I race well but I didn't want to miss the Opening because you never know if you will get another chance. Man...I made the right decision. It was one of the best times I've had in my life. I met a lot of athletes and coaches from many teams…not just the USA. Team USA Basketball guys were all cool. Some even wanted to have their photo taken with me. I had lots of family and friends sending me text messages during the Ceremony so I tried to give them all the details of the good time I was having. Walking into the stadium was something I won't ever forget. I went to the USA vs China men's basketball game tonight. Probably the last chance I will have to go and watch any competitions before I race. Team USA had some exciting plays and won, but I won't count out Yao and the rest of the Chinese team yet.

My training is going great. One of my last hard track workouts was today and even though the track was wet and weather not that good, it was just what I wanted. The High Performance Center that the USOC has created for American athletes is amazing. It has anything me and the rest of the American athletes need. Track facilities, weight room, physios, food, TV, internet and even video games to help pass the time and relax and have fun.

Congrats to Michael Phelps and the rest of Team USA on the medals we've won so far. Soon, it will be the track team's turn to make it happen.

Later.

Tyson

Hello from Munich.

I've been here since I left from the USA on July 10th. I've been in Germany so long I think I am starting to speak like the local people. Imagine me, a country boy from Kentucky with a German accent!

The city is nice...but believe me, I haven't had much time to do anything but train...sleep, rehab...sleep, weight room...more sleep. A little (ok a lot) of text messaging in there and a trip or two to my favorite restaurant. I am real pleased with the progress I've made in healing from my hamstring strain in Eugene. It was slow at first but in the last week or so especially, I've started to feel very good. I noticed the headlines of a newspaper this weekend when I had to cancel from the Aviva London Grand Prix. It said my Beijing participation was "questionable." I want everyone to know though, I do plan to go to Beijing and every minute of each day I prepare for this big chance to represent my country at the world's biggest competition. I am sorry I could not race in London, I really wanted to but just was not ready yet. I just didn't want to risk hurting my China preparations. I hope everyone understands and I do want to be back there in London next year.

I am excited and nervous at the same time for Beijing. There are a bunch of athletes who will be challenging for a medal in the 100m. I know they will all be ready. I am disappointed I won't be competing in the 200m...but I believe God has a plan for everything. Now I can focus all my efforts on the 100m and, hopefully the 4 x 100m relay with the rest of Team USA. I won't arrive in China for around another week so back to training for now.

Thanks for all the emails of good luck.
Tyson

Now that the US Trials are over, I figure it is about time to write on here and talk a little about the last 10 months and my goals of making it to Beijing.

I have not written anything on here since right after last year's World Champs in Osaka because I wanted to let me legs do the talkin' before my website did.

Since last August, I spent every day thinking about the Olympics and what I need to do to be ready this summer. It hasn't been easy…in fact it has been a real challenge. I've trained harder on the track, spent more time in the weight room and more effort on little things like my diet and recovering than I have ever before. I've spent more time away from my family and friends than ever before so I could surround myself with the right coaches, physios and training facilities. Has it been worth it? All I can say, it sure felt like it last week after the 100m in Eugene.

Despite this minor hamstring problem I had in the 200 at the Trials, I am real pleased with my result in the 100m and the chance I am getting to go to Beijing as part of the 2008 Olympic team. I've said to myself and others all along, the Olympics are the one place and the one year where athletes everywhere step up their game and run faster than ever before. I know that on August 15th, I will need to be ready to take on the world. For me, Beijing will not be about running fast times. It will be about trying to compete hard and win gold. If I do that, fast times will come.

Thanks to all of you who keep writing me with kind words. I appreciate it a lot and hope to hear from you again.

Tyson