Ten Stories To Watch

With trips to Beijing at stake, a beleaguered sport comes home this week to Eugene, a.k.a. Track Town, U.S.A., where adoring fans will be wrapped up in these and other events

TANGLED WEBB
U.S. mile record holder Alan Webb is struggling. Can he find his stride in Eugene, where he famously broke Jim Ryun's high school mile mark in 2001?

POLE VAULTERS
Brad Walker and Jen Stuczynski (above) are soaring—and within hailing distance of the world records held by Sergey Bubka and Yelena Isinbaeva.

WOMEN'S 100
Olympic and World Championship silver medalist Lauryn Williams thrives at big meets, but nine U.S. women have run faster in '08. Who gets left home?

QUARTER MASTER
Olympic 400 champ Jeremy Wariner (above) has a new coach and a young pursuer, LaShawn Merritt, as he chases the world record held by Michael Johnson.

SHOT SHOOTOUT
Showman and two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson (above), who made the shot put cool, will duel with Christian Cantwell and Reese Hoffa.

MEN'S 200
World champ Tyson Gay (above) has enough on his mind with Usain Bolt's emergence. But here he'll have to fend off Wallace Spearmon and a slew of others.

WOMEN'S 10,000
Shalane Flanagan (above) set the U.S. record in May in her 10K debut; Kara Goucher won bronze at the '07 worlds. The U.S. has never been this good.

NEW FACES
Nebraska senior Dusty Jonas has high-jumped a world-leading 7'8 3/4". Women's 1,500 fave Shannon Rowbury (above) has cut 11 seconds off her PR this year.

A LOT OF LAGAT
Running for the U.S. for the first time, ex-Kenyan Bernard Lagat won the 1,500 and 5,000 at the '07 worlds. Now he wants a shot at the Olympic double.