David's going for it

Remember this guy?




By Brian Hedger
Hedgeradventures blogger dude

OK, those who've been reading the blog recently probably remember the one about my trip to California to write about a native NW Indiana Hoosier who's in the Olympics.

David Neville qualified Tuesday for Thursday's finals of his event, the men's 400 meters. He has the slowest qualifying time of the eight runners in the final, but he has also run the fourth-fastest time in the world this season in July, during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

So, he has the ability to stun the world.

To read my blog for the Post-Tribune, where I work as a sportswriter, just click the link to that blog we just added along the righthand side of the page.

He's got what most consider to be a poor lane assignment for the finals, lane 9, but David also had the farthest outside lane at the trials and led a good portion of that race before being caught by the two favorites, LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner.

Some runners are actually better out in lane 9 because there is no strategy to worry about. Just get out of the blocks and go all out the entire way.

David races for the gold (or silver or bronze or just for the health benefits) Thursday night in Beijing (which is 8:20 a.m CDT and 9:20 a.m. EDT). The race will not be televised live on NBC, but supposedly you can watch it live on the Web on NBCSports.com.

NBC will televise it on tape delay later on in prime time.

Also, no matter what happens Thursday, Neville will then team up with Wariner, Merritt and another U.S. runner to go for the gold this weekend in the men's 4 x 400 meter relay.

I shouldn't mention this, because Lisa thinks it's a jinx, but the U.S. has won the gold in the 4 x 400 in every Olympics since 1984.

Also ... you don't have to be from NW Indiana to pull for David this week. I meet very few people in my line of work whom I truly believe are telling me the 100 percent truth when it comes to their faith, beliefs etc., but David Neville is one I do believe.

He's a minister, and directs the youth ministry at his church out in California. He and his wife live a Christian life, from the little of it I was privvy to see. And, most importantly from a sports aspect, if there's any track and field athlete who is NOT USING STEROIDS, it's David Neville.

You can believe in this guy, which is nice. I could be wrong, who knows really? But honestly, I just don't think his conscience would allow him to do it.

He's exactly the kind of guy that track and field needs to come to the fore and become a known entity both here and internationally.

Good Luck, David.