Greer, relay runners added to U.S. Olympic team

Good call by USA Track and Field, adding eight-time U.S. javelin champion Breaux Greer to the Olympic team. Greer had achieved the Olympic A qualifying standard, but he was recovering from a shoulder injury at the time of the Olympic Trials. Anyone who watched his performance at the trials, and saw his pained expression as he strained for every ounce of energy, could see that Greer wasn’t 100 percent.

As a result, Greer didn’t reach the javelin final, which normally is a prerequisite for making the team, injury or no. But since just two Americans qualified during the javelin trials, USATF was permitted to add Greer to the team under a rule allowing for ``the selection of an injured athlete who competed in the Olympic trials but did not final ... as long as another athlete is not displaced from the team.''

Meanwhile, 12 runners were added to the U.S. relay pools, in addition to those who qualified for the Olympic team in individual running events. Angela Williams, Mechelle Lewis and LaShaunte'a Moore were added to the women’s 4 x 100 pool, while Monique Henderson, Natasha Hastings and Ebonie Floyd were added to the 4 x 400 team.

Travis Padgett, Rodney Martin and Leroy Dixon were added to the men's 4 x 100 pool while Reggie Witherspoon, Calvin Smith and Darold Williamson were added to the 4 x 400 squad.