With that being said, I guess you can consider Sogelau Tuvalu of American Samoa to be that “next biggest thing,” both figuratively and literally.

After failing to qualify for the shot put event at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, Tuvalu entered the 100-meter sprint competition, but didn’t fair much better.  In his first, and only, heat, the 17-year-old cl0cked in at a time of 15.66 seconds, easily good enough for last place.  However, after watching him struggle through the opening 20 meters, I am actually surprised he was able to reach the finish line before they cleared the stadium and turned the lights out.

Here is a look at Tuvalu’s performance.

Hat Tip – [Yahoo!]

Playing in a relegation match-up against Kazakhstan (seems like quite the epic battle, doesn’t it?) at the IIHF World Championships, France’s Yorick Treille went crashing into the end-boards feet first, causing his ankle to bend in a rather uncomfortable fashion.  Treille was taken off the ice on a stretcher and driven to a nearby hospital.

I would say that maybe the French should stick to soccer, but apparently leg breaks of this type are even more common on the pitch than they are on the ice.

Hat Tip – [Hockey or Die]

Unfortunately, the 19-year-old Colombian may have heard “land on your head” rather than “stand on your head.”  She would end up doing the first, and that would prove costly not only to her gold medal chances, but to the stability of her neck as well.

Moments into her floor routine, Jessica attempted to cap off a tumbling sequence with a challenging double front somersault, but that double quickly turned into a single-and-a-half, causing her to land on her head and out of the competition.  Laying curled up at the corner of the mat, her coaches and the paramedics rushed to check up on Jessica.  She would leave the O2 arena strapped on to a stretcher wearing a neck brace, but reports from the hospital indicated that the injury suffered was not too serious.

We have seen similar landings occur in football following a hit, but the sexy uniforms worn by gymnasts just don’t seem to provide the same type of protection as a helmet tends to offer.

Injury to Jessica Gil Ortiz dampens celebrations over Beth Tweddle’s gold – [Guardian]

Although he did not win by the same margin as female 800-meter world champion Caster Semenya, he was able to cruise to victory over the final 20 meters, even taking a moment to look up at the stadium clock.  It was an amazing display put on by the world’s fastest man.

With each race he runs, Bolt continues to cement his legacy as perhaps the greatest sprinter to ever grace a race track.  He not only defeats his opponents, but he does so with ease in both the 100 and 200 meter distances.  The Olympics are three years away, but if Bolt and American Swimmer Michael Phelps can keep their form, we may be in for another set of outstanding record-breaking performances in London for the 2012 games.

Here is a clip of Bolt’s amazing 200-meter run.

Hat Tip – [Guardian]

Total Pro Sports – Call him a Cheetah, call him a Gazelle, or just call him the one and only Usain Bolt.  This freak of nature out of Jamaica’s career has been one that would be read in a fictional novel, comparable to Michael Phelps in swimming.

Today in Berlin at The World Championships Usain Bolt proved again why he is the world’s fastest human, running the 100-meter dash in a world record time of 9.58 seconds.  Bolt smashed the competition and his previous world record by a mind boggling .11 seconds.  Coming second was Tyson Gay (USA) in 9.71 seconds, and third was fellow countrymen Asafa Powell in 9.84 seconds.

After the race both Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell were interviewed. “Awesome,” Powell said. “I put everything into it. But I came in second,” Gay said. “I can definitely run faster.” [ESPN]

Words can not describe the talent of Usain Bolt, I don’t think we will ever see another sprinter come close in defeating him as long as he is running.

I am and always will be more grateful than any of you could ever possibly know.

I want to offer two special thank you’s.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for granting me the ability to step between the lines for 23 years and compete against the best  players in the world.

To my wife Shonda and my four children, Gehrig, Gabriella, Grant and Garrison for sacrificing their lives and allowing baseball to be mine while I played. Without their  unquestioned support I would not have been able to do what I did, or enjoy the life, and I am hopefully going to live long enough to repay them as much as a Father and Husband can. [38 Pitches]

Thank you for the memories Curt you will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history.  All the best during you retirement.