The 100m champion is known as “the fastest man [or woman] in the world.” Yet the sport of track and field does not fascinate the everyday public in the same way as mainstream sports like basketball and football.
The Olympics, however, traditionally put the sport in the spotlight — pumping up track’s national profile.
“[The media] play it up,” said junior sprinter Jessica Weyman. “[Events] like distance, they can be a little boring. So they cut between that [and other events]. People who don’t even know [about track] have been watching.”