It's trials by fire

Tyson Gay was the toast of track and field last year, winning the 100 and 200 meters at the world championships and earning the sport's male athlete of the year honors.

Allyson Felix blitzed the field in the 200 at worlds and left with two other gold medals in relays. Bernard Lagat became the first man in world championship history to win 1,500 and 5,000 titles.

If these athletes ran for China, Russia or most other countries, their tickets to the Beijing Olympics in August already would be punched.

But in the USA, athletes have to survive the Olympic track and field trials beginning Friday in Eugene, Ore. The meet is an exercise in democracy.

In the U.S. selection process, there's no difference among Gay, Felix and Lagat and Trindon Holliday (100), Marshevet Hooker (100, 200) and Leonel Manzano (1,500), promising athletes who have never won medals ...