GERMANY - Back on German soil again for the first time in nearly 10 years and it feels good. My level of excitement picked up considerably seeing the picturesque German villages from the air this morning. The distinctive red roofs on the houses, the compact and well-ordered towns - no sprawl in Germany - and the amazing green belts around the urban areas are the first things I noticed. On the down side, I had to pay eight Euros to get wireless service for an hour here in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel at the airport. I hope that is not the case in most places.

A few track tidbits as we approach the start of the World Championships in just three days. Jenn Stuczynski, the American record holder in the pole vault, is out with a bad Achilles. I can empathize! Hope hers heals faster than mine. Most of the other news has to do with the Jamaican team. Some of their sprinters are possibly going to be dropped from the team because they did not show up at a training camp required by the Jamaican officials. This group includes Asafa Powell and Shelley Ann Frazier but not Usain Bolt. There is also a report that five Jamaican sprinters tested positive for a banned substance. The names have been leaked and do not include any of their top athletes but may affect their short relay team (men's).

More from Weimar later today.