Injury and a sub-standard showing at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials looked like they had derailed Jeff Demps' Olympic dream for London. But an injury to another athlete is going to cost him his spot — and Demps has been selected to replace him.
Demps will be an injury replacement for Mike Rodgers, who suffered a stress fracture in his foot, on the U.S. track and field team in the 4 x 100 meters relay pool, U.S. Track and Field announced late Tuesday. The move puts another former Florida sprinter in the Olympics — Tony McQuay will run the 400 meters, and Kerron Clement the 400-meter hurdles — and the only one likely to run less than a lap in competition.
Demps burned a 10.27 at the Olympic Trials in June, only good for seventh in the final heat. But he's turned in times better than that before, and the U.S. needs all the help it can get against Jamaica's blazing fast squad, which won gold in Beijing with a world record time and reset the record at the 2011 World Championships.