Sport: One Foot on the Ground

For Olympic hopefuls, the big push was just beginning. Final tryouts in 134 events —from bicycling to canoeing—will be run off before the S.S. America sails next month for London with its cargo of 375 U.S. athletes.

At New York City's Van Cortlandt Park this week, a serious-faced group of aspirants—with bare legs and a sprinkling of bald heads—lined up for the big tryout in the 10,000-meter walking race. At the start, a few irreverent spectators began to snicker. The walkers, strutting along with exaggerated hip-wiggles, took no notice. They are used to...