Track & Field Blog

Day 4 (June 30): Highlighting Monday’s action at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Kenyan native and naturalized U.S. citizen Bernard Lagat looked extremely pleased to wave the U.S. flag after winning the 5000-meter final in 13:27.47. No doubt he’ll look even happier if he can do so in Beijing. He’ll have his chance in the Olympic 5000, and possibly the 1500 as well. Lagat’s strong finishing kick Monday propelled him past second-place Matt Tegenkamp (13:29.68). Ian Dobson also qualified, placing third (13:29.76). Lagat will run in the 1500 Trials, which conclude this Sunday. He’ll attempt to duplicate his 2007 World Championship feat when he earned gold medals in both the 1500 and 5000.

Kara Patterson won the javelin competition with a third-round toss measuring 58.44 meters (191 feet, nine inches) Monday. She’ll be joined in Beijing by Kim Kreiner, who overcame recent Tommy John surgery and placed fourth with her only legal throw (55.9). The second- and third-place finishers, Dana Pounds (57.83) and Rachel Yurkovich (56.41), respectively, have not reached the Olympic “A” qualifying standard of 198 feet, 6 inches, while Patterson and Kreiner have.

Another fourth-place finisher, Nicole Teter, qualified for Beijing in the women’s 800 meters Monday. Hazel Clark-Riley won the race in 1:59.82 while Alice Schmidt took second (2:00.46). Third-place finisher Kameisha Bennett (2:01.20) hasn’t met the “A” standard of 2 minutes, permitting Teter, who finished in 2:01.30 Sunday, to make the team courtesy of a qualifying time in an earlier event. Teter and Bennett had been slowed by a collision in Saturday’s semifinal, but race officials advanced them to Monday’s 12-runner final.

The home fans had plenty to cheer about during the men’s 800-meter final, as Nick Symmonds, from Eugene’s Willamette University, won the race with a strong kick to finish in 1:44.10. Andrew Wheating, from the University of Oregon, was second (1:45.03) while Christian Smith of the Oregon Track Club also qualified for Beijing with a third place finish (1:45.47).

As the decathlon competition closed with the 1500-meter run Monday, the only drama was whether or not 2004 Olympic silver medalist Bryan Clay would break Dan O’Brien’s U.S. record of 8891 points. He didn’t, but Clay scored a personal best 8832 to win the event. Runner-up Trey Hardee also scored a personal best (8533) to edge Tom Pappas (8511) for second. The three athletes took turns atop the standings during Sunday’s five events, then pulled away from the pack on Monday.

Day 3 (June 29): It’s not surprising that Tyson Gay was the big story of the men’s 100-meter event during Sunday’s U.S. Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. The surprise was the reason Gay was the big story. The defending World Champion in both the 100 and 200 had an adventure in almost every race on his way to a berth on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. During Saturday’s preliminary heat Gay pulled up too early, trying to conserve energy, and had to shift back into high gear to grab the fourth and final automatic qualifying spot for the quarterfinal. Gay then took no chances in the quarterfinal later that day, blazing to a U.S. record 9.77 clocking, breaking Maurice Green’s former mark of 9.79. On Sunday, Gay finished in 9.85 in his semifinal before running the fastest 100 meters in world history to win the final in 9.68 seconds. The time won’t be a recognized world record because he was aided by a 4.1-meters per second wind (a bit more than nine miles per hour). First-time Olympians Walter Dix and Darvis Patton also qualified for Beijing in the 100.

Only two women will represent the U.S. in the triple jump. Favorite Shani Marks won her third consecutive U.S. title with a personal best leap of 14.38 meters (47 feet, 2.25 inches) on her second legal jump of the final, in the third round. Shakeema Welsch was second (a wind-aided 14.27) but she hasn’t matched the Olympic “A” qualifying standard of 14.20 without the aid of wind. The wind during her best jump Sunday measured 3.5 meters per second. Erica McClain, who’d previously beaten the Olympic “A” standard, was third (13.96) and also made the team.

Seniority ruled in the men’s pole vault where favorite Brad Walker made the team with a third place finish (5.65 meters) but saw 35-year-old Derek Miles win (5.91) and 40-year-old Jeff Hartwig place second (5.7). After clearing 5.65, Walker, who recently broke Hartwig’s U.S. record, missed once at 5.7, passed for five consecutive rounds, then missed twice at 5.8. Hartwig cleared 5.7 on his third attempt. Miles missed his first attempt of the final, at 5.5, then reached 5.8 with only one additional miss. Hartwig, who’ll compete in his second Olympics, is the oldest pole vaulter to make a U.S. Olympic squad.

Aretha Thurmond and Suzy Powel-Roos both earned their third Olympic bids in the women’s discus. Thurmond’s second-round toss measured 65.2 meters (213 feet, 11 inches) to give Thurmond her fourth U.S. title. Powell-Ross was second (62.92) courtesy of her final throw, which moved her past Stephanie Brown Trafton (62.65). Brown Trafton will compete in her third Olympics.

Trevell Quinley was a surprise winner in the long jump while Dwight Phillips was a surprise fourth-place finisher. Quinley’s final jump of 8.36 meters (27 feet, 5.25 inches) moved him from third to first, ahead of Brian Johnson (8.30). Miguel Pate took third (8.22) while 2004 Olympic gold medalist Phillips was fourth (8.20). Quinley overcame recent injuries, including a hernia and a groin pull, to win his first American outdoor championship. He won U.S. indoors this year.

Tiffany Ross-Williams had the fastest 400 hurdles time in the world in 2007 (53.28 seconds). Lashinda Demus had the world’s fastest time in the first half of 2008 (53.99). but only Ross-Williams earned an Olympic berth Sunday. She won the 400 in 54.03, beating Queen Harrison (54.60), Sheena Tosta (54.62) and Demus (54.76), who faded down the stretch. Williams won all her heats to take her second consecutive U.S. title.

Bershawn Jackson beat two champions to win the 400-meter hurdles event, in 48.17 seconds. Defending World Champ Kerron Clement was second (48.36) while 2000 Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor took the third and final Olympic qualifying berth (48.42). Jackson has also been a champion. He ran second in the U.S. Outdoors in 2003 but was declared the winner when Eric Thomas failed a drug test. But Jackson, who placed second in both the 2005-06 U.S. Championships, said after Sunday’s race that he considered this his first time “winning” the title. He trailed Clement and Taylor early but gained the lead at the ninth of the ten hurdles.

Day 1 (June 27): Shalane Flanagan took first and Kara Goucher second in the women’s 10,000-meter final at Friday’s U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. but Amy Yoder Begley was just as big a winner with her dramatic third place finish. All three women qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in Friday’s lone final.

Flanagan and Goucher had already achieved the Olympic “A” qualifying standard of 31:45 during the past year, so their finishes guaranteed them both a trip to Beijing. But Begley entered the event with a personal best of 31:59.46, so she not only needed to finish in the top three, but also needed to beat the qualifying standard in order to make the Olympic team. She succeeded by just 1.4 seconds, sprinting to the line to finish in 31:43.60.

Flanagan – the American 10,000-meter record-holder – and Goucher ran with the leaders for the entire race, with Flanagan finally pulling away during the last lap to win in 31:34.81. Goucher – the bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships – finished in 31:37.72.

Day 2 (June 28): Nine athletes qualified for the U.S. team during Saturday’s Trials competition, but they had to share the spotlight with one runner who didn’t – at least not yet – as Tyson Gay set an American record of 9.77 seconds in a 100-meter quarterfinal. He broke Maurice Green’s U.S. record of 9.79, set in 1999.

Gay’s accomplishment, while impressive, only assured him of a place in the semifinal round. Muna Lee, meanwhile, clinched a trip to Beijing when she topped a strong field to win the women’s 100-meter final in 10.85 seconds. Torri Edwards gained second with Lauryn Williams third, with both being clocked in 10.90 to gain spots on the team. Allyson Felix, who had hopes of competing in four events in Beijing, was fifth in 10.96. Edwards had the fastest 100 time during the Trials, winning her semifinal heat in 10.78.

The men’s shot put final also boasted an exceptional field. Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell both saved their best efforts for last to finish one-two, followed by a foul-plagued Adam Nelson in the third and final Olympic qualifying spot. Hoffa’s sixth-round toss of 22.10 meters (72-feet, 6.25-inches) gave the defending World Outdoor champ the victory, while Cantwell, the two-time World Indoor Champion, assured himself of second with a 21.71-meter (71-2.75) effort in the sixth round. Nelson, who owns two Olympic silver medals, had only two legal efforts Saturday, but he held onto third when his 20.89-meter toss in the fourth round edged Dan Taylor’s 20.80 first round attempt.

Hyleas Fountain led from start to finish to win the heptathlon championship with 6667 points, the world’s highest heptathlon score of 2008. Jacquelyn Johnson (6347) and Diana Pickler (6257) also recorded personal bests to qualify for Beijing. Pickler entered the final event, the 800-meter run, with a 20-point lead over Virginia Johnson for third place. Pickler ran with Johnson all the way in the 800, finishing seven-tenths of a second behind her to conclude the heptathlon 10 points ahead of Johnson.

Fountain won five of the seven events and scored five personal bests, including a 12.65-second clocking in the 100 hurdles on Friday, breaking Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s American record for the heptathlon hurdles event.

Florida State won its third consecutive men’s championship at the recent NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The women’s D-1 title went down to the final event, with Louisiana State beating defending champion Arizona State in the 4 x 400-meter relay to give LSU the championship. The schools were tied at 59 points apiece entering the race, but LSU took second while ASU placed fifth in the relay to give the Tigers the championship, 67-63.

The Florida State men finished with 52 points while second-place LSU and Auburn tied with 44. Walter Dix led Florida State, winning his third consecutive 200-meter championship, in 20.40 seconds. FSU’s Ngonidzashe Makusha won the long jump (27 feet, 2.75 inches). Auburn’s Cory Martin won both the shot put (66-9.25) and the hammer throw (243-2).

On the women’s side, LSU was led by two winners. Kelly-Ann Baptiste captured the 100 (11.20) while Nickiesha Wilson was first in the 400 hurdles (54.45). Arizona State’s Jacquelyn Johnson won the heptathlon (6053 points) to become the first four-time champion in the history of the event.

Abilene Christian won both Division II championships. The men edged St. Augustine’s, 108.5-102, while the women won easily, with 76.5 points.

St. Augustine’s Dennis Boone was the only double-winner on the men’s side, sprinting to victory in the 100 (10.21) and the 200 (20.65). Abilene Christian winners included Raymond Radway in the 400 (46.35), Billy Walker in the 100 hurdles (13.86), Daniel Maina in the steeplechase (8:53.61), Nick Jones in the discus (187-0) and Camille Vandendreissc in the decathlon (7385 points).

Abilene Christian won four women’s events. Winrose Karunde won both the 10,000 (35:29.68) and the steeplechase (10:20.42), Keva Wilkins broke the tape in the 400 (54.05) while Linda Brivule won the javelin (169-09). Findlay’s Kirby Blackley won both the 100 hurdles (13.39) and the long jump (20-1.75).

McMurry University won its first-ever men’s Division III outdoor title with 35 points. State University of New York-Cortland was second with 33. McMurry was led by Hanneus Ollison, who won the 400 (46.40), was second in the long jump (23-6) and anchored McMurry’s victorious 4 x 100 relay squad (40.54).

Peter Kosgei of Hamilton (N.Y.) College won the steeplechase (8:55.19) and the 5000 (14:32.57). Cortland’s Amaan Siddeeq sprinted to victory in the 100 (10.59) and 200 (21.29).

Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls tied for the Division III women’s national title with 35 points apiece. Wartburg College (Iowa) was third with 34.

Illinois Wesleyan was led by Rachel Anderson, who won both the 200 (24.76) and the 400 (54.35).

Other double-winners included University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Marcia Taddy, who finished first in both the 800 (2:08.23) and the 1500 (4:23.36), plus Natalie Calderon of the University of Redlands, who won the triple jump (40-10.25) and the long jump (19-11).

In 2006, Cuba’s Dayron Robles witnessed the 110-meter hurdles world record being broken, as he ran fourth in the race in which China’s Liu Xiang set the mark, winning in 12.88 seconds. Robles was fourth in that race, in 13.04.

On June 12 of this year, Robles again witnessed a record-breaking performance in the 110 hurdles, but this time he was the one setting the mark as he nudged the record down to 12.87 with a Grand Prix victory in Ostrava, Czech Republic. As with all world records, Robles’ performance is subject to standard IAAF ratification procedures.

Robles is the fifth person in the last month to set a world track and field mark. During that span, two race walking records have fallen, along with marks in the men’s 100 meters and the women’s 5000.

Robles led the June 12 race all the way, with American Terrence Trammell finishing a distant second in 13.21 seconds.

Four days earlier, on June 8, Brad Walker set a U.S. pole vault record while winning the Prefontaine Classic. Walker’s 6.04-meter leap topped Sergey Bubka’s meet record of 5.95 as well as Jeff Hartwig’s American mark of 6.03, set in 2000. Bubka holds the world record of 6.15, but Walker’s effort is not only the world’s best vault of 2008, but it’s the best recorded since 2001. Walker’s previous best was six meters.

Walker cleared the record height on his first attempt, despite touching the bar, which didn’t fall.

The 40-year-old Hartwig also competed at the event, tying for fourth at 5.60 meters.

Good pacing and a strong finish – along with some sisterly assistance – led to a world record performance June 6, as Tirunesh Dibaba sliced more than five seconds off the women’s 5000-meter world record. Competing in the Bistlett Games in Oslo, Norway, Dibaba won the 5000 in a record time of 14:11.15, breaking the year-old mark of 14:16.63 set by fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar. Dibaba’s performance remains subject to the standard IAAF ratification procedures.

Dibaba also owns the indoor 5000-meter world record, of 14:27.42, which had been her personal best in the event. The versatile Dibaba has excelled at a variety of distance events. She’s won four World Cross Country Championships plus two World Championships apiece at 5000 and 10,000 meters. She also earned the 5000-meter bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. Her latest 5000-meter performance sets the stage for her to attempt the 5000-10,000 double at the Beijing Games. No woman has won both of those events in the brief history of Olympic women’s distance running. The women’s 10,000 meters entered the Olympic lineup in 1988, while the 5000-meter event replaced the 3000-meter race in 1996.

Taking aim at the 5000-meter record in Oslo, Dibaba followed pacesetter Anna Alminova through 3000 meters in 8:38.38, which was three seconds behind the record pace. Dibaba’s sister Ejegayehu, the 2004 Olympic 10,000-meter silver medalist, helped pace Tirunesh for about the next 600 meters. The younger Dibaba then finished strongly, running the final lap in just under 1:04.

Continuing this summer's assault on world records, Sergey Morozov made his first completed 20 kilometer race walk a good one on June 8, breaking the 1:17 barrier and finishing with a world record time of 1:16:43. Morozov set his record at the Russian National Championships in Saransk. As with Dibaba's mark, Morozov's result is subject to standard IAAF ratification procedures.

Vladimir Kanaykin held the previous record of 1:17:16. Kanaykin also bettered his former record at the Russian meet but had to settle for second place with a time of 1:16:53.

Morozov, 20, was the 2005 World youth and 2007 European junior champion in the 10,000-meter race walk.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, the 200-meter silver medalist at the 2007 World Championships, has stated that he also wanted to compete in the 100.

Bolt - nicknamed "Lightning" - backed up his words with actions earlier this year when he ran a 9.76-second 100 meters, just .02 behind the record then held by fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell.

Bolt continued to let his legs to the talking on May 31, at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, where he topped the old mark with a stunning time of 9.72 seconds.

Bolt’s new record is subject to the standard IAAF verification procedures.

American Tyson Gay, the defending 100-meter World Champion, was second in 9.85 seconds. The field had one false start, which was a blessing for both Bolt and Gay, who didn’t start well on that occasion. Bolt took the early edge after the second start and never let go of his advantage.

Bolt’s accomplishments make the Jamaican Olympic team trials, scheduled for June 27-29, quite interesting. Powell has been recovering from an injury but is expected to compete at the Trials. Bolt will almost certainly compete in both the 100 and 200 at the Jamaican Trials and in Beijing.

Russia’s Denis Nizhegorodov broke the world 50 kilometer race walking record at the recent IAAF World Race Walking Cup, held in Cheboksary, Russia.

Nizhegorodov, 27, won the event in 3:34:14, beating the mark previously set by Australia’s Nathan Deakes (3:35:47).

Nizhegorodov’s record is subject to the usual IAAF verification procedures.

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist led most of the race but had to fend off a late charge from Vladimir Kanaykin, who took the lead briefly before Nizhegorodov posted the fastest time of the race, an 8:19 lap in the event’s 46th kilometer, to take the lead for good.

The victory was one of four posted by Russians during the Race Walking Cup. Russians won both of the 10-kilometer events as Aleksey Bartsaykin won the men’s race in 39:57 while Tatyana Kalmykova was the women’s 10K champ (42:44).

In the 20-kilometer events, Russia’s Olga Kaniskina posted a victory (1:25:42) in the women’s race by Spain’s Francisco Javier Fernandez prevented a Russian sweep by winning the men’s competition (1:18:15), just six seconds ahead of Russian Valeriy Borchin.

There was no women’s 50K race.

Top Americans included Trevor Barron, who finished 42nd in the men’s 10K race (46:18), plus Miranda Melville, who was 43rd in the women’s 10K (53:25). In the 20K, John Nunn was 80th (1:31:47) and Susan Armenta 56th (1:40:24). Phillip Dunn was 40th in the 50K (4:05:10).

Jenn Stuczynski broke her own U.S. pole vault record and established herself as one of the top medal contenders for the 2008 Olympics during the recent adidas Track Classic, held in Carson, Calif.

Stuczynski’s winning jump measured 4.90 meters (16 feet, ¾-inch), topping her 4.88-meter mark set June 2, 2007. Russian Yelena Isinbayeva is the only woman to vault more than 4.9 meters. She holds the world record at 5.01 meters.

American women have fared well in the pole vault during 2008. Stuczynski owns the top three vaults in the outdoor season, while April Steiner – who placed second at the adidas Classic – has the fourth-best vault and fellow American Erin Asay is tied for fifth.

Stuczynski placed second in the World Indoors in March with a vault measuring 4.75 meters. She finished tenth in the 2007 World Championships at 4.50. She’s won four consecutive U.S. Indoor pole vault championships (2005-08) as well as the 2006-07 U.S. Outdoor titles.

Sometimes experience can be overrated.

Shalane Flanagan, 26, recently attempted her first competitive 10,000-meter run, during the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University. Her first try became the best-ever 10K run by an American woman, as Flanagan won the event in a U.S. record time of 30:34.49. Deena Kastor held the old mark, of 30:50.32.

Flanagan is no novice runner, of course. She set the U.S. mark in the 5000 meters in 2007 (14:44.80) and finished eighth in that event at the 2007 World Championships. She also holds the indoor U.S. mark in the 3000 meters (8:33.25).

As is often the case in record-breaking distance runs, Flanagan’s impressive 10K debut was aided by the fast pace set by New Zealand’s Kim Smith. Smith was no mere pacemaker, as she remained in contention until the final 200 meters and finished second in 30:35.54, breaking the Oceania mark of 30:37.68 held by Benita Johnson of Australia.

Flanagan is expected to focus on the 5000 meters in the Beijing Olympics, but her 10K performance - the best in the world to date in 2008 – gives her some intriguing options less than two months before the U.S. Olympic Trials.