Americans netted just one silver and one bronze medal - both in the marathon - and no other honors in distance running, steeplechase or race walking at the Athens Games. It was more of the same in Beijing, as the U.S. managed just one bronze medal in distance events. These U.S. competitors were America's best distance hopes entering the 2008 Summer Olympics.
1. Shannon Rowbury
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In 2007, Shannon Rowbury was a just strong college runner at Duke. In 2008 she became the U.S. Olympic Trials 1500-meter champion and reached the final in Beijing.
2. Bernard Lagat
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Bernard Lagat won the 1500 and the 5000 at the 2007 World Championships, but wasn't close to repeating the distance-double in Beijing.
3. Kara Goucher
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Kara Goucher began her running career for an unusual reason. Her performances in Beijing showed that an award-winning career might be on her horizon.
4. Shalane Flanagan
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Flanagan overcame an odd injury to become America's top woman distance runner of 2008, a year that included a visit to the medals podium in Beijing.
5. Ryan Hall
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He'd only been running marathons for about a year when he won the Olympic Marathon Trial, then earned a top-10 finish in the 2008 Games.
6. Deena Kastor
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She won races at three consecutive Olympic Trials, from 2000-2008, and won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. But she couldn't repeat her medal-winning performance at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Read more:
Medal Predictions
World’s Top Contender Profiles
Summer Olympics main page
Profile of Dathan Ritzenhein
Read more:
Medal Predictions
World’s Top Contender Profiles
Summer Olympics main page
Profile of Dathan Ritzenhein
