Greatness Reaffirmed: Richards Captures OT 400 Crown

The great ones always seem to be able to do it. Even the best athletes, the ones who win consistently, suffer an occasional defeat. The truly exceptional athlete is the one who can sustain such a defeat, put it in proper perspective, use the loss as a source of inspiration and motivation, and come back to earn an even greater victory. By that or virtually any other measure, Sanya Richards, the world’s best over 400 meters, demonstrated tonight before another capacity crowd of over 20,000 at Hayward Field why she is truly a great athlete. Richards, dogged by an exotic illness during the early part of last year and knocked out of the 2007 World Championship 400 meter competition due to an uncharacteristic mental lapse in last year’s national championship 400 meter final, came roaring back in tonight’s 400 meter final at these Olympic Trials to score a dominating win against the best quarter milers in the country. When Richards emerged on the track for the final, she was sporting a jet black motif complete with wind-resistant arm warmers and calf warmers. But her spin on formal track attire did not distract her – she was all business as she nestled into the blocks for the one lap circuit she had longed for since last June. The moment the gun sounded, Richards began her methodical destruction of the field which was so complete it allowed her to indulge in a final-stride joyful salute to the crowd. Her winning time of 49.89 was easily ahead of Mary Wineberg [second in 50.85] and Dee Dee Trotter [third in 50.88].

The men's 400 meter final turned out to be quite a different story. The race had been billed to be a battle between 400 dominator Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt, one of only a few 400 meter runners in the last several years to register a win against the reigning Olympic and World champion. At the gun, Wariner broke clean but allowed, as he often does, Merritt and the others to gain an advantage. The crowd sensed the patented Wariner rush to the tape over the final 200 meters, but the advantage Wariner relinquished earlier proved to be too much. Instead of the classic Wariner push down the final straightaway, the defending Olympic champion quietly folded his hand without a struggle as Merritt won the race in 44.00. Does this set the stage for a marquis battle between the emerging Merritt and the defending champion in Beijing? Or does this race signal the changing of the guard? Wariner pushed through for second place in 44.20 and David Neville easily captured the final Olympic spot in 44.61.

In the final of the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase, the status of pre-race favorite was conferred upon Colorado’s Jenny Barringer, based on the impressive U.S. soil and Hayward Field track record she established in winning the second of Monday night’s semi-final rounds. In reality, many strong young steeplers were poised to compete with Barringer, whom many had thought made a strategic error in running at record pace before the final. As the final began, Barringer pushed to the front and began methodically cranking out rhythmic laps at a pace which would produce an American record. Several steeplers, including Anna Willard and Lindsey Anderson, took up the chase. With two laps remaining, the trio of Barringer, Willard, and Anderson were bunched. With 600 meters left, Willard made a decisive move just prior to the water jump to break away. The night belonged to the Michigan runner. With the Hayward Field crowd exhorting her onward, Willard reached down and not only handily bettered the Hayward Field track record set just 72 hours earlier by Barringer, but Willard also bested the American record held by Lisa Galaviz with a winning time of 9:27.59. Anderson pushed on for second [in 9:30.75] and Barringer, perhaps ruing her hard running in Monday’s semi-final, captured the third and final Olympic spot in 9:33.11.

The most dramatic event of Day Five proved to be the women’s long jump final. Several lead changes spiced the competition with seasoned veteran Grace Upshaw holding the lead late in the competition with a sparkling leap of 22’ 7”. As the sixth and final round drew to a close, NCAA champion Brittney Reese took her final jump and bounded an impressive 22’ 9 ¾” to take the lead. The final jump of the competition was taken by unseated leader Upshaw. Her heroic effort was insufficient to recapture the lead and she finished second with a mark of 22’ 7”. Rising star Funmi Jimoh grabbed the final Olympic spot with a third place leap of 22’ ¾”.

Day Five of these Olympic Trials also featured the opening qualifying rounds of both the women’s and men’s 1500 meters. The women’s 1500 is believed to be a showdown in the final between three-time reigning national champion Treniere Clement, veteran Christin Wurth-Thomas, and spring sensation Shannon Rowbury. Rowbury comes in to these Olympic Trials with a most impressive leading time of 4:01.61. All three favorites displayed impressive performances to advance easily to Friday’s semi-final round.

In the men’s 1500, a crystal ball or Ouija board might be helpful in forecasting how this three-round battle of attrition might end. OT 5000 winner Bernard Lagat, undefeated in 2008, seeks to complete his Trials double with a Sunday win in the 1500 final. Alan Webb, who outkicked Lagat in the 2007 national championship race before succumbing to Lagat [and others] in the World Championships, is an enigma as he has raced little and not impressively on both the roads and the track in 2008. Form held as no upsets developed in the opening round. It should be noted that tonight’s third and final 1500 heat featured both Webb and Lagat. Webb pressed ahead with great focus to finish first in the evening’s best qualifying time of 3:41.27. Lagat, dead last in the 10 man field with 400 meters to go, revved the engine just enough to secure an automatic qualifier with his fourth place finish. What strategy will Webb [and the other 1500 runners] elect to employ against Lagat, a seemingly-invincible middle distance runner who has not lost in 2008? This play in three acts continues with the semi-final rounds which will be run Friday night.

The qualifying round of the men’s 3000 meter steeplechase was held Friday night. As dusk descended on Hayward Field, 23 steeplers battled for the 14 finalist positions. The top competitors were not pushed and therefore did not show their A games in these opening heats. Anthony Famigletti led all qualifiers with a time of 8:25.17. On his heels was Colorado runner William Nelson who posted an outstanding time of 8:26.17. Defending national champion Josh McAdams qualified easily in 8:26.47. Andrew Smith, also of Colorado, made it to the final by running 8:35.67. The final should be very competitive as any number of runners could win the race or earn a top three Olympic position.

For full results: www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/schedule.asp
All photos by Victor Sailor / www.photorun.net