Olympic Trials Preview

The Cathedral

As soon as you walk into Hayward Field, you know you are on holy ground. The pristine track, the unmistakable roof line, the manicured flowers surrounding the steeplechase water jump all serve notice that this is a special place. Even the wood-chipped trail leading from the warm-up track to the main track and field area is a reminder that this track and field venue is like no other. Don’t be misled by the new state-of-the-art multicolored electronic scoreboard, Hayward Field is old school all the way. Just as Wimbledon is to tennis or Augusta National is to golf, Hayward Field is the quintessential home of track and field.

Hayward Field developed its reputation the old fashioned way… it earned it. On the eve of the United States Olympic Trials for Track and Field, the talk will focus upon Hayward Field and its hosting of the Olympic Trials in ’72, ’76, and ‘80. Many consider the ’72 U.S. Olympic Trials the greatest track meet ever – and many knowledgeable track buffs would not disagree. And while its reputation as an Olympic Trial site would be sufficient justification for its position of track and field grandeur, the reputation of Hayward Field goes deeper than that. Hayward Field has been the site of many American and world record performances. All of the great track and field performers have made a pilgrimage to Eugene, Oregon to perform on the greatest stage of track and field. From the record-setting performances of Steve Prefontaine and the world record 800 by Dave Wottle in the 1972 Olympic Trials to this year’s stellar accomplishments: Maria Mutola’s 16th victory in the Prefontaine Classic and Brad Walker’s American record in the pole-vault, Hayward Field has been a venue which has hosted many of the greatest performances in track and field.

During the Olympic Trials about to unfold, this daily column will attempt to go beyond the headlines to chronicle the track and field exploits of Colorado athletes as they pursue their Olympic dreams. Day 1 should be a showcase day for Colorado athletes as Heather Sterlin-Biglow, the CU veteran, and Emily Pearson, from Colorado State University, compete in the first day of the Women’s.Heptathlon. But the big story is likely to be the distance events. As the sun goes down and the temperatures cool at Hayward Field, the qualifying round of the Men’s 5000 will pit marquis Colorado-oriented distance runners Adam Goucher and Dathan Ritzenhein along with Brent Vaughn, Stephen Pifer, Ryan Kirkpatrick, and Ian Burrell against a loaded lineup [featuring reigning World 5000 champ Bernard Lagat] which many assess to be the most competitive field in the entire Trials. Lagat will be gunning for a U.S. Championship three-peat.

Day 1 will close with the first session’s only final: the Women’s 10,000. It promises to be a 25 lap battle in the gloaming as CU alum Kara Goucher, last year’s World Championship 10,000 meter bronze medalist, heads a list of strong Colorado-oriented athletes including veteran Elva Dryer, Sara Slattery, and Anne Bersagel against a field which features red-hot Shalane Flanagan. Flanagan, who earlier this spring took down Deena Kastor’s American Record in this event, is scheduled to double back in the 5000, an event she won handily at the U.S. Nationals last June in Indianapolis.

Tomorrow begins a 10 day journey for over 1,000 hopeful United States Track and Field athletes. It is a journey they hope will take them all the way to the Beijing Olympics later this summer. The anticipation for these Trials is palpable. For Eugene, Oregon, proud of its heritage as “Track Town U.S.A.” it is the perfect moment to reaffirm its position of excellence as the greatest track and field venue in the world. For the carefully-prepared and finally-honed athletes who have dedicated their lives for this moment, it is their chance to fulfill lifelong dreams. And this drama all begins tomorrow - in the cathedral of track and field.

Editor's Note: David Hunter will be sending daily updates on the exploits of the Colorado athletes at the Olympic Trails.
Photo by Victor Sailor / www.photorun.net