Superior Performances Highlight Day 2 Of Olympic Trials

Thousands of track and field fans streamed into Hayward Field Saturday to enjoy a full agenda of compelling competitions – on the track and in the field. While each event had its following, most fans, to be sure, were looking forward to the concluding rounds of the women’s 100 and the opening rounds of the men’s 100.

The raw energy required to ascend to the elite levels of world class sprinting are so obvious and dominating that the more subtle psychological aspects of this event are often overlooked. How do I run the rounds? Do I put a big time on the board in the early rounds? Or do I play it cool and wait to show my face cards in the final? Can I get in my opponent’s head? Let’s put it this way: Day 2 of the Olympic Trials featured a lot of gamesmanship as America’s top male and female sprinters looked to gain any obtainable psychological edge.

The women sprinters picked up the competition with the semi-final round. In the first semi, former Texas Longhorn Marshevet Hooker won again and looked strong in posting an impressive 10.89. In the second semi, Torri Edwards appeared invincible in her winning effort – just another day at the office for Ms. Edwards as she clocked an easy win in a most impressive 10.78…and she coasted the final 15 meters. Her psychological message to the rest of her competitors had been sent! In the final, the crowd hushed as a field likely stronger than the 100 final will be in Beijing climbed into the blocks. In a tight and competitive race, often-overlooked veteran Muna Lee executed a perfect lean at the finish and gained a slight advantage for the exciting win. Lee’s winning time of 10.85 bested Torri Edwards [10.90] and Lauryn Williams [also 10.90] who rounded out the sprint trio that will represent the U.S. in this event at the Olympic Games.

The men sprinters followed with their own drama. Like the women, the men in the 100 took full advantage of perfect weather conditions [warm temperatures and a favorable, yet allowable, tailwind] to ring up astonishing times in their first two rounds. By the end of the quarterfinal round, a full six sprinters had registered 100 times below 10.00. Leading the way was Tyson Gay. Gay, the reigning world champion at 100 meters, played his own head game. After nearly coasting his way out of 100 in the first round and meekly hobbling off the track, Gay returned with a vengeance in the quarterfinals held two hours later. His winning time of 9.77 established a new American Record by bettering the old mark of 9.79 established by Maurice Greene. Gay’s competitors can think about his stunning turn of events overnight as they prepare to the final two rounds on the men’s 100 tomorrow. A world record performance is possible.

The continuing odyssey of both the men’s and women’s 800 played on Saturday afternoon as the semi-final rounds were run. In the second of the two women’s semi-final races, Cornell graduate Morgan Uceny looked controlled as she registered a victory in 2:02.10, just slightly ahead of Hazel “Peachy” Clark. A spill marred the first semi-final race as four runners [including pre-race favorite Nicole Teter] got tangled and went down slightly more than 200 meters into the race. After Alice Schmidt won this semi-final easily, a protest was filed and Ms. Teter was added as the ninth runner in the final which will be run Monday evening. In the men’s 800, defending U.S. champion Khadevis Robinson took the first semi-final race in 1:46.14 by holding off the fast-finishing hometown favorite Andrew Wheating from the University of Oregon. In the second semi-final race, Colorado runner Lopez Lomong continued to look sharp and at ease. While the semi was won by Eugene resident Nick Symmonds in 1:45.61, Lomong appeared unstrained and his time of 1:46.02 moved him on to the championship race. These middle distance warriors receive a well deserved rest day tomorrow before returning to battle in Monday night’s final.

The heptathlon concluded on Saturday and Hyleas Fountain put the finishing touches on a most impressive performance which has to stamp her as a bona fide medal candidate in Beijing. By winning five of the seven events and posting several PR’s along the way, Fountain easily captured the win and posted a world leading heptathlon mark for 2008 of 6667 points. Jacquelyn Johnson finished second and Diana Pickler finished third to gain passage to China for the Olympic competition in this event. To secure the final Olympic spot and to hold off Gigi Johnson [no relation to Jacquelyn Johnson] , it was incumbent that Pickler finish the final heptathlon event [the 800] no further that 1.5 seconds behind Gigi Johnson. In a thrilling stretch run, Gigi Johnson did, in fact, beat Pickler to the line, but her margin of less than one second was insufficient to unseat Pickler from the final Olympic position.

In the semi-final rounds of the women’s 400 meter hurdles, the collision course charted by Sheena Tosta [the reigning Oly Trials champion in this event] and Tiffany Ross-Williams [defending national champion] remains on track. Tosta won her semi-final round with handily in 54.95. Ross-Williams duplicated that easy win by running 54.75 to capture the second semi-final race. The final, which will be run Sunday afternoon, should resemble an Ali-Frazier fight.

The men’s 400 hurdles looks more wide open. In today’s first semi-final race, Kerron Clement looked under control in posting an effortless 48.20 victory. Bershawn Jackson was well within himself in capturing the second semi in 48.63. All eight semi-final advancers ran times within a band of only .69 seconds – so it would appear that anything can happen in Sunday’s final.

Day 2 of the Olympic Trials also featured the qualifying round of the women’s javelin. Colorado athletes competing for a chance to throw in the finals included 2007 Defending National Champion Dana Pounds from Colorado Springs and Hannah Warfield from Boulder. In the 2007 U.S. National Championship meet, Pounds upset defending champion and American record holder Kim Kreiner by one centimeter when Pounds unleashed a PR throw of 59.65m/195-8. In today’s qualifying round, Pounds uncorked the best throw of the day: a monster heave of 187’ 10”. Kreiner, who posted the second best qualifying mark of 177’ 5” also advanced to Monday’s final which will feature 12 athletes.

As the day concluded, a capacity crowd at Hayward Field was treated to a griping competition in the men’s shot put final. Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell, Adam Nelson, and Dan Taylor played musical chairs with the top three Olympic qualifying spots. Lead changes were frequent as these four competitors jostled for the top three positions. In a dramatic competition that came right down to the wire, Hoffa [first in 72’ 6 ¼”], Cantwell [second in 69’ 8 ¼”], and Nelson [third ] grabbed the final podium positions. Hoffa’s winning heave was only ¾ of an inch behind the existing OT shot put record of 72’ 7” set by Nelson in 2000.

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