Live @ the USA XC Champs: February 9th Press Conference
Posted February 9th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Emily Hoskins
Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Special Features, Live Race Coverage
The FinalSprint and I are proud to be in beautiful Boulder, CO for the 2007 USA Cross Country Championships.
A press conference featuring several of the elite runners, many of whom are favorites to win tomorrow’s championship race, took place earlier today and fueled the excitement for this highly anticipated weekend.
Race director Peter Julian explained that one of his main goals has been trying to really promote the event in order to elevate the sport of cross country in the eyes of the public. He also spoke about how beautiful the race course is and that all of the live spectators and those watching on TV on Sunday should expect a fantastic show.
Many of the top athletes competing tomorrow feel comfortable and right at home in Boulder. Shayne Flanagan, a two time USA Cross Country 4km title holder, said that production-wise this is the best championship she has ever seen. Although she is from Boulder and the city holds a special place in her heart, she feels that tomorrow is anybody’s race and should be a great competition.
Flanagan is hoping to give Deena Kastor, the top-ranked woman in the world for 2006, a run for her money. Kastor, who last competed in a cross country championship in 2003 said:
“Everyone brings a lot to the table and everyone will be reaching really hard tomorrow”.
Alan Culpepper and his wife Shayne, like Flanagan, are also Colorado natives, but when asked if anyone had a “home field” advantage tomorrow, Alan said he didn’t think so. He explained that everyone has certain, special skills when it comes to running and that it should be a tough, but exciting tough race.
Another runner with is accustomed to running at such high altitudes is Adam Goucher. He ran cross country for the University of Colorado in Boulder and is excited to be back near his family and friends - but is also very serious about winning a national championship. Adam’s wife Kara Goucher is also competing for the title, but says that she keeps everything in perspective:
“We all want to win, and elite runners are competitive. At this level you realize that there are many more races down the road”.
Adam Goucher also states that he thinks that it is great that this year there is only one race distance. In the past there was a 4k and a 12 k, but this year everyone is at the same distance.
“There is no element of guessing and you can’t accidentally dodge competing against someone. You have to go head to head. There will be one race with one champion”.
When asked why they love cross country and what this race means to them the athletes had a common answer. Cross country offers something different, explains Adam Goucher:
“Cross country is important because it goes to the roots of running. Going back to when you were a kid and just running on the streets or in the grass was so different. There are always different conditions such as hills, or different surfaces that make it a challenge.”
Flanagan agreed saying:
“I love the pure essence, the nitty grittyness of the sport. It is very tough, and you don’t have the monotony of running along the track. “
With an incredible field of runners, a beautiful course and more than 10,000 people expected to be on hand, tomorrow’s championship races should be one of the most exciting and fiercely competitive events of the year.
Stayed tuned for more as TheFinalSprint.com continues it’s live coverage of the 2007 USA Cross Country Championships!
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: Adam Goucher, Alan Culpepper, Boulder, colorado, deena kastor, Kara Goucher, Peter Julian, Shalane Flanagan, Shayne Culpepper, us cross country championships, US XC championships, USA cross country championships, USA XC championships
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
WordPress database error: [Can't open file: 'wp_comments.MYI' (errno: 144)]
SELECT * FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_post_ID = '1598' AND comment_approved = '1' ORDER BY comment_date
The Final Sprint