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Teleconference interview with Shalane Flanagan

Posted February 1st, 2007 at 7:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field

shalane_flanagan_tfs_live_coverage_2007_boston_indoor.JPG Yesterday, The Final Sprint participated in a USATF teleconference with Shalane Flanagan, the local favorite who set a new American indoor 3,0000m record (8:33.25) at last weekend’s Reebok Boston Indoor Games.

Thee race was also Flanagan’s first track competition since the summer of 2005. She has been unable to compete for the past 18 months or so because of foot surgery in April of last year. During yesterday’s teleconference interview, Flanagan explained the rare condition that required surgical repair:

“I was just born with this extra bone right near my navicular, and it was starting to tear on my post-tibial tendon. As a result, I was getting pain and I could barely push off, for about a year, I could barely use my big toe.”

Flanagan’s performance in Boston was even more astonishing because her main winter focus had been the February 10th U.S.A. Cross Country Championships in Boulder, CO. Now four days after the race, Flanagan expressed her elation:

“I’m really, really, really, really happy, and I even think there’s some room for improvement. I think it’s really exciting; this has made me reevaluate some of the goals that I have for the rest of my career. This is kind of, in my mind, a debut for me as a professional.”

Although Flanagan’s performance in Boston will provide momentum and an excellent boost of confidence going into the XC champs, she will have her work cut out for her in a race that also features Deena Kastor, Elva Dyer and many other top competitors.

Click here to listen to the teleconference in it’s entirety and hear Flanagan discuss how she plans to challenge Kastor at the XC champs, her desire to break Regina Jacobs’ 5,000m American record and much more.

A full transcript of the teleconference is also available on EliteRunning.com. For further analysis, check out this excellent article by LetsRun.com