Athlete Makes U.S. Trials in Last Ditch Effort
Posted February 12th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics
Melanie Peters of St. Petersburg, Fla., won the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, but her victory wasn’t a joyous one. Attempting to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women’s Marathon in Boston on April 20, Peters missed the minimum standard of two hours and 47 minutes by 29 seconds, less than on second per kilometer.
Undeterred, the 24 year-old Peters lined up at yesterday’s Gasparilla Distance Classic Marathon in Tampa, Fla., just 28 days later to give it one last shot at qualifying. Finishing fifth overall, and the first amongst women, Peters clocked 2:46:45 to make her first Olympic Trials. The effort completely sapped her; the Tampa Tribune reported that her legs buckled at the finish line and she had to be taken to the medical area in a wheelchair.
“I was just praying to God my legs didn’t lock up because if I went down, I’d be down,” Peters told the Tribune. “And they stopped right at the finish.”
Peters becomes the 176th –and probably the last– qualifier for the Trials which will be hosted by the Boston Athletic Association.
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
Photo: Courtesy of Gasparilla Distance Classic Marathon
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Tags: boston athletic association, florida, Gasparilla Distance Classic Marathon, Melanie Peters, Olympic Trials, St. Petersburg, Tampa Tribune, U.S. Olympic Team Trials Womens Marathon, u.s. olympic womens marathon trials, Walt Disney World Marathon
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