Colleen De Reuck Withdraws from Olympic Marathon Trials
Posted April 8th, 2008 at 5:14 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics
One of the sentimental favorites for the upcoming USA Olympic Team Trials - Women’s Marathon, Colleen De Reuck, has decided to withdraw from the race due to a calf injury.
De Reuck, who turns 44 on Sunday, is the defending Trials champion, a victory she earned just ten days before her 40th birthday in 2004, sending her to her fourth Olympic Games, and her first as an American. She’s also the Trials record holder.
Coached by her husband, Darren, De Reuck was returning to form after having her second daughter, Tara, last July. She first injured the calf at the U.S. Cross Country Championships last February, then reinjured it at the U.S. 15-K Championships in Jacksonville, Fla., last month.
“During Jacksonville she hurt her calf again, this time in a different spot than cross country,” said Darren De Reuck in a telephone interview. But, after taking some time off and cross training, things were looking up. “This last week she was fine,” he added. “She was completely better.”
She raced at last Sunday’s Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in Washington, D.C., clocking 57:17, a performance which demonstrated that she had simply lost too much training time before the Trials.
“She ran good enough for herself, however a 5:44 pace wasn’t good enough to run the marathon and be competitive,” Darren said. “We always thought about not going, but there was a little bit of hope.”
Darren emphasized that De Reuck’s career wasn’t over and that she looked forward to running at shorter distances throughout the summer. However, he said that she would greatly miss lining up in Boston on April 20.
“Unfortunately, it’s a little sad,” he said. “But, Colleen isn’t going to give it up yet.”
For more news, analysis, interviews, videos, and results from the 2008 Boston Marathon and USA Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, please visit: http://boston.thefinalsprint.com/
In addition, check out the official blog of women’s marathon favorite Kate O’Neill at: http://kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com/
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
Related Stories:
- De Reuck Replaced by Gomez in BolderBOULDER 10-K
- Short of Conditioning, Keflezeghi Withdraws from London Marathon
- Flanagan, De Reuck Interview Excerpts from USATF Teleconference
- Payday At Olympic Trials Marathon
- Past Champion, Olympic Medalist are first to register for 2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials
Tags: colleen de reuck, Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, Darren De Reuck, Olympicwomensmarathontrials2008, Olympicwomensmarathontrials2008news, u.s. olympic womens marathon trials, USA Olympic Team Trials Womens Marathon
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The Final Sprint
Sawubona Colleen …
I’m sorry that you’ve chosen - been forced to withdraw from the 2008 Olympic Trials … sniff …
I’m more sorry for have missed you at Washington, DC’s Cherry Blossom 10 mileras we last saw each other back home - when you were a mere 16 year old up-and-coming ahtletic star …
I still have a photo of you after you (a mere slip of 15) had won the Schwarzkopf Trim Run.
Cheers
owen/mshengu/sharif
April 12th, 2008 at 8:03 amSpartan Harriers/Savages/Rocky Road Runners