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Ryan Hall: Olympic Memories
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 15)
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 12:52 PM by Ryan Hall
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall
Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry at http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com/
I have always dreamed about what the whole Olympic experience would be like. I have seen portrayals of the Olympics in many movies, the most memorable of which was “Cool Runnings,” but to experience it for myself has been both exciting and boring. I know that “boring” wouldn’t seem to be the adjective of choice when describing the Olympic experience, but the truth must be told that the Olympics is not all excitement, all the time for us athletes. I have been telling people that I want to go back to the Olympics sometime when I am not competing so I can get the full experience.
My journey started nearly two weeks ago when I left my hometown in Big Bear after an exciting send off party held in my honor where nearly two thousand people turned out to support me. Upon arriving in San Jose for team processing I was surprised to learn that I was the only athlete going through team processing that day. I had pretty much the whole staff waiting on me, which made a four hour process go by in a little under an hour. I was the last of the nearly six hundred US Olympians to pick up all my gear, which meant that I had to settle for some oversized items, such as some size 44″ cargo pants (I hope that I don’t fit into those anytime soon). Even though processing was pretty much empty it was still exciting to finally get the official USA gear. It was surreal to try on the opening ceremonies gear.
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Ramzi Defeats Kiprop to Win First-Ever Olympic Gold for Bahrain; Willis Surprises with Bronze
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 3:58 PM by Stephanie Lowe
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Thanks to Rashid Ramzi, Bahrain has its first-ever Olympic gold medal. The former Moroccan won the men’s 1500 meters Tuesday night in Beijing. With a relentless 51-second final lap, Ramzi, the 2005 world champion, finished in 3:32.94 ahead of Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop (3:33.11). Nick Willis of New Zealand was third in 3:34.16.
“I didn’t expect this in my wildest dreams. This didn’t come from nothing, I had to work hard, now I can be very proud,” Ramzi said.
The race started with Kiprop and Kenyan teammate Augustine Choge in the lead. Kiprop led the pack through the first 400 meters in 56.48 seconds. Then Choge took over for a 1:56.06 800-meter split.
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Is Allyson Felix’s 200m Heat Time a Cause for Concern?
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 10:44 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
If Allyson Felix is not careful, she could find herself suffering the same fate Tyson Gay had in the men’s 100m—that is, being a spectator when it’s time for the finals. Her qualifying mark of 23.02 in the opening heats of the women’s 200m dash was ranked only 9th. She hadn’t raced since the London Grand Prix on July 25th, 2008. There she finished 4th with a time of 23.00, a full 3/10th of a second behind Sherone Simpson’s winning time of 22.70. Ten days ago, she wrote this in her blog:
I ran very poorly in Stockholm and London because I was just exhausted. I had made trips back and forth to Europe and my legs were simply dead. My coach Bobby Kersee and I debated running the 200m in London because I was feeling fatigued so when I came off the curve and realized I couldn’t shift to another gear I just cruised in as to prevent injury.
Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: 400meteroval.com
Jelimo Dominates, Takes First-Ever Kenyan Women’s Gold
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 7:00 AM by Bob Ramsak
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Continuing one of the most spectacular rises from obscurity that the sport has witnessed in recent years, Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo ran away with the Olympic 800m title tonight at Beijing’s National Stadium.
With the year’s five fastest performances and with eight victories in as many races this season, Jelimo was the overwhelming favourite to take the gold, and she hardly disappointed, clocking 1:54.87, her fourth World junior record of the summer. Notably, the 18-year-old claimed the first ever Olympic gold medal for Kenya in an event she first contested on the 19th of April this year.
“It makes me very happy to be the first for Kenya,” said Jelimo. “I’m still young and I’m looking forward to doing better. Maybe I can be the best again.”
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Team USA: Day 4 Track Recap
Posted August 18th, 2008 at 2:42 PM by Stephanie Lowe
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Team USA earned five medals Monday in Beijing, two of them gold.
BROWN-TRAFTON WINS FIRST GOLD MEDAL FOR U.S.
Stephanie Brown-Trafton surprised many as she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the discus since 1932. After a rocky first three days, this was the first gold medal for the U.S. at the Beijing Games.
Brown-Trafton’s first throw of 64.74m/212-5 was unmatched by her competitors.
“I told people when you make the final anything can happen. I had a far throw and nobody else stepped up. I won a gold medal!” she said after her victory.
U.S. DOMINATES SWEEPS MEDALS IN 400m HURDLES
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Angelo Taylor won his second Olympic gold medal in 8 years, running a personal-best time of 47.25 seconds.
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In Failure, Xiang’s Sad Story Exemplifies True Olympic Lesson
Posted August 18th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, SoundOFF, Columns, Olympics
The 95,000 fans who packed into Beijing’s Bird’s Nest and exploded with cheers when native son and 2004 gold medalist Liu Xiang was announced, groaned just as loudly only moments later when he withdrew from heat 6 of today’s 110 meter hurdles.
Xiang was limping and wincing in pain as he lined up for his first race after months of battling foot and hamstring injuries. Then, after a false start was called on the field, he came out of the blocks hobbling and proceeded to rip off his race number. As Xiang walked off the National Stadium track and into the tunnel, the reality of the nightmare scenario set-in: the national hero of the world’s most populated country would leave their own Olympic Games without a medal.
Sun Haiping, Xiang’s personal coach, broke down several times during the post-race press conference and cited a pre-existing, chronic foot injury as the cause of the withdrawal. While that may be true, I have to wonder whether the pressure of having more than a billion people expecting absolutely nothing less than a gold medal may have led to the type of overtraining that would exasperate such an injury.
Tonight marks a sad ending to a sad story for Liu Xiang, a truly phenomenal athlete who seemed almost destined for disaster by being forced on the impossible quest for perfection.
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Fam Should Make Beijing Steeplechase Final An Honest Effort
Posted August 18th, 2008 at 4:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Anthony Famiglietti wants a bronze medal in Beijing. He has stated that he can’t do any better than that because so many of the other athletes are cheaters.
Even so, he’ll most likely have to get a huge PR in the Beijing men’s steeplechase final. Of the 15 men in the final, Fam is ranked only 12th, both in season’s best and in PR. He may even have to set an American record to get on the medal stand. Since Dan Lincoln’s AR is 8:08.52 and Fam’s PR is only 8:17.34, that would be an improvement of 8.52 seconds for him. But even that may not be enough.
Read the rest of this entry at: 400meteroval.com
Team USA: Day 3 Track Recap
Posted August 17th, 2008 at 3:36 PM by Cheryl Lowe
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics
The days of the 2008 Olympic Games are flying by in Beijing, and Team USA is yet to earn a track and field gold medal.
BARRINGER EARNS ANOTHER AMERICAN RECORD, BUT NO MEDAL
In the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase final, Americans Jenny Barringer and Anna Willard competed but did not earn a medal. Barringer, who finished the race in 9:22.26, good for a new American record in the event and 9th place overall. Willard finished behind Barringer in 9:25.63, good for 10th place.
Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (RUS) won the event in 8:58.81, a new World Record. Eunice Jepkorir of Kenya (2nd place) and Yekaterina Volkova of Russia (3rd place) finished in 9:07.41 and 9:07.64 respectively.
LAGAT DOES NOT ADVANCE TO MEN’S 1500M FINALS
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the day, Team USA’s Bernard Lagat failed to advance in the men’s 1500-meter semifinal. Lagat, formerly of Kenya, is competing for the United States this year. Lagat was the first American to finish the race (6th place in heat 2, 3:37.79) but did not qualify for the final.
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Bekele Defends Olympic 10,000m Title; Rupp 13th
Posted August 17th, 2008 at 2:00 PM by Stephanie Lowe
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Kenenisa Bekele and Sileshi Sihine reclaimed gold and silver for Ethiopia in the men’s 10,000 meters Sunday night in Beijing. Three-time world champion and 10,000m/5000m world record holder Bekele ran 27:01.17 to break the Olympic record, which he set in Athens.
“It was a very big goal for me to win this title - my dreams have come true to win tonight,” Bekele said afterward.
Sihine was close behind Bekele in 27:02.77 and Kenya’s Micah Kogo won the bronze with a time of 27:04.11. Kogo barely outkicked fellow Kenyan Moses Ndiema Masai at the finish line.
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Video: Usain Bolt’s 100 Meter World Record (9.69)
Posted August 17th, 2008 at 1:13 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Usain Bolt rewrote the record books again and captured his first Olympic gold medal Saturday, running the 100-meter dash in a stunning 9.69 seconds for a blowout win that could have been even worse.
Who was America's most-valuable male runner in 2008?
The Final Sprint
On January 8, 2009
Joe said:
Hey Nick, First of all I want to tell you what an inspiration you are to me. I am an "old timer" (just...