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Lead Stories: Saturday, July 19, 2008

Kate O’Neill: Countdown to the U.S. Olympic Trials
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)

Posted January 21st, 2008 at 2:26 PM by Kate O'Neill

Section: Elite Athlete Blogs, Kate O'Neill

Hi, this is my blog in TFS’s Elite Athlete Blog Series. Bookmark http://kateoneill.thefinalsprint.com/ and check back every other Monday for my latest entry as I strive for the 2008 Summer Olympics!

First off, I’d like to thank Adam Jacobs and The Final Sprint for inviting me to take part in this new feature of their website. This is an exciting year for track and field in the US. I think we are going to see amazing performances all year long as we all strive to improve our PRs and make a name for ourselves on the world scene.

The inspirational finishes of the men’s Olympic Marathon Trials in November has set a high standard for the rest of us to reach. In 2004, the US was not able to send a full squad in the men’s 5,000 meters, the women’s 1500 meters, or the women’s 10,000 meters to Athens. That certainly is not going to happen this year. A number of people already have met the standards in every event and many more are preparing to make 2008 into a breakout season. The new rule allowing one person with a “B” standard to qualify for the time will make the Olympic Trials even more exciting as no one can assume that a spot on the team is secure. (Sounds a little bit like the current presidential primary season…)

As we head into the Olympic Trials, new running websites like thefinalsprint.com are adding to the momentum through blogs, podcasts, and footage of races that would not have been taped until the last few years.

For my introductory entry, I’ll give a brief sketch of my life as a runner.
Read the rest of this entry »

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