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Bekele Completes Distance Double
Posted August 23rd, 2008 at 8:29 AM by Jared Markowitz
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has won the Olympic 5000 m, pulling away late to earn his second gold medal of these Games. Bekele clocked 12:57.82 for the distance, an Olympic Record and a remarkable feat considering the tactical nature of this race. Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge and Edwin Soi took silver and bronze in 13:02.80 and 13:06.22, respectively. Americans Bernard Lagat and Matt Tegenkamp finished in ninth and thirteenth, well out of medal contention.
The buildup for this race was not lacking in drama, as remarks made by Kenyan coach Julius Kirwa revealed the team tactics that his nation planned to employ. The Kenyan plan was focused on neutralizing reigning World Champion Bernard Lagat, a miler by trade who used his blistering kick to win off a slow pace last summer in Osaka. Of course the Kenyans must also have been concerned about their archrival Ethiopia, whose team of the Bekele brothers (Kenenisa and Tariku) along with Abreham Cherkos would prove formidable. Kenenisa Bekele owns the World Record in the 5000 m but had thus far failed to win a championship 5000m, due mainly to the physical toll of his dominance in the 10000 m.
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2008 Beijing Olympic Preview: Men’s 5000 Meters
Posted August 12th, 2008 at 2:00 PM by Jesse Squire
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Men’s 5000 Meters
The Schedule: heats, Wednesday Aug 20; finals, Saturday, Aug 23
The Americans:
#5 Bernard Lagat, Matt Tegenkamp, Ian Dobson
The Contenders: #1 Edwin Cheruyuiot Soi (KEN), #2 Tariku Bekele (ETH), #4 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), #11 Craig Mottram (AUS), #13 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), #14 Abraham Cherkos Feleke (ETH)
The Stats: Records, 2008 List, 2007 Worlds, 2004 Olympics
The Medal Picks: T&FN - K Bekele, Lagat, Kipchoge;
SI - Soi, T Bekele, Kipchoge
The Story: Who wins and who medals will depend very much on how the race plays out. A slow pace favors Lagat, who has far and away the best finishing speed, but it’s unlikely that all the other finalists will want to hand the race to him like they did last year in Osaka. A hard pace from the gun reverses that advantage/disadvantage situation but is even less likely. More expected is gamesmanship, surging, and a real race taking shape in the last eight or so laps.
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Lagat Victorious in 5000m;
Teg, Dobson Round Out Team
Posted July 1st, 2008 at 2:09 AM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Image details: U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials - Day Four served by picapp.com
Double World Champion Bernard Lagat used a magnificent finish to cruise away from the field and win the 5000m at the 2008 US Olympic Trials. Matt Tegenkamp and Ian Dobson also used strong kicks to book their tickets to Beijing in what turned out to be a battle between five men for three Olympic spots.
The field assembled for the 5000m finals at this year’s Olympic Trials was billed as one of the deepest ever to lineup for a US championship. Seven athletes in the field (Tegenkamp, Solinsky, Asmeron, Lagat, Vaughn, Dobson, and Riley) had achieved the A standard of 13:21.50 within the qualifying window and several others were considered capable of reaching the standard in this race. The team would be comprised of the top three finishers with the A standard, either from this race or a previous one. This rule forced those without the standard to worry about keeping the pace honest while allowing those with the standard to relax and focus on their opponents.
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Faces in Races: Lagat, Teg, Solinsky and Curtis Look to Dominate Men’s 5000m
Posted June 30th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by Jared Markowitz
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
The men’s 5000m features several potential Beijing medalists and is one of the most wide-open events of the 2008 US Olympic Trials. Again the A standard will be in play, as seven finalists have run 13:21.50 or better (Tegenkamp, Solinsky, Asmeron, Lagat, Vaughn, Dobson, Riley) in the qualifying window. The US Olympic team will be comprised of the top three finishers who have attained the A standard, either in the final or in a previous race. This sets up a dynamic where the aforementioned men can run for place while the rest of the field needs to ensure an honest pace. With several studs who have not yet achieved the A standard and the impressive list of those who have, the men’s 5000m final promises to be one of the most exciting races of the 2008 US Olympic Trials.
Velow we take a closer look at four of the favorites in this race: Bernard Lagat, Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky, and Bobby Curtis. To reward readers who get to the end of this article there will be some poorly thought out, undoubtedly biased, and completely unofficial picks for this showdown.
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Pile-Up in Women’s 800m Sends 12 Athletes To Final
Posted June 29th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics
Image details: AT&T USA Outdoor Track And Field Championships - Day 2 served by picapp.com
On a blazing hot day here, a pile-up about 250 meters into yesterday’s first heat of the women’s 800m semi-finals at these U.S. Olympic Trials sent four women tumbling to the track, splitting the field, and initially crushing some long-held Olympic dreams.
“I remember getting grabbed then getting physical with someone,” said Nikeya Green who finished third in a race where only the top-4 finishers would qualify for the final. “I don’t know. It wasn’t my fault, but it just kind of happened.”
Just behind Green, Kameisha Bennett, Latavia Thomas and Becky Horn fell hard. Nicole Teter (Pictured above) then went down as she tried to jump over the pile-up.
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American Record for Flanagan At Cardinal Invitational
Posted May 5th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
She’d never run a 10,000m race before, but Shalane Flanagan can safely say that she’s already mastered the distance on only her first try at Sunday’s Peyton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Helped by excellent pacemaking provided by Kenya’s Rose Kosgei and a spirited battle with New Zealand’s Kim Smith which went right to homestretch, the 26 year-old Olympian toppled Deena Kastor’s American record with a sparkling 30:34.49 clocking.
“Thanks to the New York Road Runners, they set me up with a rabbit and that gave me a cushion,” Flanagan told a clutch of reporters after the race. “It really worked out very well.”
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Men’s Olympic Middle & Long- Distance In the Modern Era
Posted March 27th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics
The Modern Olympic Era
Of the 336 medals that have been awarded thus far in the men’s middle and long-distance track events during the Modern Olympic Era (1896-2004) here are some interesting statistics:
· A total of 42 Countries have won medals in these events.*
· Kenya (no surprise) has won the most medals, having won 43.
· USA is a close 2nd with 42.
· Finland (yes, Finland) is 3rd with 41.
· Great Britain is 4th, having won 35.
· Ethiopia rounds out the top 5 with 15 medals.**
· Finland can claim the most gold medals with 21. Kenya is 2nd with 15, followed closely by the USA and Great Britain with 13 each.
· In the silver-medal count, it’s Kenya (17), then United States (13), then Great Britain (12), then Finland (11). France rounds out the top 5 with a total of 9 medals.
· The top 5 in the bronze-medal count are: United States (16), Kenya (11), Great Britain (10), Finland (9) and Sweden (7).
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TFS Running Podcast 130:
Matt Tegenkamp
Posted March 11th, 2008 at 1:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts
Today on Episode 130 of The Final Sprint Podcast, I had a chance to speak with Matt Tegenkamp, the American record holder in the two-mile run and two-time US Indoor champion in the 3000m who competes for Nike and KIMbia Athletics.
In the interview, Matt talks about his repeat victory in the 2008 US Indoor Championships 3000 meters, why he’s staying home while his KIMbia Athletics teammates Chris Solinsky and Jonathon Riley (who finished 2nd and 3rd) are heading to Valencia for the world championships while he’s staying home. He also talks about what’s in store for him in 2008 leading up to the Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR and the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Download the podcast to hear Matt discuss about his plan to assault the American record in the 5000m, his long-term goals for running and beyond, and much, much more!
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Host: Jimmie Markham
Guest: Matt Tegenkamp
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 13.2MB
Length: 00:19:17
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TFS News Briefs: 3/10/08
Posted March 10th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field, TFS News Briefs
USA Reigns Supreme in World Championships Medal Count
Team USA, even with many of its top athletes not in attendance, still took away a total of 13 medals, more than any other nation at the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Valencia, Spain from March 7-9, 2008. These included 5 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. Russia was a close second with 12 medals, including 5 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze.
Read more at: [IAAF]
IHT Dismisses Worlds As “For Connoisseurs Only”
An article in the International Herald Tribune dismissed the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships as being “for connoisseurs only.” With The US contingent being “B Team USA” and still winning the meet, the writer probably has a point. Imagine if Wariner, Gay, Felix, Richards, Webb and Tegenkamp had been there.
Read more at: [IHT]
Mottram Focused On Edinburgh
After a disappointing 5th-place finish at the world indoors, Aussie Craig Mottram is now focused on redeeming himself at the World Cross-Country Championships to be held later this month in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mottram’s coach, Nic Bideau, said that “the focus is the cross-country. I mean he hadn’t done the preparation for a race like that, which was a sprint home.”
Read more at: [Melbourne Herald Sun]
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U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships Recap
Posted February 25th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
Shannon Rowbury and Matt Tegenkamp [Pictured] dominated the 3-K’s, while Khadevis Robinson just held off Nick Symmonds in the men’s 800m to highlight two days of action at the AT&T U.S. Indoor Championships here. The meet served as the U.S. trials for next month’s IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics in Valencia, Spain, with the top-2 finishers in each event earning provisional berths on the U.S. team.
As expected, Tegenkamp defended his title, but now has the distinction of winning the national 3000m crown in the slowest ever time since the event was introduced to these championships in 1987. In fact, his 8:02.52 clocking is the only winning time north of eight minutes in the history of the meet.
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- Plodding Pace Helps Defar to 5000m Gold
Meseret Defar, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and world record holder at 5000m, claimed her first outdoor world title on the pentultimate day of the 11th IAAF World Championships at Nagai Stadium.
Helped by a plodding pace set by fan favorite Kayoko Fukushi, who was doubling back from the 10,000m, Defar did little but wait for […] - Tariku Bekele, Kipchoge Lead 5000m Qualifying
Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia, the younger brother of Kenenisa, and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, won their respective heats of the 5000m as the 11th IAAF World Championships finished its sixth day at Nagai Stadium.
Bekele recorded an improbably slow time of 13:46.42 to win his heat off of a very slow initial pace. Indeed, there […] - Accustomed to winning, University of Wisconsin may be on the verge of losing Schumacher
The University of Wisconsin has long been reputed as a cross country powerhouse. Much of the Badger’s athletic distinction is owed to head coach and former All-American, Jerry Schumacher. Once a celebrated distance runner at UW, Schumacher’s now off-the-course contribution has garnered further successes for his alma mater. With five consecutive years of nationally acclaimed […]
- Podcast 61: Two-mile American record holder
MATT TEGENKAMPEpisode 61 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with MATT TEGENKAMP; the newly-crowned two-mile American record holder.
Matt was able to harness the momentum he created when he broke Alan Webb’s two-mile record at the June 10th Prefontaine Classic and continued his recent success with an impressive and gutsy performance at the USA Outdoor […] - Lagat completes first half of double title defense
After finishing second in the first heat of the 1500m preliminaries tonight, a reporter asked Bernard Lagat where he would be at 8:35 p.m. when the 5000m final would begin. Smiling mischievously, the 32 year-old from Tucson, Ariz. said simply, “We will see.”
A little more than two hours later, with the daylight in this […] - Lagat plans to keep rivals guessing until the last minute
At 6:25 p.m. tonight Bernard Lagat will line up for the first round of the men’s 1500m at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships at the Michael A. Carroll Stadium at Indiana University-Purdue University here, the first step in defending his national title and earning a berth on the U.S. squad for the IAAF World Championships […]
- Podcast 57: Teleconference interview with Matt Tegenkamp & Chris Solinsky
Episode 57 of The Final Sprint Podcast features a teleconference interview with Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky. The teleconference was hosted by KIMbia Athletics on Tuesday, June 12th and the primary questioning was conducted by Runner’s World’s Peter Gambaccini.
Matt set a new American two mile record at last weekend’s Prefontaine Classic, running 8:07.07. The […] - Prefontaine Classic: Recap of middle & long distance events
If the late Steve Prefontaine was watching this meeting from above his beloved Hayward Field, he surely had a smile on his face as gutsy performances in the middle and long distance events dominated this meeting.
For the second year in a row, the meet was held in cool and sometimes rainy conditions, and that was […] - Runners wow Hayward Field crowd at 2007 Nike Prefontaine Classic
2007 USA Indoor 3,000m champion Matt Tegenkamp set an American record in front of a standing room only crowd Sunday at the 2007 Nike Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., which is the fourth event of USA Track & Field’s 2007 Outdoor Visa Championship Series.
Tegenkamp finished third in men’s two mile race […] - Podcast 53: Interview with University of Wisconsin star Chris Solinsky
Episode 53 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with Chris Solinsky; the University of Wisconsin’s incredible, young talent and the reigning NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 5,000m Champion.
After winning the 5,000m last week at the Mideast Regional Championships (believe it or not, his first individual win in a regional final), Chris is getting ready […]
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On September 6, 2008
Brenda said:
I would like to participate in the 200 mile relay. Brenda