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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Despite Bumpy Start, Webb Confident Prior to U.S. Olympic Trials

Posted June 25th, 2008 at 8:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

When Alan Webb finished 16th at the U.S. 8-K Championships last March, then stepped off the course with about 800m to go at the Carlsbad 5000 three weeks later, alarm bells went off amongst America’s track fans. A panic practically ensued when he withdrew from the mile at the Drake Relays a week after the Carlsbad race. Was Alan Webb in trouble in this all-important Olympic year?

Not according to Webb or his coach, Scott Raczko. With the opening of the U.S. Olympic Trials just two days away in Eugene, Ore., Webb feels he’s on target to perform at his best at the Trials and make his second Olympic team. For him, his season is just getting started.

“Basically, going back to last fall to now I’ve gotten a lot accomplished in the fall and winter,” said Webb in an interview on his cell phone. “I had a little hiccup around the 8-K and Carlsbad, but things have been going great since then.”
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Walker breaks AR, Mutola wins for 16th time at Nike Prefontaine Classic

Posted June 8th, 2008 at 11:34 PM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Meet records fell across all event groups, none bigger than Brad Walker’s American record in the pole vault, and Maria Mutola had a historic exit Sunday at the Nike Prefontaine Classic.

The fourth event of USATF’s Visa Championship Series, the Nike Prefontaine Classic drew a meet-record 14,221 fans to Hayward Field, site of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field June 27-July 6. They were treated to a formidable show, including no fewer than eight meet records and Walker’s AR.

The 2007 world champion, Walker looked magnificent throughout the competition. He had just one miss, at his opening height of 5.70m/18-8.25, then passed to 5.90m/19-4.25, which he cleared on his first attempt and which won the competition for him. Walker then elevated the bar to 6.04m/19-9.75. On his very first attempt, he cleared, brushing the bar just a bit, but leaving it up.
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Eugene set to host 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and ‘09, ‘11 Championships

Posted December 13th, 2007 at 7:40 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee on Wednesday announced their intent to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field in Eugene, Oregon, USATF CEO Craig Masback announced Wednesday. The announcement was made at an afternoon press conference on the University of Oregon campus.

Eugene, which next year will host the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field, also will host the 2009 and 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Masback announced.

Site of the 1972, ‘76, ‘80 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field and the 1999 and 2001 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field will be the site of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where the roster for Team USA will be selected for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In 2009, Team USA will select its roster for the 2009 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, Germany, and 2011 will see the selection of the American squad for the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
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Stuczynski, Gay keep Visa Championship Series leads

Posted June 12th, 2007 at 6:27 PM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Jenn Stuczynski and Tyson Gay held onto their respective leads in USA Track & Field’s Outdoor Visa Championship Series following Sunday’s Nike Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore.

Michelle Perry moved up from fifth to third in the women’s standings with her win in the women’s 100 meter hurdles. Her time of 12.51 seconds is worth 1,207 points using IAAF scoring tables. Sheena Johnson, Sanya Richards and Alice Schmidt all entered the standings with their performances at Pre, but Stuczynski’s 1,218 points from her American-record pole vault of 4.88m/16-0 at the Reebok Grand Prix on June 2 keeps her atop the standings.
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Prefontaine Classic: Recap of middle & long distance events

Posted June 11th, 2007 at 1:57 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

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 just perfect for the rollicking two-miler which was won by Australian Craig Mottram in the fastest time every on U.S. soil. John Jefferson and Bernard Kiptum set the early pace, and Tariku Bekele and Mottram were running 1-2 when Kiptum left the track after about 2000 meters.

Bekele led out of turn-2 on the final lap, but Mottram started his long sprint with more 250 meter to go. Bekele just couldn’t answer, and the big Aussie motored to the line in a sparkling 8:03.50, blowing through Eliud Kipchoge’s U.S. all-comer’s best of 8:07.68 set at the same meet in 2005.

“It comes down to the size of your balls, really,” said Mottram on live television after the race.

Bekele ran a personal best 8:04.83, while a hard-charging Matt Tegenkamp broke Alan Webb’s U.S. best of 8:11.48 with a terrific 8:07.07 clocking. Dathan Ritzenhein nearly got under Webb’s mark, finishing in 8:11.74 in fourth place. As for Webb, he finished a disappointing 9th, surely a letdown after his commanding victory over Bernard Lagat in the Reebok Grand Prix last Saturday.
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Runners wow Hayward Field crowd at 2007 Nike Prefontaine Classic

Posted June 11th, 2007 at 8:04 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

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 in the American record time of 8 minutes 7.07 seconds, which betters the previous American standard of 8:11.48 set here in 2005 by Alan Webb. Tegenkamp was led to the finish line by Australia’s Craig Mottram, who won the race in 8:03.50, which is the sixth-fastest performance all-time in the two-mile. Ethiopia’s Tariku Bekele was the runner-up in 8:04.83, which is the eighth-fastest time ever.

Komen wins amazing Bowerman Mile

Kenyan Daniel K. Komen ran the fastest time ever on American soil to win the signature event of the Nike Prefontaine Classic, the Bowerman Mile. In a race that saw nine competitors finish under the 4-minute barrier, Komen was victorious in a blistering time of 3 minutes 48.28 seconds, which is the fastest time in the world this year. Two-time Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat was the runner-up in 3:50.56, which is the fastest time by an American this season.
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Nike Prefontaine Classic 100m, 400m fields announced

Posted June 10th, 2007 at 3:00 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Sanya Richards, Allyson Felix, Bershawn Jackson, Lauryn Williams, Darold Williamson, Torri Edwards and Leonard Scott are just a few of the big names who will compete in the men’s and women’s 100 and 400 meters Sunday at the 2007 Nike Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The fourth event of USA Track & Field’s 2007 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the Nike Prefontaine Classic will be televised live on NBC, Sunday, June 10, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

A star-studded field will enter the women’s 100 meters, headlined by reigning world sprint champions Lauryn Williams and Allyson Felix. Williams won the 100m at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships, and Felix, who ended the 2006 season ranked #1 in the world at 200 meters for the second year in a row, won that event at the 2005 Worlds in Helsinki. Also keep an eye on 2003 world champion Torri Edwards, who won here last year (11.08 seconds) and owns the fastest time in the world so far this season of 10.90 seconds.
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USATF Q&A with sprinter Sanya Richards

Posted June 10th, 2007 at 1:45 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews

Q: What can we expect to see from you tomorrow?

A: I’m going to run really well tomorrow. I’ve been sick, but the good thing is I’ve been training really well. What I’m really going to try to do is execute a great race. I have no control over the weather or the wind, so I’m not going to predict a time, but I’m going to execute a really good race.

Q: Have you ever identified the illness that you had?

A: I had really bad ulcers, kind of a flu-like thing. They thought it could’ve been mono or strep throat, but it wasn’t any of those. It was really tough for me because there were times when I couldn’t even talk because my mouth was so sore and painful. I’m feeling much better now and I’m hoping that it won’t reoccur.
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Bekele out of Prefontaine Classic

Posted June 10th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

A Reuters report written by veteran athletics journalist Gene Cherry says that Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn from the Prefontaine Classic meeting in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday.

“He’s not coming,” said Bekele’s manager, Jos Hermens. “He feels like he is only 90 percent fit and not ready to compete at the high level he would need here.”

You can read Gene’s story here:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-6695308,00.html

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Webb to run 2-mile instead at Nike Prefontaine Classic

Posted June 7th, 2007 at 1:19 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Despite having recently run one of the fastest miles in the world this year (3 minutes 52.94 seconds), Alan Webb has elected to participate in the two-mile instead of the Bowerman Mile at Sunday’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore.

Webb is a two-time U.S. Outdoor 1,500 meter champion and the 2007 U.S. Indoor champion in the mile, but has decided to pursue the two-mile where he also currently holds the American record. His record time of 8:11.48 was set two years ago at the Prefontaine Classic.

Webb drops out of an event that has been very kind to him in the past. His 3:53.43 in the 2001 Bowerman Mile remains the national high school record. Despite Webb’s scratch, the current record in the Bowerman Mile of 3:49.92 set by Hicham El Guerrouj may be in danger with defending champion Bernard Lagat and 2005 champion and owner of the fastest time in the world this year Alex Kipchirchir remaining in the field.
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