09.02.07
Posted in Championships, World at 2:08 pm by Administrator
Bernard Lagat (Tucson, Ariz.): It was really good. I think that it was one of the best races I’ve ever ran in the 5000. I was ready for a fast race, and I was ready for a slow race. All I had to do was to run a smart race, and follow the pace. If people were willing to take it out the last 2 kilometers, I was ready for that also. I just didn’t want to let a gap develop. The double means a lot to me. I’m the first one to accomplish the double, and I feel I’m going to set an example for the young ones. There will be other kids in America who will do what Bernard Lagat did in 2007, no matter how long it will take.
Adam Goucher (Portland, Ore.): It was so slow that we were all just there. I know I have a very strong closing last kilometer, and I just couldn’t get my legs to go the way I wanted them to. If I had moved up earlier and have been positioned towards the front, maybe it’s a different story. Poor, somewhat cowardly race tactics. I’m happy for Bernard and Matt. Matt ran a great last 800. I figured it would go out a little faster, and that one of the Africans would go out and try to run Bernard’s legs off, but they didn’t.
Matt Tegenkamp (Madison, Wis.): I was so close. We had it in the back of our minds that it would go out quick, and that one of the countries would sacrifice one of their runners and take out the kickers, and it turned out to be slow. I loved it. It gave me the best chance to do well. I tried to stay out of trouble and stay relaxed, and get myself focused for the last 1000. The last 600 was a steady grind. From 600 to 400 it was a gradual buildup, and it let me work into it. Over the last 400 I was trying to stay relaxed knowing that I would need another gear over the last 75 meters. There was nothing else I could do-maybe I could’ve dove across the line.
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08.30.07
Posted in Championships, World at 7:35 am by Administrator
Men’s 1,500 meters, finals
Bernard Lagat (Tucson, Ariz.): It feels great to be a champion, representing the United States. I’ve waited since 2004 for this. I can never be happier than this right now. My coach James Li is a master of laying out strategy. He came out to my hotel room and said that you have the speed and the experience, and that’s the most important thing. He said that you know what to do. I was thinking about relaxation the whole way through during the race. This race is for William Lagat, my brother-in-law and number one fan who passed away. (talking about positioning during the race) I wanted to be in the top three up until the last fifty meters. I was thinking to myself in the last fifty, ‘I think I’m going to win this, but I didn’t want to celebrate just yet’. I’ve never been like this–I’ve always been a silver medalist. (on the 5000 meters) Tonight, I am going to celebrate with my son, my wife, my coach, and my manager, but tomorrow it’s back to business. Read the rest of this entry »
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08.27.07
Posted in Championships, Track Meets, Results, World at 5:56 pm by Administrator
Webb’s run at greatness could bring U.S. breakthrough
After breaking legendary prep record, the 1,500-meter specialist had a lot to overcome.
By Philip Hersh
Special to The Times
August 24, 2007
If there is to be a lasting highlight in an outstanding athletic career, better that it should come later than sooner.
If it comes too soon, especially when that career is in its infancy, expectations grow so big, so fast that the normal process of maturation is stunted, if not turned upside down. Read the rest of this entry »
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08.25.07
Posted in Championships, NickArt, World at 11:27 am by Administrator
OSAKA, Japan - Team USA’s men’s marathon team finished fourth in World Cup competition while most American athletes expected to move on their qualifying rounds did so Saturday morning during opening-day competition at the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Competition continues Saturday evening.
The marathoners withstood brutal conditions in the meet’s opening event. With a start time of 7 a.m., the race finished with temperatures in the mid-80s, humidity at 63 percent, and a bright sun. Employing conservative running early on, Americans steadily moved up in the field throughout the race. Top finisher was Mbarak Hussein (Albuquerque, N.M.), 21st in 2:23:04. Mike Morgan (Rochester Hills, Mich.) was 23rd in 2:23:28, Kyle O’Brien (Shelby Township, Mich.) was 32nd in 2:28:28, with Fernando Cabada (Bloomington, Ind.) 50th in 2:35:48. Simeon Sawe (Santa Fe, N.M.) did not start.
Luke Kibet of Kenya took the individual gold in 2:15:59, with Mubarak Hassan Shami of Qatar second in 2:17:18 and Viktor Rothlin of Switzerland third in 2:17:25.
Team placings were determined by combined time for the top three finishers. Team USA posted a team time of 7:15:00 for fourth, behind Japan in first (6:54:23), Korea in second (7:12:08) and Kenya in third (7:12:33). Ethiopia was fifth, well behind Team USA, in 7:19:08.
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Posted in Championships, World at 11:06 am by Administrator
Goucher makes history
While the 1-2 finish in the shot was not unexpected, Goucher’s medal was a stunning achievement for the former NCAA champion from the University of Colorado who was making her first appearance at World Outdoors. Although Goucher (Portland, Ore.) had the ninth-fastest personal best in the field, her racing savvy and closing speed earned her America’s first World Outdoor medal in the 10 km, besting a pair of fifth-place finishes by Hall of Famer Lynn Jennings. Goucher took the bronze in a season-best time of 32:02.05, behind defending 10,000m and 5,000m world champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia (31:55.41) and Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey (31:59.40).
The race was a tactician’s dream as the entire pack stayed tightly bunched through 5 km, passed in a conservative pace of 16:29.24 as runners to their measure of each other as well as the heat.
Shortly after half way, the pack slowly began to string out, but quickly bunched up again 19 minutes into the race. The pack eventually began to thin slightly as Goucher stayed near the front, Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) was in the middle and 2005 USA Champion Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.) was near the back of the pack.
Goucher moved into second place with seven laps to go but fell to as low as fourth with 800m remaining. The Alberto Salazar-coached Goucher remained in fourth with one lap to go but surged into second, ahead of Joanna Pavey of Great Britain and Kimberley Smith of New Zealand, whom she had been dueling all race long. Entering the final straight, Goucher was well clear of Pavey, who finished fourth in 32:03.81. Among Americans, Kastor was sixth in 32:24.44, and McGregor was 13th in 32:44.76. A jubilant Goucher then toured the stadium track on a victory lap, carrying the American flag.
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Posted in Championships, World at 10:51 am by Administrator
Women’s 10,000 meters
Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.): The race went exactly how I didn’t want it to go, very tactical and slow, and I didn’t put myself in the position to be up there from the very beginning. I made the mistake t be in the pack where there was a lot of pushing and shoving, and suffered the consequences.
Kara Goucher (Portland, Ore.): We’ve been training so hard in the heat. With the pace so slow, I was thinking to myself that this is good for me. With two laps to go, I was thinking that fifth or sixth would be good, but then I thought about running in the sauna suit, and the 90-mile weeks, and the aqua jogging, and I said to myself, “sprint.”
I’ve never been in a race so rough. I was running in lane 2, but I said that I don’t want to fall, so I hung out there. It’s an honor to be here.
Katie McGregor (Saint Louis Park, Minn.): It was really hard t get comfortable and I probably should have been more aggressive. I just think I didn’t put myself in a position t compete. I got spiked, and I think I started thinking about other things besides racing. I was in the back in the beginning, but when it was time to move up, I just didn’t play it right.
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07.13.07
Posted in Championships, Track Meets, Results, World at 3:04 pm by Administrator
California distance star Jordan Hasay (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) ran a savvy race on the way to her second-fastest time ever, winning silver in the 1,500m with a time of 4:17.24. Hasay ran at the front of the pack for most of the race and had to escape the team tactics of Kenyans Sheila Kiprotich and Sammary Cherotich midway through the first lap. The 15-year-old U.S. junior 1,500 champion surged to the front through 800 in 2:16.08, and ran a 2:18.6 final 800 to finish second to Kiprotich.
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03.25.07
Posted in Championships, World at 6:56 am by Administrator
Ferrell leads Team USA senior women to eight place team finish at world cross county championships
Photo: chris schwartz at kern invite 3200
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03.24.07
Posted in Championships, World at 7:31 am by Administrator
photo: schwartz leading
MOMBASA, Kenya - The 16-member Team USA squad practiced Friday at the Mombasa Golf Course, the venue for this Saturday’s 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
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