By Fred Baer

Olympic Trials champion Shannon Rowbury of San Francisco became the fourth fastest women’s metric miler in U.S. history Friday.  The Sacred Heart Cathedral grad ran the 1,500 meters in 4 minutes, 0.33 seconds at the Meeting Gaz de France, held in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Friday night.  She  finished second in her first major international 1,500 race, chasing World champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain to the finish.  Jamal won in 3:59.99.   
 
So, a month before the Olympics in Beijing, Rowbury has the No. 3 time of 2008 and has proven that she can run with the Olympic favorite, posting the fastest American time in eight years.    
 
Only two American women have ever broken four minutes in the event.  The last was Suzy Favor-Hamilton, in 2000.  Rowbury edged ahead of former Stanford star Regina Jacobs (4:00.35) on the all-time USA list. (Favor-Hamilton is the only non-Californian among the top five.)
 
Rowbury, a Duke grad who now trains again in the City, made her initial break-through two months ago in the adidas Classic at the Home Depot Center in Carson, running 4:01.61.  That was an early-season world leading mark and elevated her to No. 5 on the all-time list with the fastest American time since 2002.  
 
All-time USA top 1,500 meter performers:
3:57.12 Mary Slaney, 1983
3:57.40 Suzy Favor-Hamilton, 2000
4:00.18 Ruth Wysocki, 1984
4:00.33 Shannon Rowbury, 2008
4:00.35 Regina Jacobs, 1999

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