Olympic Trials News 7/11/04
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Olympic Trials had never seen a men's 100-meter race as close, or as fast, or as tremendous as they did Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. It was the exciting cap to a day that saw eight records fall in three events. Maurice Greene won his second consecutive Olympic Trials men's 100 meters in a meet-record time of 9.91 - the 47th wind-legal sub-10 second run of his career - to earn the chance to defend his Olympic gold medal, but the three-time world champion wasn't alone at the line. Finishing in virtually a dead heat, Justin Gatlin (9.92) and his training partner, Shawn Crawford (9.93), were second and third to give the United States a formidable lineup for Athens. Coby Miller was fourth in 9.99 as four men dipped under 10 seconds. Only in 1972, when Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson went 1-2 in a hand-timed, world-record 9.9 seconds, had more than one man gone sub-10 in wind-legal conditions at the Olympic Trials. (In 1988, seven men went sub-10 with a 5.2 meters-per-second wind storm behind them.) The first three rounds had indicated that the final would be close, but no one predicted a race as tight as this one. Greene got off to his usual, impeccable start in lane 3, but the field was very close behind. Gatlin and Crawford both began to surge in the final stages, and the race was so close that the lead looked to have changed hands. Greene was first to the tape in a new Olympic Trials record time, beating Dennis Mitchell's mark of 9.92 from 1996. Gatlin, the 2003 world indoor 60m champion, set a new personal best with his time while Crawford, the 2001 world indoor 200m gold medalist and 2004 world indoor 60m runner-up, earned his first Olympic berth. The semifinal round of the 100 had provided cliffhanger set-up to the final, capping what had been three very competitive rounds of qualifying. Easing up at the finish and running into a 2.1 mps headwind, Greene won the first semi in 10.06, but Crawford responded in the second semi with a time of 9.93 with still winds, as Gatlin was second in 9.96. Tiombe Hurd re-established herself as the top U.S. triple jumper, and the best in U.S. history, by jumping 14.45 meters/47 feet, 5 inches, to beat Sheila Hudson's longstanding American record of 14.41m/47-3.5, set in 1996. Hurd's mark also is the Olympic Trials and U.S. championship record. Her record jump came on her fourth attempt and was one of only two legal marks she posted on the day, as her other big marks were negated by fouling on the take-off board. It was a well-timed return to form for the 30-year-old Hurd. She had won a bronze medal at the 2001 world indoor championships, then won her first and - until Sunday - only U.S. title later that same year. Two sub-par years, in which Yuliana Perez had emerged as the top U.S. jumper, were more than erased by Hurd in the idyllic jumping conditions Sunday in Sacramento. Off her form this outdoor season, Perez placed sixth with a jump of 13.47m/44-2.5. She will join Hurd on the Olympic Team since they are the only two Americans to have achieved the Olympic A standard of 14.20m/46-7.25. Second-place finisher Shakeema Walker can make the team if she beats the A standard by August 9. The women's 400m hurdles was mind-boggling in its lead changes, drama and pure speed. 2004 NCAA champion Sheena Johnson of UCLA got out to a quick lead in lane 6, but over the final turn 2001 NCAA champion Brenda Taylor moved ahead in lane 5. Just a moment later, world junior record holder and 2002 NCAA and world junior champion LaShinda Demus streaked into the lead. That lead was short-lived. Demus tripped on the penultimate hurdle, then began to slow markedly. Taylor and Johnson surged as four-time U.S. champion Sandra Glover also moved up to the top three spots with the finish line drawing nearer. Demus fought back as the four women approached the line, virtually together. When the clocked stopped, Johnson was first in 52.95 to break the collegiate (53.47, Janeene Vickers, 1991), Olympic Trials (53.33, Sandra Glover, 2000) and U.S. championship (53.97, Kim Batten, 1997) records. It was also broke a record as the fastest time ever run by an American on U.S. soil (Batten's 53.97). The UCLA senior leads a potent U.S. contingent to Athens that includes Taylor, second in 53.36, and Demus, third in 53.43. Glover finished fourth in 53.64. The men's 400 hurdles was nearly as dramatic, with several lead changes over the final 200 meters. Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor was first through 200 meters, but NCAA runner-up Bennie Brazell of LSU made up ground. Defending U.S. champion Bershawn Jackson was in first after the penultimate hurdle, but 2000 Olympian James Carter burst through on the outside to win in 47.68, the fastest time in the world in 2004. In his first appearance in a U.S. championship final since he won in 2001, Taylor earned the chance to defend his Olympic title by placing second in 48.03 - his fastest time since 2001. Brazell was third in 48.05. 2001 Goodwill Games gold medalist Tim Mack and 2004 world leader Toby Stevenson engaged in a two-man duel in the pole vault, which ended with three first-time Olympians comprising the U.S. team. Mack led the competition through 5.70m/18-8.25, then passed to 5.80m/19-0.25. When he missed on his first attempt and Stevenson cleared to take the lead, Mack then passed to 5.85m/19-2.25. Mack needed his final attempt to clear 5.85, while Stevenson made it on his first try, seemingly putting Stevenson in control of the competition. But Mack came through in the clutch and cleared 5.90m/19-4.25 on his first attempt. Stevenson missed, then passed to 5.95m/19-6.25, at which he missed his final two attempts, ensuring Mack was the Olympic Trials champion. Mack's 5.90/19-4.25 put him in first, with Stevenson second at 5.85m/19-2.25. Derek Miles, the 2003 U.S. indoor champion who missed the 2000 Olympic Team in a jump-off, was third at 5.80m/19-0.25. Defending world outdoor champion Dwight Phillips needed only his first jump of 8.28m/27-2, to win the men's long jump. Tony Allmond, the 2003 NCAA runner-up from South Carolina, was second with 8.10m/26-7; and 2004 NCAA champion John Moffitt of LSU was third at 8.07m/26-5.75. Allmond, however, will be replaced on the team by fourth-place finisherWalter Davis (7.91m/25-11.5), because Davis already has the "A" standard. American record holder Kim Kreiner won the women's javelin with a throw of 55.65m/182-8. She will be the only American athlete in the event at the Olympics unless Sarah Malone (54.22m/177-11) and Denise O'Connell (54.05m/177-04), who placed second and third, respectively, meet the Olympic A standard of 60.50/198-6 by August 9. In the only qualifying events of the day, Kelly Willie had the fastest time by far in the men's 400m quarterfinals, carrying a time of 44.46 into Monday's semifinals. Monday's schedule includes finals in the women's 800 meters, high jump, discus throw and 5,000 meters, and in the men's hammer throw and 800 meters. Qualifying rounds feature the NCAA 1-2-3 finishers, DeeDee Trotter of Tennessee, Monique Henderson of UCLA and Sanya Richards of Texas; Olympic bronze medalist Marion Jones and U.S. champion Grace Upshaw in the women's long jump; the men's steeplechase; men's 400m semifinals; and 10,000m Olympic Trials champion Meb Keflezighi in the men's 5,000. The top three finishers in each event at the Olympic Trials who have met the Olympic "A" standard are named to the U.S. Olympic Team for Athens. For results athlete quotes, posted live during competition, visit the Olympic Trials section at www.usatf.org. The USATF Web site also includes a list of all athletes who have achieved the Olympic "A" qualifying standard and full start lists for Saturday's competition.
