July 5th, 2008

Eugene `08 - Day Six

by Toni Reavis in Olympics, USATF

 Another sell-out crowd jammed into Hayward Field tonight for Day Six of the 2008 Trials.  Expecting fireworks on this Fourth of July with the semifinals of the men’s and women’s 1500 meters, along with the finals in the women’s 5000 and the men’s 10,000 - track crack for the Eugene distance junkies - the mood in the old barn was instead somewhat subdued compared with the other nights’ action.  Maybe it’s expecting too much for the Eugene fans to keep rising to new heights of frenzy, but though appreciative, there wasn’t the ferocity tonight we’d seen on night one with the women’s 10,000 meter final, or Monday night for the men’s 800. Still, it was somewhat surprising.

Notwithstanding, more Olympians were crowned and another fan favorite was identified.  The biggest surge of excitement came in the final lap of the second woman’s 1500 meter semifinal when 16 year old high school junior Jordan Hasay moved from seventh on the back stretch to fifth down the homestretch to grab one of the six spots in Sunday’s final.  Her 4:14.50 broke fellow semifinalist Christine Babcock’s national high school record by nearly two seconds, and placed her fifth on the all-time U.S. junior list behind names like Suzy Favor and Jan Merrill. 

As she made her move on the backstretch, the crowd began that rolling thunder that Eugene has become famous for.  As her long blond hair switched back and forth to the increasing tempo of her back kick, the delight of such a young talent brought smiles to thousands of faces.  Jordan’s only problem was getting permission to postpone her trip to Poland for the World Junior Championships till Monday so she can run in the final here on Sunday.  USATF women’s High Performance chairperson Stephanie Hightower was more than happy to arrange for the delay.

In a trials which so far hasn’t featured too many good moments for USATF, their decision to allow Adam Goucher to run the 10,000 meter final tonight, even though seven other men had faster qualifying times but weren’t allowed to run, was validated by Adam’s seventh place performance.  While his wife Kara was still making her victory lap around Hayward Field after winning the women’s 5000 meter final minutes earlier, Adam was immersed in a battle in the second pack of the men’s 10,000 meters. Ultimately he finished seventh in 27:59.31, but his presence did help make the race interesting, and as always his determination added value to the enterprise.

Alan Webb’s favorite U2 song has to be “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, because once again indecision, or poor decision making almost cost him in the first semifinal of the 1500 meters.  In what was still only his third 1500/mile of the year, Webb led the first semi through a 61.95 opening quarter and the half in 2:05.07.  He even fought off a challenge to keep the lead at 900 meters.  But when Rob Myers, another 2004 Olympian, scaled up with heat with 200 to go, Alan wasn’t ready.

“I made a big move at 600 (to go),” Webb said afterward in the mixed zone.  “But I should have made another push with 250 to go.  Rob had the momentum when he came by, and I got into a boxed in position.”

Stuck on the rail, Webb could only accelerate in a tight range, and hope the guys in front didn’t die and let people from the outside lanes get by.  Didn’t happen, but Alan had once again allowed himself to be put at the mercy of others.  He placed fifth behind Bernard Lagat, Rob Myers, William Leer, and Steve Sherer.  Alan’s race instincts have yet to gel with his native ability, and his aggressive tendencies.  But he still looked peppy enough to make the team, given he doesn’t make any errors in the final.  Gabe Jennings, the 2000 Olympic Trials champion seemed anxious to prove he’s back in full form by winning semifinal number two with Texas NCAA champion Leo Manzano continuing to impress as a team contender along with Lopez Lomong and a fast closing Chris Lukezic. Jon Rankin and Said Ahmed rounded out the qualfiers from semi # 2.

In the women’s 5000 meter final Adam Goucher’s wife Kara got a measure of revenge against Shalane Flanagan in the women’s 5000 meters final after losing to the Marblehead, Mass native in the 10,000 meter final on Day One of the Trials.  Six women defined the lead pack by 2k, Ari Lambie, Shalane, Jen Rhines, Kara, Sarah Slattery, and Lauren Fleshman.  They were 7:25.1 at halfway, 15:20 pace.  With four laps to go, you could tell they were getting anxious, and someone was going to bust out.  The top six women were within 65/100ths of a second apart. 

With three to go, the spring sprung, and it was American record holder Shalane Flanagan who released it.  Jen and Kara instantly answered, while Ari, Sarah, and Lauren were dropped.  The team seemed set, because Shalane and Kara had already made the 10,000 meter team, while Jen has twice been an Olympian, and wasn’t prone to mistakes. But who would win?

After a 67 lap it looked like Kara was faltering. Jen held tough, but Shalane was striding out.  13:55.7 at the bell.  But on the backstretch Kara dug for, and found, her finish gear, the one that earned her a bronze medal in the 10,000 last year in Osaka at the World Champs.  Down the stretch it was Kara free and clear the winner in 15:01.02 following a 64.6 final 400.  Jen came passed the gutted Flanagan as well, to earn her third Olympic berth, one for each distance, the 10,000 in Sydney, the Marathon in Athens, and now the 5k for Beijing.  Flanagan just ran out of steam after a long week of racing.  Both she and Kara must declare which distance to run by Trials’ end.  It seems evident that Kara gets better with added distance. Which could put Lauren Fleshman on the 5000 meter team as she holds that precious “A” Olympic qualifier, while fourth place finisher Sarah Slattery doesn’t.

The final event of the night was the men’s 10,000 meter final.  Galen Rupp, the Oregon Duck tutored by Alberto Salazar came out wearing a duck-green Breathe-right strip, which made him look like a clown with a dark circle in the middle of his blond-framed face.   But fashion was evidently playing second fiddle to function, and Rupp was the crowd favorite for sure. 

From the start it was evident that Abdi Abdirahman was determined to make it an honest race, beginning at 27:30 pace from the get-go.

“My coach Dave Murray told me to make it a man’s race,” said the irrepressible Abdi afterwards.  “Don’t let any pretenders in there. If you are going to get beat, make it in a fast race.”

But there were plenty of men up for the call.  They passed 3K in 8:17.97, sub 27:40 pace.  The Olympic Trials record belonged to Meb Keflezighi at 27:36.49 from 2004.  Meb himself looked to be unable to defend that mark or his Olympic position after only beginning training seven weeks ago.  He joined the fray early, but soon dropped back to battle for spots 10, 11, and 12.

Abdi refused to relent. 5k passed in 13:49 with lap after lap falling in 65, 66, 67 at the slowest.  Jorge Torrez and Galen Rupp were the only two who could match Abdi’s power.  And since Abdi had failed to earn a spot on the marathon team last November in New York City due to an injury, everyone knew he was focused even more on this night.  He’d prepped with a 27:16 this summer, second fastest ever by an American.  Rupp, the runner up at the nationals last year and at the NCAA cross country was thinking he’d like to step up in front of his home audience, while former high school and NCAA cross king Torres wanted to dismiss the notion that he wasn’t serious enough to contend in the pro ranks. 

Ed Moran, Adam Goucher, Josh Rohatinsky, and Dathan Ritzenhein waged their own battle going for fourth, but they couldn’t quite get into sniffing distance to the leaders.

“I knew they weren’t coming back,” Ed said afterward.  “I tried to change gears a couple of times to reel them in, but they were just out of range.  We had a great race in the second pack, but unfortunately not enough to get up there.”

Abdi tried to drop Rupp and Torres a couple of times, and got a gap.  But he couldn’t consolidate it.  So he eased up, and let it come down to the kick, which hasn’t been one of his go-to strategies.  But once again he called on coach Murray’s advice.

“You’re in the best shape of your life,’ he told me,” said Abdi.  “Let’s see what they’ve got in the last 400.”

Abdi sailed over the line as Olympic Trials champion, then continued to fly around the track, arms spread wide like a little kid imitating an airplane. He flew all the way to the steeplechase water jump where he gloriously slid into pool to the delight of the crowd. Rupp and Jorge Torres will join him in Beijing.  It was a night for Al Salazar to delight, as he helped both Kara Goucher and Galen Rupp realize their Olympic dreams.  It was a night of resurrection for Jorge Torres who had such a difficult 2007.

“Never stop dreaming,” Jorge told the reporters after his first lap as an Olympian.  “Before Christmas break Alan Culpepper, who has been helping me a lot, told me, ‘You have to make a decision to make the Olympic team’.  And since then all I could think about was make that team, make that team.”

Jorge credits Boulder as well as his Tempo Sports Club coach Steve Jones - the former marathon world record holder from Wales - with much of his success. “I made Boulder my home,” said the Chicago-area native.  “The community is so close knit.  I made myself one of them.  But I finally found a coach whose is more than a coach.  One day I want to be just like him.  I have so much respect for him.”

The Olympic Trials define eras, create heroes, and most of all bring out the kid in us all.  We will all come out to play for two more days, and find out who else has a dream come true. 

END

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