EUGENE, Ore. - (July 6, 2008) - Bernard Lagat completed his first 1500m / 5000m national championship double on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field, winning the 1500 meter final in 3:40.37. Lagat, Kenyan born but an American since 2004, will be joined in the 1500 by two other immigrants who came through the U.S. system: Leonel Manzano (3:40.90) and Lopez Lomong (3:41.00).
Lagat, 33, took the lead from Said Ahmed with 200 meters to go, and exercised the kick which earned him Olympic bronze and silver medals in this event in 2000 and 2004. Manzano, who had been shadowing Lagat from the beginning, moved to challenge at the top of the homestretch but was not able to draw even with the world champion Lagat. Lomong also pulled away from the pack, while defending Trials champion Alan Webb was left struggling; Webb was caught at the line by Will Leer, but he will be the alternate for Beijing, as the next finisher with the "A" standard.
The race started as a tactical one, with Lagat initially taking the lead and setting a pedestrian pace. In the process, the Tucson resident took nearly all those lacking the "A" standard out of the team race, and when 2000 Olympian Gabe Jennings came to the front at 300 meters and strung out the pack it was already too late for all but the most heroic effort to produce a sub-3:36 race.
Jennings led until about 500 meters to go, where Ahmed, another who needed the "A" mark, took over until Lagat started his kick.
"My coach told me that there was no pressure , that I can run with anything that develops," said Lagat. "The goal was to just stay out of trouble. We almost had happen today, but we were able to get out of it. With 500 to go, I knew it was time to go to the front. I thought Alan or someone might surprise me at some point. The third lap I ran wide the whole way to make sure no one could box me into the rail."
"I thought one of the guys might take it out since they didn't have the standard," added Manzano, two-time NCAA 1500m champion. "It went out a little slower than what I thought. We probably went through at 2:00 or 2:01."
Lomong, the 2007 NCAA champion, spoke for all three when he said, "This is a country that I absolutely love and I can feel it and how important it is to the people. It is great."
Earlier in the afternoon, two more of John Cook's North Carolina-based women qualified for the Olympic team, as Shannon Rowbury and Erin Donohue finished first and second in the 1500 meter final. (They will join Shalane Flanagan, who has qualified at 5000m and 10,000m.)
Rowbury, 24, who had run the fastest time for an American this year, was heavily favored and dominated the race from the time she took the lead with 600 meters remaining, but Donohue had to kick past her 2007 World Championships teammate Christin Wurth-Thomas on the homestretch. All three had previously beaten the Olympic "A" standard of 4:07.00 and will compete in Beijing.
The fourth "A" standard qualifier and the winner of every national title in this event since the last Trials, Treniere Clement, took the early lead, but didn't appear interested in setting a fast pace, so Lindsey Gallo (who lacked the qualifier) took over at 500 meters and strung out the pack.
Wurth-Thomas and Rowbury covered Gallo's move, and after a lap on the windy track it was Rowbury who felt the stronger. Rowbury's move was aggressive and final: she took over at the 900 meter point, and by the time the kilometer mark was passed, Wurth-Thomas was already falling back. Rowbury would cruise to the finish without an apparent change of pace, winning in 4:05.48.
"I reacted well and was able to bring home the win," said Rowbury, a Duke grad. "I'm so excited because we have a great contingent going to Beijing. Should be an exciting next couple of months and I can't wait till August."
Rowbury's teammate Donohue started a long drive to the finish with 400 meters remaining, and after drawing even with Wurth-Thomas with 200 remaining, she fought into second on the homestretch, grabbing second in 4:08.20 with Wurth-Thomas third (4:08.48).
"I was supposed to relax the first couple of laps," explained Donohue. "The third lap I moved up and got into position. I felt very controlled the last lap. When I pulled up next to Christin, I just ran for a hard finish. This year, I wanted to be one hundred percent all year and to execute well here."
"I had a race plan coming into the race and I tried to stick to that," said Wurth-Thomas. "My thought was at 500 meters to go with all I had, but my legs were heavy. I felt good until I got on the track. I don't know if it was nerves or what."
In all of the ten Olympic events 1500m and longer, the U.S. was able to select a full team of "A" qualifiers from the top three finishers at the Trials. USA Track & Field is expected to officially announce the team early in the coming week.
U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m
Eugene, OR, Sunday, July 6, 2008
MEN
1) Bernard Lagat (AZ), 3:40.37
2) Leonel Manzano (TX), 3:40.90
3) Lopez Lomong (AZ), 3:41.00
4) Will Leer (OR), 3:41.54
5) Alan Webb (VA), 3:41.62
6) Jon Rankin (CA), 3:41.75
7) Said Ahmed (AR), 3:42.20
8) Andrew McClary (AR), 3:42.40
9) Rob Myers (OH), 3:42.62
10) Chris Lukezic (VA), 3:43.26
WOMEN
1) Shannon Rowbury (CA), 4:05.48
2) Erin Donohue (NC), 4:08.20
3) Christin Wurth-Thomas (AR), 4:08.48
4) Morgan Uceny (NY), 4:10.85
5) Amy Mortimer (RI), 4:14.98
6) Lindsey Gallo (MI), 4:15.96
7) Tiffany McWilliams (MS), 4:16.28
8) Sarah Bowman (TN), 4:16.54
9) Sara Hall (CA), 4:16.79
10) Jordan Hasay (CA), 4:17.36
Complete Olympic Trials results and more at: www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/
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Special thanks to
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director.
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
http://www.runningusa.org
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