Track & Field Trials - Eugene, OR
After an intense eight days of competition, the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials concluded on Sunday and the Beijing-bound team was named. With some unexpected upsets and record-breaking races, the notoriously loyal and knowledgeable track and field fans in Eugene remained entertained throughout all eight days.
Inside the action at Olympic Trials in Omaha.
With an amazing 100m race earlier in the week, Tyson Gay hoped to duplicate his success in the 200m. Unfortunately for the 2007 world champ, he fell during a quarterfinal heat due to a muscle cramp and was unable to qualify in the 200m. Gay still plans to run the 100m in Beijing. Walter Dix, Shawn Crawford and Wallace Spearmon will compete for the U.S. in the event in August.
As was expected, Gay's female counterpart, Allyson Felix finished on top in the women's 200m, ahead of Muna Lee and Marshevet Hooker.
Representing the U.S. in the men's 1500m will be three foreign born citizens who have each traveled very different paths to arrive on the U.S. Olympic Team. Kenya native Bernard Lagat won the race in 3:40.37. This will be Lagat's third Olympic Games, but his first representing the stars and stripes. In second was Leonel Manzano, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico at age four and become a U.S. citizen in 2004. Rounding out the top three was Lopez Lomong, a Sudaneese refugee who came to the U.S. in 2001.
Leading the pack in the women's pole vault was Jenn Stuczynski, who not only finished first but also set a new American record by clearing 16 feet, 1.75 inches. The rookie (she has only competed internationally for three years) will be joined by April Steiner Bennett and Erica Bartolina, who finished second and third.
Distance runner Kara Goucher is another Olympic rookie who caused quite a buzz in Eugene. With a first place finish in the 5,000m and second in the 10,000, Goucher qualified to run both events in Beijing.
For a complete list of track & field qualifiers, go to Making the cut.
Swimming Trials - Omaha, NE
Away from the track and tradition of Hayward Field, swimmers competed in the final weekend of Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Similarly, these Trials saw a number of American-record and world-record breaking performances in addition to some shocking upsets.
Making the biggest splash of anyone was Baltimore native Michael Phelps, who qualified to swim in eight events in Beijing. If Phelps takes home gold in each event, he will break Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven golds won at a single Olympic Games. Not only did the phenom qualify in eight events, but he also set two world records throughout the competition. Katie Hoff, another Baltimore native who attracted world-wide attention at Trials, qualified to swim five individual events in Beijing. Both will compete in their second Olympic Games in August.
More than double Hoff's age, 41-year-old Dara Torres qualified for a shocking fifth Olympic Games on Sunday night. Torres, whose Olympic journey began at the 1984 L.A. Games, qualified in both the 50m and 100m freestyle. Torres not only finished top in both events, but she also set a new American record in the 50m. Earlier today, she announced that she will only race the 50m free in Beijing, out of concern that two individual races and two potential relays would be too much on her body.
Much like Torres, Garrett Weber-Gale finished first in both the 50m and 100m free. These will be the first Games for Weber-Gale who will be joined by Ben Wildman-Tobriner in the 50m and Jason Lezak in the 100m.
Margaret Hoelzer, who will compete in both the 100m and 200m backstroke, set a new world record in the 200m back. This will be Hoelzer's second Olympic appearance.
For a complete list of the swimming qualifiers, go to Making the cut.
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