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EUGENE (29-Jun) -- On a blazing hot day here, a pile-up about 250 meters into yesterday's first heat of the women's 800m semi-finals at these U.S. Olympic Trials sent four women tumbling to the track, splitting the field, and initially crushing some long-held Olympic dreams.
"I remember getting grabbed then getting physical with someone," said Nikeya Green who finished third in a race where only the top-4 finishers would qualify for the final. "I don't know. It wasn't my fault, but it just kind of happened."
Just behind Green, Kameisha Bennett, Latavia Thomas and Becky Horn fell hard. Nicole Teter then went down as she tried to jump over the pile-up.
"Somebody pushed me then I tried to jump --hurdle-- the girl on the ground," said Teter doing a remarkable job of holding her composure after the race. "Didn't. Sommersaulted over her, jumped back up because this is the Olympic Trials. I just couldn't get back."
Teter was simply too far back to catch fourth place Laura Hermanson, finishing almost exactly five seconds behind her in fifth place. Well ahead of the accident, Alice Schmidt was cruising to victory in 2:03.27 with Maggie Vessey (2:03.27) and Green (2:03.90) close behind.
Immediately following the race, the fate of the four women seemed sealed: their Olympic team quest had ended. Teter was already talking about getting ready for the 1500m. "I'm just going to regroup and come back for the fifteen," she said, adding, "it was just kind of a fallback and now it seems like a blessing in disguise."
But redemption came when the meet's Head Referee determined that all four women could advance, setting the stage for a highly unusual 12-woman Olympic Trials final on Monday. The eight women from the first heat will be joined by Morgan Uceny, Hazel Clark, Katie Waits and Geena Gall who filled the top-four places in the second heat.
"I felt pretty good," said the former Ivy League star Uceny who wore a necklace of brightly colored plastic beads punctuated by one bead in the shape of a pink lion. "I was a little tired before the race, with the weather a little hot. With the 800 you feel pain, for me 700 meters of it sometimes."
Emerging prep star, Laura Roesler (who pronounces here name "RACE-ler"), finished last in the second semi-final. The 16 year-old from South Fargo, North Dakota, had to sit in a chair to conduct her post-race interviews because the heat had gotten to her. "It's a really neat experience," she said of the Olympic Trials. When asked what she would do with her name bib she responded, "Hang it on my door or something."
SYMMONDS & WHEATING BRING CROWD TO THEIR FEET
The track-savvy fans at Hayward Field roared in approval for the performances of Eugene-based athletes Nick Symmonds and Andrew Wheating. Symmonds, the former NCAA Division III star for Willamette University, used his signature kick to catch race leader Duane Solomon in the final ten meters to win the second heat in 1:45.61 to Solomon's 1:45.82. Symmonds had to make a risky move on the inside to win the race.
"I don't know anyone who can kick with me," Symmonds told reporters in the mixed zone. Asked why he waited for such a late moment in the race to make his bid for victory he quipped, "I just like to make it exciting for the fans."
Also advancing to Monday's 800m final from the second heat were Christian Smith and Lopez Lomong. The soft-spoken Smith made an excellent push to the line in the final meters to pass both Lomong and NCAA champion Jacob Hernandez to take third by 3/10,000th's of a second over Lomong (both men were given official times of 1:46.02). Hernandez ended up fifth.
Front-running Khadevis Robinson, who looked flat in the preliminary round and was fortunate to advance on time, led the first heat wire-to-wire to win in 1:46.14. But it was the University of Oregon's Wheating who brought the partisan crowd to its feet with a terrific stretch run to take second in 1:46.23.
"I've heard of them," the sophomore said of his competition, sounding more like a fan than a competitor. "On the track they are just other guys."
Also advancing were Jonathan Johnson in third (1:46.28) and Jebreh Harris in fourth (1:46.29). David Krummenacker, probably running in his last Olympic Trials, finished last.
SPRINTS TAKE CENTER STAGE TODAY
After yesterday's remarkable men's 100m quarterfinals where six wind-legal sub-10.0 performances including Tyson Gay's American record 9.77, today's action on the track will be exclusively in the sprints, capped by the men's 100m final. Middle and long distance action returns on Monday with the women's 3000m steeplechase qualifying, the men's and women's 800m finals, the women's 5000m qualifying and the much anticipated men's 5000m final featuring Bernard Lagat and Matt Tegenkamp.
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