EUGENE (28-Jun) -- The manager for USA mile record holder Alan Webb says his client won't contest today's 1500m final at the USA Outdoor Championships here.
"Alan hurt his left hamstring during Thursday's 1500m warm up," said Ray Flynn of Flynn Sports Management through a written statement. "He further strained it during the race. The decision was made after extensive therapy with Dr. Justin Whittaker that he could not compete in today's race."
This is yet another setback for the 26 year-old Webb who had hoped to make it to the IAAF World Championships this year after failing to qualify for last year's Olympic Games (he finished fifth in the USA Olympic Trials). Webb looked solid in the opening round here, closing hard in the third of four heats to finish second by a whisker over USA indoor 3000m champion David Torrence in 3:42.35.
In a relative sense, Webb's job of qualifying for Berlin was made easier here because defending world 1500m champion Bernard Lagat did not contest the 1500m. Instead, Lagat ran the 800m first round to fulfill a USATF requirement that he at least participate in this meet to use his bye into the world championships.
Webb, who lives in Reston, Va., last competed in a global championship in Osaka in 2007 where he finished 8th in the 1500m final. In 2007 he surpassed Steve Scott's USA mile record by running 3:46.91 in Brasschaat, Belgium.
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