Day 3

By Lee Juillerat

For several hours it was just another day. Spoiled track and field fans were enjoying another round of sterling performances at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the sultry Eugene heat Sunday afternoon, but without the soul and passion that had marked Friday and Saturday. The pole vault competition seemed to lack drama; the triple jump finals were mechanical; even the finals in the hurdles seemed cool, especially in comparison to the very un-Eugene like 90-degree temperatures.

But late in the men's long competition something happened. The polite but half-hearted enthusiasm turned electric as the jumpers fired up themselves and the 20,000 people at Hayward Field. Four leapers took turns besting each other marks. Brian Johnson appeared safe for the gold after flying 27-2.3 feet. But on his final jump, Trevell Quinley literally flew from third to first with a crowd-stirring 27-5.5. Miguel Pate soon followed with a 26.11.75, good enough for the third and final spot to Beijing and enough to pass Dwight Phillips, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist. Pate looked like a human exclamation point - !!!!! - bounding wildly.

The old joints in Hayward field were jumping when the day's final event, the men's 100 meter run, followed. The wait to see how fast a man could run was the shortest ever, with Tyson Gay propelling the distance in 9.68. It won't be a world record because the wind was blowing at 4.1 meters per second, but in an event where gauntlets are thrown at opponents, it served notice that Gay is more than ready. The mark also rates as the fastest under any conditions. Completing the team were Walter Dix with 9.80, a time than any other day would have been stunning, and Darvis Patton.

Several minutes later, after enjoying a victory lap and on-track celebrations, Dix was exiting the field when he passed along a ropeline of excited fans, who treated him with roars of applause. Dix, who had been so composed on the track, looked stunned, heard a young boy ask for an autograph and, obviously temporarily confused, instead handed him the bouquet of flowers he had received moments before on the winner's podium. For that young boy, and for Dix and the rest of us, just another wasn't just another day. The magic continues.

Day 2

By Lee Juillerat

EUGENE - Day 2, or dayvaju.

Like a great rollercoaster, the thrills just keep coming at the U.S. Olympic Trial, especially those unexpected doozies. Tyson Gay, the nation's premier sprinter, stunned everyone, including himself, Saturday afternoon in the 100 meters opening round when he appeared to think he'd finished the finish line, not at the 100 meters mark, but at about 80 meters. He recovered quickly enough to reignite and place third. A few hours later, in the quarterfinals, Gay more than atoned by zooming to an American record 9.77, breaking the old mark of 9.79 held by Maurice Greene.

That was just part of the excitement. Later in the day Mona Lee held off Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams in the women's 100, with all three earning trips to Beijing, while hepathlete Hyleas Fountain totaled 6,667 points, the third best mark by an American woman, to lead the trio for their tickets to China. In the shotput, Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell and Adam Nelson took turns outdoing each other, with Hoffa winning with a toss of 72-6.5 followed by Cantwell wih 71-2.75 and Nelson moving up from fourth with 68-6.5.

As in the men's 100, several of the best thrills came in qualifying heats. The 20,000-plus at Hayward Field bellowed collective groans in the women's 800 when four runners, including Nicole Teter, fell to the track. Teter eventually placed fifth, but after the race the judges allowed her and the others to advance.

Some of the day's loudest cheers came for athletes in exhibition events, the 1500 meter wheelchair and 100 meter men's ambulatory.

"This was an amazing experience. I've never been front of this many people before," said Alex Richter, who won the men's 100 in 10.8. Richter, 19, from Lullman, Arkansas, said he only learned Tuesday that he was invited to participate. He recently completed his freshman year at Wallace State, but is looking for another school because Wallace had discontinued its track and field program.

In the 1500, 17-year-old Zach Abbott, who will be a senior at David Douglass High in the Portland, Oregon area, was pleased with his sixth place finish, a time of 3:57:97. Even though temperatures were in the 90s, he said conditions were milder than Arizona, site of last month's U.S. Paraolympics Trials. He began wheelchair racing as an 11-year-old - "I hated it at first," he admitting, noting his mother prodded him relentlessly. "I had to be forced."

Sunday's events include the first five rounds in the men's decathlon, quarterfinals for the men's and women's 400 and finals in the women's triple jump, men's pole vault, women's discus, men's long jump, women and men's 400 meter hurdles and men's 100.

Gold medal day 1

By Lee Juillerat

Day One of the Olympic Trials for the U.S. Track and Field was exactly what everyone hoped it would be, a gold medal day with double platinum performances at historic Hayward Field in Eugene. The long, often hot ended in spectacular fashion, with Shalane Flanagan, the women's American record holder in the 10,000 and 5,000 meters, putting on a late charge to pull away from Kara Goucher to win in a Hayward Field record time of 31:34:81.

The day's final race, with most of the 20,000-plus still in their seats, capped an evening that began with parading Chinese dragons and jubilant strolls along the track by many members of the 1980 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team that was prevented from participating in the Moscow Olympics by President Jimmy Carter. That presidential veto still rankles most Americans because it was a purely political decision, one that only damaged the athletes. Among those striding around the track were local favorites like Alberto Salazar and Mary Decker Slaney, who until Friday night held Hayward Field's 10K record. (Was it really that long the Olympic Trials were last in Eugene?)

The renovated field proved an ever-changing three-ring circus, with pole vaulters performing high-wire acts, sprinters and hurdles exploding like cheetahs, and elephant-sized shot putters roaring like lions.

Along with celebrations, like the joyful dancing of Kara Goucher, who slapped high-fives with fans and carried her daughter, and the antic theatrics of vaulters like Toby Stevenson, there were also the inevitable disappointments. For many it was a short stay after not making it out of the earliest qualifying events, but the disappointment was probably the sharpest for Nicole Leach of UCLA, who appeared to be on her way to an easy qualification in the 400 hurdles when she smacked into a hurdle, tumbled, and finished the race last.

While events on the track went smoothly, the meet revealed problems. Lines were forever, whether trying to fill water bottles from faucets - organizers only are allowing people to bring empty bottles - or waiting a half-hour or longer to buy beer, burgers or brauts. The prohibition on bringing in any food or water means spectators should plan to eat and drink hearty before the meet, or try the option of leaving the area to buy snacks outside.

What's next? Saturday's relatively short schedule will be highlighted with two finals, the shotput and women's 100 meters along with the qualifying heat and quarterfinals in the men's 100. And, with temperatures only expected to heat up even more than the competition, long lines for soft drinks and shaved ice.

Welcome to the Trials

The Olympic Trials for the U.S. Track and Field team begins Friday in Eugene, Oregon, and I'm excited. While I can't claim to be a hard-core track junkie, I am a runner and a fan. I've been to several Olympic Trials over the decades, including three in Eugene (1972, 1976 and 1980) along with Sacramento and Palo Alto. There's no contest — Eugene is truly the nation's Track Capital. The town is large enough to handle the event and, even better, small enough that the Trials creates a contagious, city-wide buzz that has everyone chatting about things like shotput throwing techniques, 5K splits and the recommended number of steps between high hurdles.
During the Trials I'll try to provide insights into topics and people you won't read in the newspaper, see on television or read about on other Websites. And maybe recommend some favorite wineries to visit when there's down time at Hayward Field. I hope we'll all learn about runners we've heard of and see just what uniforms the qualifiers will be wearing in Beijing.
Whether on the track or from the stands, let's all plan on setting some personal bests.
Lee Juillerat