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.
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