Posted: July 18, 2004

Athletics: Favor Hamilton named 2003 U.S. outdoor champion

Suzy Favor Hamilton on Saturday earned her fourth career U.S. outdoor title in the 1,500 meters, being awarded the 2003 title with her time of 4:03.70.

The second-fastest American in history, Favor Hamilton was declared the 2003 U.S. champion when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Saturday announced a four-year ban and disqualification from the meet for Regina Jacobs. Jacobs had finished ahead of Favor Hamilton at the 2003 USA Outdoor Championships at Stanford, Calif., but tested positive for the designer steroid THG. On Saturday, USADA announced that Jacobs had accepted the four-year ban and disqualification. Jacobs forfeits all of her results and winnings beginning on the day of the test.

In addition to her four U.S. outdoor titles, Favor Hamilton owns two of the four fastest outdoor 1,500-meter times in U.S. history and five of the top 10. American record holder Mary Slaney owns the other five. Favor Hamilton’s personal best of 3:57.40, run in 2000, is one of five sub-4:00 times in her career.

A nine-time NCAA champion while at Wisconsin, Favor Hamilton will compete in the women’s 1,500m final Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she will attempt to make her fourth Olympic Team. She competed in the 1,500m in 1992 and 2000, and ran the 800 in 1996.

For a complete biography of Suzy Favor Hamilton, visit www.usatf.org.