Posted: August 1, 2004

Athletics: Gruber meets Olympic A standard; Shook nabs AR

2004 Olympic Trials 1,500m runner-up Charlie Gruber on Saturday secured his spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team by running 3:34.71 at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, while Briana Shook crushed the American record in the women’s steeplechase.

Gruber’s time easily surpassed the Olympic A standard of 3:36.20 and placed him 10th in a race won by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj. Gruber now joins Alan Webb competing for Team USA in the 1,500m at the Olympic Games in Athens.

Shook, who had crossed the finish line first at the Olympic Trials in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase but was disqualified for missing the first water jump, more than proved her fitness at Heusden by running 9:29.32 to win over an international field and break the American record by more than 10 seconds. Her time beats the American record time of 9:39.35 run by Ann Gaffigan at the Olympic Trials.

Also at Heusden, Olympic Trials women’s 1,500m champion Carrie Tollefson ran 4:06.30 to achieve the Olympic B standard (4:07.15) in the women’s 1,500. Tollefson is currently the only U.S. 1,500m Olympic roster athlete to have achieved the B standard, while Suzy Favor Hamilton is the only A standard athlete. If Tollefson, Olympic Trials runner-up Jen Toomey or third-place finisher Amy Rudolph achieve the A standard by August 9, they will compete in Athens with Favor Hamilton. If no athlete achieves the A standard by the 9th, Tollefson will be the only U.S. competitor.

Americans winning their events at Heusden were Jerry Harris in race 1 of the men’s 400m (45.30), Olympic Trials runner-up Duane Ross in the men’s 110m hurdles (13.30), Olympic Trials champion Tim Mack in the men’s pole vault (5.80m/19-0.5), two-time Olympic Melissa Morrison in the women’s 100m hurdles (12.72) and Sandra Glover in the women’s 400-meter hurdles (53.40).

Dan Browne, entered in the marathon and 10,000m for Athens, improved his 5,000m personal best to 13:16.02 with his eighth-place finish. His previous best was 13:28.24, set in 1998.

For complete results from Heusden, visit www.iaaf.org.