Posted: August 4, 2004

Athletics: Donnelly To Make "A" Standard Attempt In Glasgow

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

It's not over until it's over.

The torturous process of Olympic Games qualifying grinds on into next week, as the 09-Aug deadline set by the IAAF for meeting qualifying standards looms large.

Although many countries have already set their teams, the United States has not finalized their squads, pending the possible attainment of long-elusive qualifying marks. In the 10,000m, for instance, one man (Mike Donnelly) and one woman (Katie McGregor) still have the opportunity to gain Olympic Team selection if they can meet the "A" standards of 27:49.00 and 31:45.00, respectively. Although in the same boat, their situations are different.

For Donnelly, he is looking to bump Dathan Ritzenhein from the team by attaining the "A" standard. Donnelly, part of the Nike Oregon Project coached by Alberto Salazar, finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last month in Sacramento, and since Trials winner Meb Keflezighi abdicated his spot on the team, Donnelly is the next athlete in line to join Abdi Abdirahman (2nd) and Dan Browne (3rd) on the team. Although Ritzenhein finished dead last, hobbling on a stress-fractured foot, he currently holds the third place on the squad because he is the only other athlete who finished the Trials race who possessed the "A" standard.

Donnelly has already run three 10,000m races this year --28:41.30 at the Cardinal Invitational on 30-Apr, 28:30.96 at the Harry Jerome International on 06-Jun, and 28:18.97 at the U.S. Trials on 09-Jul-- and plans one final qualifying attempt at the British Milers Club Nike Grand Prix meeting set for 08-Aug in Glasgow. His career best time of 28:02.34 was achieved at the Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., in 2003.

"A 10,000m race for men is being staged with the aim of breaking 28 minutes," says a message on the BMC website. "Mike Donnelly from the USA will head the field in the paced race."

McGregor, would be looking to join Elva Dryer and Kate O'Neill on the U.S. women's 10,000m squad. Like Donnelly, she was the fourth place finisher in the Trials behind winner and U.S. record holder, Deena Kastor, Dryer and O'Neill. But unlike Donnelly, if McGregor attains the standard, she won't bump anyone off the team. Kastor, like Keflezighi, has abdicated her spot on the squad to focus on the marathon, and no other U.S. women who finished the Trials race has the "A" standard.

RRW does not have any information on a final attempt by McGregor to attain the standard. McGregor was listed in a recent press release from the Falmouth Road Race as a competitor at that event, scheduled for 08-Aug, one day before the Olympic Games qualifying period concludes.