Posted: August 6, 2004

Athletics: USATF News

In the news:
California powers Team USA
Kruger, Willie added to Team USA Olympic roster
Men’s hurdlers dominate at Zurich
Team USA wins big at NACAC

California powers Team USA

More than one quarter of the athletes who made the 2004 Olympic Team did not have to leave their home state to compete in the Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif.

Thirty-one of the 118 athletes currently on the roster – or 26 percent – reside in California. Of the Californians, 10 live and train at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., operated by USA Track & Field.

North Carolina, with 11 athletes, also has double-digit representation on the Olympic roster. Other well-represented states include Georgia (9 athletes); Arkansas, Colorado and Texas (7 apiece); Louisiana, Florida and Tennessee (6); and South Carolina (5).

To view the current U.S. Olympic track & field roster, visit USATF.org.

Kruger, Willie added to Team USA Olympic roster

Men’s hammer thrower A.G. Kruger and 400m competitor Kelly Willie have been added to the Team USA roster for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The runner-up in the men’s hammer throw at last month’s Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Kruger secured his place on the Olympic team by bettering the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard (78.65 meters/258-0) on August 5 when he threw 79.26 meters/260 feet on his fourth attempt at the Berea Open. The event took place on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio.

Willie has been added to the 2004 Olympic Team men’s roster after placing seventh in the men’s 400 meters (44.97 seconds) at the 2004 Olympic Trials. As a sophomore at LSU, Willie was the runner-up in the 400 meters (44.85) at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Willie replaces Calvin Harrison in the men’s 4x400m relay pool.

Men’s hurdlers dominate at Zurich

Allen Johnson, Terrence Trammell and Duane Ross swept the top three spots in the men’s 110m hurdles Friday at the Weltklasse IAAF Golden League meet in Zurich Switzerland.

A four-time world outdoor champion and the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, Johnson easily won the 110m hurdles in 13.13 seconds. 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2004 Olympic Trials champion Terrence Trammell was the runner-up in 13.24. Ross, the trials runner-up last month in Sacramento, was third in 13.33.

Americans also grabbed the top two spots in the men’s 200 meters as 2000 4x100m relay Olympic gold medalist and 2004 Olympic Trials 200m third-place finisher Bernard Williams hit the finish line first in 20.13 seconds. Joshua Johnson, who placed fifth at the trials in the 200m, was the runner-up in 20.28.

Not to be outdone, five-time U.S. champion Breaux Greer won the men’s javelin Friday with the third best throw in the world this year of 86.52 meters/283 feet, 10 inches. Greer also owns the fourth-best throw in the world this season of 87.39m/286-8 from his win in Bergen on June 11.

2004 Olympic Trials champion Tim Mack led the U.S. to two of the top three spots in the men’s pole vault Friday, with his winning clearance of 5.85 meters/19 feet, 2.25 inches. Mack’s 2004 Olympic teammates Toby Stevenson and Derek Miles were third and fourth respectively, both with clearances of 5.80m/19-0.25.

After beating 2000 Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene last week in London, Jamaican Asafa Powell defeated the former world record holder again Friday by one hundredth of a second. Powell finished in 9.93 seconds, with Greene crossing the line in 9.94.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, 2003 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Bershawn Jackson was the runner-up in 48.08 seconds, with 2000 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher James Carter third in 48.08. Reigning world champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic won the race in 47.92.

In women’s action, four-time U.S. champion and 2003 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Sandra Glover won the 400m hurdles Friday in 53.50 seconds. Strong performances also were turned in by 2004 Olympic Trials winner Jearl Miles-Clark, who placed second in the 800 meters in 1:57.47, and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Morrison was the runner-up in the 100m hurdles in 12.60 seconds.

In the women’s 1,500 meters, 2004 Olympic Trials winner Carrie Tollefson finished 10th in 4:06.13, with trials runner-up Jen Toomey 13th in 4:06.61. Trials third-place finisher Amy Rudolph was 15th in 4:07.64. All fell short of the Olympic ‘A’ 1,500m qualifying standard of 4:05.80.

For the complete results from the Zurich Grand Prix, visit www.iaaf.org.

Team USA wins big at NACAC

Team USA dominated the action at the 2004 North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track & Field Championships July 30- August 1 in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

More than 400 athletes from 28 countries were on hand for the competition, where U.S. athletes won 28 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 9 bronze medals, for an overall total of 58 medals.

Team USA fell short of the medal tally amassed from the 2002 NACAC squad that competed in San Antonio, Texas. At that event, U.S. athletes won 11 competitions on the final day to finish with 30 gold medals to lead the overall medal table with 67.

For more information on the 2004 NACAC Championships, visit www.usatf.org.