Posted: August 29, 2004

Athletics: Team USA Track & Field Notes & Quotes

Team USA earned three medals, including gold in the men’s and women’s 4x400 relay Saturday to push its combined team total to 24 entering Sunday’s final track and field event – the men’s marathon. The 24 combined medals are the most accumulated by Team USA since the 1992 Olympics when Team USA won 30 medals (20 men, 10 women)

Men’s Breakdown: 18 medals (six gold, nine silver, three bronze). That is the most since the 1992 team won 20 medals in Barcelona (eight gold, five silver, seven bronze)

Women’s Breakdown: six medals (two gold, two silver, two bronze)

Gold – 8 (six men, two women) 
Silver – 11 (nine men, two women)
Bronze – 5 (three men, two women)

More Footnotes
-The U.S. women win the 4x400 relay, marking the third straight Olympics they have accomplished that feat.

-The U.S. also earned its sixth straight gold medal in the men's 4x400 relay dating back to the 1984 Los Angeles Games

-Maurice Greene earned his fourth career Olympics medal, anchoring Team USA to a silver medal in the men's 4x100 relay. He has earned a gold (2000) and bronze (2004) in the 100 along with a gold in the 4x100 relay (2000).

-Besides Maurice Greene, Team USA has five other multiple medal winners at the 2004 Olympics.
Jeremy Wariner – two golds (400, 4x400 relay)
Justin Gatlin – three medals (gold-100, silver-4x100 relay, bronze-200)
Shawn Crawford – two medals (gold-100, silver-4x100 relay)
Otis Harris –two medals (gold 4x400 relay, silver 400)
Derrick Brew – two medals (gold 4x400 relay, bronze 400)
Maurice Greene – two medals (silver 4x400 relay, bronze 100)

Team USA quotes

WOMEN’S 4X400 RELAY
The United States won the gold medal in 3:19.01.
DeeDee Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.) first leg (49.19): “My focus for my first leg was to get us out in the lead, and once we got that lead, to maintain that lead. That’s what we did. I got us out ahead. Monique Henderson opened it up some more. Sanya opened up more and Monique Hennagan brought it on home. We did an excellent job of executing.”

Monique Henderson (Bonita, Calif. ) second leg (50.28): “After the Olympic trials I made the team as an alternate so I came here thinking maybe I’d get a chance to run. Little did I know I’d be here on the final relay team getting a gold medal it’s something I didn’t expect and it’s a wonderful, amazing feeling right now.”

Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas) third leg (49.81): “I’m really excited, we didn’t get it done in the open quarter so we really wanted to come out here and bring home the gold. Dee Dee and Monique ran great first legs and made it easy for me and I’m just excited that we came home with a gold.”

“I talked to Lauryn (Williams) this morning when she came in, she was really disappointed, they had the gold medal, as they were expected to do well but she wasn’t too discouraged she just wanted us to go out there and give our best to bring home the gold and that’s what we did.”

Monique Hennagan (Stockbridge, Calif.) anchor leg (49.73): “It definitely means a lot. We knew that you couldn’t go in thinking that you have it wrapped up. You have to go in and execute it. Make sure you cross all your t’s and dot all your I’s because anything can happen. So we went in confident, but at the same time, each leg executed what they needed to do from start to finish and we came through victorious.

They always talk about the sticks. That’s what we practice. We have relay camps, and things like that. We always practice. Coming in, we’re mindful of what’s going on and making sure we’re holding onto the stick and executing it properly.”

MEN’S 4x400 RELAY
Team USA captured the gold medal in 2:55.91 while posting the second fastest all-time Olympic mark:
Otis Harris (Columbia, S.C.) first leg (43.28): “It feels great to get a gold medal. I missed getting a gold medal in the open event. It was a blessing for me and my teammates to get a gold medal. It is definitely more satisfying (than an individual silver or bronze) because all of the pressure that was put on us. With all the other problems that the other relays were having, we just wanted to get the stick around and solidify a gold medal.”

Derrick Brew (Raleigh, N.C.) second leg (44.82): “It feels great to win the gold medal with these great guys in the relay but the best business in this whole game is that I won an individual bronze medal.”

Jeremy Wariner (Grand Prairie, Texas) third leg (43.98): “We knew we had a good chance to win a gold medal but all we focused on was getting the stick out. We didn’t care what time we ran. We knew we were running good times because we had four of the best guys in the world right now. So we just got out to do what we are supposed to do. We all ran our hearts out. Sooner or later we are going to have a chance to run a world record. Right now we are excited about our win. This is a great bunch of guys. Yes, it is great to have won a gold medal with my (Baylor) college teammate. I wanted to run the third leg and hand off to Darold because that’s the way we did it all season at Baylor.

“We did what we were supposed to tonight. We’re all pleased. All we focused on was getting the stick out. We didn’t care what time we ran. We knew we were running good times because we have four of the best guys in the world right now. We all ran our hearts out.

“Sooner or later we are going to have a chance to run a world record. Right now we are excited about the gold medal.”

Darold Williamson (Waco, Texas) anchor leg (43.83): “Jeremy (Wariner) usually runs third (on Baylor relay tem), I usually anchor. We didn’t want to change things up. We’ve been doing it all year. We just wanted to continue what we had with each other and just get a gold medal as a team.

“It felt great, but when you have Jeremy Wariner running in front of you, you get kind of used to it. I knew I had to run strong, run fast and just run through the line.”

MEN’S JAVELIN THROW FINAL
Breaux Greer (Athens, Ga.) 12th 74.36m/243-11: No comment

WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP
Amy Acuff (Austin, Texas) finished fourth (1.99m/6-6.25): “I had the loneliest number tonight. I think that was the best high jump competition in history, so you can’t feel too bad about that. I felt like I was hanging in there and I had that medal for about 15 minutes. I wish I could have held my technique at 2.04. I really kind of broke down and my attempts were not that great.

“All three girls went over 2.02 on their first attempt. Unless I had cleared 2.02 on my first attempt, that would have just tied me up with them, or actually I would have still behind, so it really wouldn’t have done me any good so I passed to 2.04.

“The marks were definitely the highest marks ever in women’s high jump. The whole experience has been wonderful.”

MEN’S 5,000 FINAL
Tim Broe (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 11th (13:33.06): “I struggled a little bit, I gave it all I had on Wednesday (qualifying round). I’m not a strength runner, but I hung in there and I can walk away with my head held up high I think.

“I had no nerves, it was eerily calm and I was a little worried about that, but when you’ve got nothing to lose and no expectations and everything to gain, there’s nothing to be nervous about.

“It really felt good being out quick and I was leading it so at least I got a little bit of TV time to get everybody excited at home. But when they started running 60’s and 63’s and 60’s I hung on for a little bit and fell off and I was a little frustrated. I thought, well, just fight, and try at least to make it respectable and that’s what I did.”

MEN’S 4x100 RELAY
The United States finished second in 38.08 behind Great Britain, which was clocked in 38.07:

Shawn Crawford (Raleigh, N.C.) first leg: “I feel that what cost us the gold was our handoffs weren’t as smooth as Great Britain’s. I really can’t tell why. We did pretty well when we were in Munich. I would have to look at the tape.”

On running 10 races at the Olympics: “I feel fine. I could run again tomorrow.”

Justin Gatlin (Raleigh, N.C.) second leg: “The crowd has always been loud. They did a really good job tonight with that. On my exchange with Coby (third leg Miller), he couldn’t hear me, just like I couldn’t hear Shawn (first leg Crawford) very well. He [Miller] had to slow down, but we got the stick around. He slowed down, and I stepped on the back of his spike. I tore a hole in his shoe. I feel good that I got gold, silver and bronze, so I know what to expect next time.”

Coby Miller (Pasadena, Calif.) third leg: “I just went along with what the coaches told us to do. Like Maurice said, we don’t practice sticks every day. I knew going into the race whoever had the better sticks would win the gold medal, and unfortunately, we didn’t have it today. The handoff wasn’t that good from the start. Justin and mines was really, really bad because I really didn’t hear him call stick. I guess the crowd was in it too much. By the time I knew, we were at the end of the zone. I didn’t want to run out of the zone and not get a medal at all, so I threw a little check point and it slowed my momentum down, but I think I made up good ground, but hey they were a better team today.”

Maurice Greene (Granada Hills, Calif.) anchor leg: “I gave it all I had. They gave us a great race and that’s what the Olympic Games is all about. Coming out here and competing against one another, having fun, and putting on a great show. Great Britain, they put on a great show.

“Anything is possible, we don’t work on our hand-offs every day. But it doesn’t take one person. It takes four people to go out there and win a medal. If one person messes up, we all mess up. It isn’t just one person; it’s all of us. We all have to get the job done. It’s not a one by 400, it’s a four by 100.”