Posted: September 16, 2004

Athletics: USATF News and Notes for Wednesday, September 15

Seaman wins USA 40 km race walk title

Tim Seaman and Curt Clausen, America's top two race walkers at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, put their talents on display Sunday at the 66th annual USA Track and Field 40 km Race Walk Championships in Ocean Township, N.J., and came through with a 1-2 finish.

In their first competitive start since the Athens Games - where Seaman led all USA walkers in the 20-kilometer event and Clausen was first USA finisher in the 50-kilometer race - Seaman won the men's 40 km title at Joe Palaia Park in 3 hours, 20 minutes and 14 seconds. Clausen, a three-time Olympian, was the runner-up in 3:32:45. This was the 19th career national walk title for Seaman, who holds nine American records at assorted distances.

Shore AC's John Soucheck of Little Silver (3:40;25) surged past Theron Kessinger of Waterbury, Conn. (3:41:08) on the 20th and final two-kilometer loop around Joe Palaia Park to snare third place.

The battle for the USATF women's national 40 km title was much closer, with Erin Taylor of New York City (4:42:22) holding off Marie Woodland of Philadelphia's Phast club (4:45:12) and Jennifer Marlborough of East Rockaway, N.Y. (4:46:12.).

The race was hosted by Shore AC of New Jersey, sponsored by Oxford Health Plans, and staged in cooperation with Ocean Township Recreation and USATF of New Jersey.

For more information on the 2004 USA 40 km Race Walk Championships, including the complete results, visit www.usatf.org.

Team USA women place 5th at World 100 km Championships

Laura Nelson posted a five-minute personal best in leading Team USA's women's squad to a fifth-place finish Saturday at the 2004 IAU 100 km World Cup in Winschoten, Netherlands.

The only 100 km (62.1 miles) veteran on this year's U.S. team, Nelson looked strong in finishing the women's competition in 8 hours, 38 minutes, 50 seconds. Other U.S. women's scorers included Mary Fagan (8:39:53) and Siri Terjesen (8:41:15). Other U.S. finishers included Rena Schumann (8:54:44), Lucy Carr (9:16) and Caroline Smith (9:17).

Mark Werner led the men's team to an eighth-place team finish with an 18-minute personal best of 7:35:53.

Vote for IAAF athlete and performance of the year

Fans have until Friday morning to vote online for the international male and female top athletes and performers of the year at IAAF.org. For the first time ever, the IAAF is inviting the public to participate in the vote for the Athlete of the Year at www.iaaf.org" target="_news">IAAF.org.

Based on the IAAF's top 15 overall rankings, American men up for athlete of the year are 110m hurdler Allen Johnson (6th overall), sprinter Shawn Crawford (9th) and sprinter Justin Gatlin (14th). Olympic 100m champion Gatlin and 400m champion Jeremy Wariner both are nominated for men's performance of the year.

By going to the IAAF home page www.iaaf.org on Monday 13 September, you will be able to pick your choice of Athlete of the Year (Man and Woman) from the Top 15 in the IAAF World Rankings overall.

At 08:00 GMT (London time), on Friday 17 September, the vote will close, and a shortlist of 5 will then be presented to a Panel of the International Athletic Foundation, who will make a final selection of Athlete of the Year after taking consideration of results achieved at the World Athletics Final Sept. 17-18.

The winner of the Athlete of the Year award will then be announced live on stage during the 2004 World Athletics Gala at the Grimaldi Forum, Monte-Carlo, on Sunday night. The pool of nominees for performance of the year were selected by an expert IAAF panel.

From USATF.org.