Posted: June 23, 2005

Athletics: U.S. Championships Begin Today

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

LONG BEACH, Calif. (23-Jun) -- The U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships, presented by Visa, begin today in nearby Carson at the Home Depot Center.

Of key interest to middle and long distance running fans will be the women's 5000m and men's 10,000m finals, the former scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and the latter closing tonight's session at 9:15 p.m.

In the women's 5000m, defending champion Shayne Culpepper is set to face off with last year's third place finisher, Shalane Flanagan. Two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph, reigning U.S. 1500m champion, Carrie Tollefson, and former Stanford star, Lauren Fleshman, should also be in the mix for a spot on the podium.

In the men's 10,000m Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi seems an overwhelming favorite to defend his title. Alan Culpepper, Keflezighi's long-time rival, is not slated to compete, making Abdi Abdirahman Keflezighi's strongest challenger.

The top-3 finishers from each event will earn provisional berths on the U.S. team for the 10th IAAF World Championsihps in Athletics, scheduled for August in Helsinki, Finland. Athletes who finish in the top-3 and already possess the IAAF World Championships "A" standard qualifying time, are, in most circumstances, assured a team spot. In the women's 5000m the "A" standard is 15:08.70 and in the men's 10,000m the standard is 27:49.00; qualifying marks must be obtained between January 1, 2004 and July 25, 2005.