Last week at the US Olympic Trials three runners from Oregon seemingly came out of nowhere to sweep the 800m finals. Nick Symmonds wove through an amazingly small gap and won the race with an impressive kick in the final 150 meters. He was followed by 6'5" Andrew Wheating and Christian Smith, who literally dove to the finish line to inch out Khadevis Robinson and Lopez Lomong. Video (race starts at 2:30) and results below.
Due a very disappointing sprain and fall at the U.S Olympic Trials (video below), Tyson Gay did not qualify for the 200 meters in Beijing. Gay is the defending world champion in the 200 and would have been the favorite in Beijing. An MRI has revealed a mild strain in Tyson Gay's left hamstring, and he has been advised to restrict his training for the next two weeks.
Before this incident Tyson Gay qualified for the Olympics by winning the 100-meter finals. He is also expected to participate in the 4x100m relay if he is healthy. At this point, Gay insists that he will be ready in August, saying that he'll "be 100 percent for the 100 and 400 relay".
A high-school student from California made waves at the U.S. Olympic Trials by placing 10th in the women's 1500-meter finals. In the semifinals, 16-year-old Jordan Hasay set the national high school record for the 1500m: 4:14.50. Although she won't proceed to Beijing, Hasay will have several more Olympic opportunities. Video and results from the women's 1500 are below.
Alan Webb finished 5th yesterday in the 1500-meter finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials. This result is a surprise to many given Webb's recent performances. Webb is the American record holder in the mile with a time of 3:46.91. His is also three-time national champion in the 1500. Just last year he ran a 3:30.54, the fastest 1500 time in the world for 2007.
Below is a video of the 1500-meter race from the Olympic Trials. Lagat, Manzano, and Lomong took the top three spots and qualified for the 1500m in Beijing.
Running a marathon is hard enough for most people. Some people, nonetheless, like to mix in some extra sweating and chaffing via elaborate "marathon costumes". Sometimes these costumes are just for fun, but often they are used to raise awareness and money for benevolent causes. Below are some of the most creative, hilarious, and uncomfortable marathon outfits ever witnessed.
Save the Rhino - London 2007 - 22 lbs rhino suit + 26.2 miles + 77°F (25°C)
NYC 2005 - to raise awareness for testicular cancer
London 2008 - Michelle Frost, first marathon on stilts - 8 hr 25 min
Spidey's up against a new nemesis - the pulled hammy.
Masai warriors from Tanzania compete in traditional dress to raise money to provide their village with water. If you look closely you can see that they have old car tires as shoes. - London 2008
These men ran a half-marathon in full fire fighter's gear, including oxygen tanks.
Many of these photos were discovered in the Flickr 'Runners in Costume' Pool, with credits going to their respective photographers.
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