With the Track and Field Olympic Trials coming to a close in Eugene, spectators, coaches and athletes will be concluding perhaps one of the greatest shows in track and field history. World records were broken, surprise victors were granted a berth to the Olympics, and above anything else, dreams were made reality. With close to 22,000 spectators at the event at Hayward Field, the athletes were surrounded by caring fans, mountains of supports and of course provided one of the quickest tracks in the country.
There were many amazing accomplishments at the trials this year. We saw Ryan Bailey qualify in the 100m dash with a time of 9.93 seconds. He hails locally from Salem, Oregon! Bailey is 30-years-old and has been chasing his American Olympic dream since he was in high school. We saw eight collegiate athletes make the U.S. Olympic team as well, including Emma Coburn and Shalaya Kipp. Both ladies attend University of Colorado and both qualified in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. While it may be summer break for many college students, the collegiate athletes in Eugene have been cleaning up.
As I wrote about last week, my good friend Lopez Lomong was in Eugene to compete in the 5000m race. Hailing from Sudan, Lopez has been running towards his Olympic dreams ever since he was a young boy. This is one of the greatest elements of the track and field trials; these athletes have been dreaming of this day for years, sometimes even an entire lifetime. When it comes down to it, this is it; this is the moment that all of their training has led to. What we have been witnessing at the Olympic Trials are some of the toughest, most determined people around. It was such an amazing thing to see.
Mr. Lomong qualified in the 5,000m with a time of 13:24; crossing that finish line in third place fulfilled Lopez’s dreams of reaching the Olympics for a second time and experiencing something entirely new in life at the London Summer Olympics. The thing I remember most about Lopez was how grateful he always was. He stepped onto the track each time as if it were his first experience and never let rankings get to him. That is the thing that is so special about track and field athletes; though they are all competing against each other, you never see “poor-sports.” There are always high fives being given, congratulatory back pats and often tears rolling down faces in awe. Track and field is a sport like no other, nothing compares to it.
As I watched Ms. Allyson Felix cross the finish line in the 200m on Saturday, I watched the clock stop at 21.69 seconds. Wow. Not only did Felix take first place and receive a bid to London, she did it while running the sixth fastest 200m ever recorded for a woman. When I was competing in high school for track and field, I remember seeing Felix at the state meets. Always calm and focused, her ambiance was resilient; confidence overflowed her and this is one of the most intimidating things to encounter in an opponent on the track. Looks like she was doing something right.
Seeing Felix take first place and travel to the Olympics to represent the U.S. again was such a powerful phenomenon to witness. Being able to see two people who I ran with in my past make the U.S. Olympic team is astonishing. I can imagine that this is what others feel like when they see someone close to them qualify for the Olympics. And like I said, track and field is a sport all on its own. While there are basic rules, it comes down to heart and guts. Possessing those two qualities, in my opinion, create the finest athletes on earth.
Go Team USA!
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