Lagat and Fleshman Prevail Over Deep 5000m Fields
Taken off Running Times
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June 24, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS (23-Jun) -- Bernard Lagat and Lauren Fleshman each won their first U.S. 5000m titles here tonight over deep fields on the third day of the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships at the Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Lagat, who won two Olympic medals at 1500m for Kenya before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2004, faced the deepest distance field of these championships, his first as an American. Shaking off the effort he had put in a few hours before winning his heat of the 1500m qualifying round, Lagat did not react immediately when Ryan Hall moved into the lead on the second lap of the race. Hall was not satisfied with the 65 second opening 400m, which also surprised Lagat.
"It was not what I was thinking," said Lagat who had expected early laps closer to 60 seconds.
Quickly, Lagat adapted his strategy. Along with Adam Goucher, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Matt Tegenkamp, Lagat caught up to Hall by the 2-K mark (about 5:22) and was content to just sit on the Hall, the reigning U.S. 12-K cross country champion. Through 3-K (8:01.8), Hall continued to lead and the pace remained sluggish.
In the fourth kilometer, Lagat moved into the lead on a 68-second lap, and Hall began to drift back and out of contention. Tegenkamp, the former University of Wisconsin star, looked the smoothest, but Ritzenhein was determined to contend for the title. "Ritz" pushed with 800m to go, reeling off a 59.2 second lap, but it was Tegenkamp who was in the lead coming down the backstraight with Ritzenhein, Lagat and Goucher close behind. Calmly, Lagat was regathering himself after a few tough laps.
"I was struggling with six laps to go," said Lagat who pointed to the right side of his abdomen where he had developed a painful stitch.
No matter. There was work to be done, and coming off of turn-3, Lagat quickly began to work his way up to Tegenkamp, leaving Ritzenhein and Goucher behind. With 120m to go, he came around Tegenkamp's right shoulder and began his drive for home.
"It's tough," said Tegenkamp of seeing Lagat on his shoulder that close to the finish. "He's a world class runner. He'll probably run 12:40 later this summer."
Lagat pushed all the way to the tape, running his last lap in under 58 seconds, to claim victory in 13:14.32. Tegenkamp finished second in 13:15-flat, a personal best. Dathan Ritzenhein, who will be moving up to the marathon distance in the fall, finshed third in 13:16.61, also a personal best.
"I wanted to finish as high as possible," said Ritzenhein who also said he had no particular time goal. He ran this race with a minimum of speed training, but has a very solid base. "I'm really strong right now," he added.
Goucher, who many saw as the greatest threat to Lagat, finished fourth in 13:18.93. He was downcast.
"I'm disappointed," he said "Everything just wasn't there and it sucks."
Early leader Hall faded to 8th place in 13:40.55.
FLESHMAN USES SPRINT TO BEAT GOUCHER
Blake Russell took the women's 5000m through the first 400m in 72 seconds, and remained at the front through through 2000m (6:03.3). She was closely followed by eight women, including Carrie Tollefson, Kara Goucher, Sarah Hall, Marla Runyan, Amy Begley, Renee Metivier, Jen Rhines and Fleshman. There was some attrition through 3000m (9:09.90) with Russell still leading. Metivier was the first to fall back, then went Runyan, Hall and Begley.
Fleshman was sizing up the race, and with one kilometer to go (12:18.69) she reacted when Goucher pushed hard and broke up the race, taking a small lead on Fleshman.
"'I've been here before,'" Fleshman remembered telling herself. "'I know what to do.'"
With 110 meters to go, Fleshman turned on the speed, and went around Goucher, getting the win in 15:12.37. Goucher took second in 15:14.13, a career best.
"You just have to tip your hat to Laura," said Alberto Salazar, the former marathon great who coaches the Gouchers. "She ran great."
Russell finished third in 15:19.07, and Tollefson was fourth in 15:23.49.
# # # # # #
Jorge Torres, making his 10,000m debut, upset Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi to win his first open U.S. track title. Off of a conservative first half (14:13.21), Torres pulled away from Keflezighi and a resurgent Dan Browne with about 200m to go until the finish. Striding smoothly, he won going away in 28:14.43 to Keflezighi's 28:18.74 and Browne's 28:19.32.
"I knew I was in decent shape coming into this; I can't say I knew I was going to win," said Torres. "This is my first 10-K on the track, and with 1-K to go I knew I was in contention to win it. It was a good way to win my first national championship."
Keflezighi, who tore a thigh muscle at the 2005 World Championships 10,000m, was satisfied with his first track race since then.
"This is my first track race since last August," said Keflezighi. "It's early season."
Abdi Abdirahman, the defending champion who led for much of the race, was forced to drop out in the ninth kilometer with an injury to his right calf. "I was feeling good until eight laps to go," said Abdirahman.
Amy Rudolph, running in only her second 10,000m, beat Sara Slattery in the final sprint from 120 meters out to win the women's title in 32:25.56 to Slattery's 32:29.97. Samia Akbar was third in 32:41.84, also a personal best.
"I'm over the moon," said an elated Rudolph. "I'm so happy."
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June 24, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS (23-Jun) -- Bernard Lagat and Lauren Fleshman each won their first U.S. 5000m titles here tonight over deep fields on the third day of the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships at the Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Lagat, who won two Olympic medals at 1500m for Kenya before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2004, faced the deepest distance field of these championships, his first as an American. Shaking off the effort he had put in a few hours before winning his heat of the 1500m qualifying round, Lagat did not react immediately when Ryan Hall moved into the lead on the second lap of the race. Hall was not satisfied with the 65 second opening 400m, which also surprised Lagat.
"It was not what I was thinking," said Lagat who had expected early laps closer to 60 seconds.
Quickly, Lagat adapted his strategy. Along with Adam Goucher, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Matt Tegenkamp, Lagat caught up to Hall by the 2-K mark (about 5:22) and was content to just sit on the Hall, the reigning U.S. 12-K cross country champion. Through 3-K (8:01.8), Hall continued to lead and the pace remained sluggish.
In the fourth kilometer, Lagat moved into the lead on a 68-second lap, and Hall began to drift back and out of contention. Tegenkamp, the former University of Wisconsin star, looked the smoothest, but Ritzenhein was determined to contend for the title. "Ritz" pushed with 800m to go, reeling off a 59.2 second lap, but it was Tegenkamp who was in the lead coming down the backstraight with Ritzenhein, Lagat and Goucher close behind. Calmly, Lagat was regathering himself after a few tough laps.
"I was struggling with six laps to go," said Lagat who pointed to the right side of his abdomen where he had developed a painful stitch.
No matter. There was work to be done, and coming off of turn-3, Lagat quickly began to work his way up to Tegenkamp, leaving Ritzenhein and Goucher behind. With 120m to go, he came around Tegenkamp's right shoulder and began his drive for home.
"It's tough," said Tegenkamp of seeing Lagat on his shoulder that close to the finish. "He's a world class runner. He'll probably run 12:40 later this summer."
Lagat pushed all the way to the tape, running his last lap in under 58 seconds, to claim victory in 13:14.32. Tegenkamp finished second in 13:15-flat, a personal best. Dathan Ritzenhein, who will be moving up to the marathon distance in the fall, finshed third in 13:16.61, also a personal best.
"I wanted to finish as high as possible," said Ritzenhein who also said he had no particular time goal. He ran this race with a minimum of speed training, but has a very solid base. "I'm really strong right now," he added.
Goucher, who many saw as the greatest threat to Lagat, finished fourth in 13:18.93. He was downcast.
"I'm disappointed," he said "Everything just wasn't there and it sucks."
Early leader Hall faded to 8th place in 13:40.55.
FLESHMAN USES SPRINT TO BEAT GOUCHER
Blake Russell took the women's 5000m through the first 400m in 72 seconds, and remained at the front through through 2000m (6:03.3). She was closely followed by eight women, including Carrie Tollefson, Kara Goucher, Sarah Hall, Marla Runyan, Amy Begley, Renee Metivier, Jen Rhines and Fleshman. There was some attrition through 3000m (9:09.90) with Russell still leading. Metivier was the first to fall back, then went Runyan, Hall and Begley.
Fleshman was sizing up the race, and with one kilometer to go (12:18.69) she reacted when Goucher pushed hard and broke up the race, taking a small lead on Fleshman.
"'I've been here before,'" Fleshman remembered telling herself. "'I know what to do.'"
With 110 meters to go, Fleshman turned on the speed, and went around Goucher, getting the win in 15:12.37. Goucher took second in 15:14.13, a career best.
"You just have to tip your hat to Laura," said Alberto Salazar, the former marathon great who coaches the Gouchers. "She ran great."
Russell finished third in 15:19.07, and Tollefson was fourth in 15:23.49.
# # # # # #
Jorge Torres, making his 10,000m debut, upset Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi to win his first open U.S. track title. Off of a conservative first half (14:13.21), Torres pulled away from Keflezighi and a resurgent Dan Browne with about 200m to go until the finish. Striding smoothly, he won going away in 28:14.43 to Keflezighi's 28:18.74 and Browne's 28:19.32.
"I knew I was in decent shape coming into this; I can't say I knew I was going to win," said Torres. "This is my first 10-K on the track, and with 1-K to go I knew I was in contention to win it. It was a good way to win my first national championship."
Keflezighi, who tore a thigh muscle at the 2005 World Championships 10,000m, was satisfied with his first track race since then.
"This is my first track race since last August," said Keflezighi. "It's early season."
Abdi Abdirahman, the defending champion who led for much of the race, was forced to drop out in the ninth kilometer with an injury to his right calf. "I was feeling good until eight laps to go," said Abdirahman.
Amy Rudolph, running in only her second 10,000m, beat Sara Slattery in the final sprint from 120 meters out to win the women's title in 32:25.56 to Slattery's 32:29.97. Samia Akbar was third in 32:41.84, also a personal best.
"I'm over the moon," said an elated Rudolph. "I'm so happy."
posted by pm19 at
11:28 am
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