Olympic Trials Day 2 Preview
Day 2 of the Olympic Trials will see the conclusion of the decathlon, along with the finals in the women’s 100 hurdles and 100 meters.
TV coverage will be from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM on NBC.
Today’s Schedule
Decathlon
The first day belonged to Ashton Eaton. In cold and wet conditions, he set decathlon world records for the 100 meters (10.21) and long jump (8.23m / 27′ 0″). After that he came out with a decent shot put (14.20m / 46′ 7¼”) and a good high jump (2.05m / 6′ 8¾”)–which was actually great considering the wet runway.
Bryan Clay is on pace to easily exceed the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 8200 points, which he needs, and is locked in a good battle with Trey Hardee for second. Barring disaster, those three will be your Olympic team. What if there is disaster? No one else appears to have any real chance at the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 8200 points. It’s these three guys, or fewer.
Women’s 100m Hurdles
The Favorites:
Kellie Wells (Nike / Orlando, FL)
Dawn Harper (Nike / Los Angeles, CA)
Kristi Castlin (adidas)
From Ato Boldon: “Harper got on the Olympic team in ’08 with a big lean at the tape. Now she returns – as reigning Olympic champion. Castlin’s stock has gone way up in the last month. Kellie Wells is consistently good.”
The Celebrity: Lolo Jones (Asics / Baton Rouge, LA)
If you haven’t heard about Lolo Jones yet, you must be living under a rock. She represents as much media exposure as an American trackster is able to get these days. Before the Olympic Trials was the right time for her to make such a big push, because she faces a serious uphill battle just to make the team.
The College Girl: Christina Manning (Ohio State / Waldorf, MD)
Of the likely finalists, Manning is the only one who just finished a college season, one in which the Buckeye won the indoor and outdoor national titles. Does this mean she’s a) tired or b) race sharp?
The Old Lady: Ginnie Crawford (Nike / Los Angeles, CA)
At 28 years old, Crawford is hardly old by anyone’s standards, but it looks like she’s past her peak years as a hurdler. However, she’s still could get into the top three if someone has an off day.
Didn’t she retire?: Joanna Hayes (Gold Medal Athletic Club / Los Angeles, CA)
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