Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Prerace Jitters |
| Day 4 evening quotes, 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships Posted: 18 Aug 2009 03:05 PM PDT Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas), Women’s 400 meters gold medalist First, it feels so great to finally hear that I am a world champion. It’s an overwhelming experience. I really enjoy to competing here in Berlin. I have only good memories. And now I can say my first title was on the blue track in a world leading time. So, I’m really, really happy. (Expectations or extra pressure?) I did in the past, that’s what I wanted to shed this year. This year, I was having a really good time. The rounds went exactly as I hoped. Today, I came out and had fun. I was really confident in my race and my race strategy. I enjoyed every step around the track today. I’m just really thrilled to be a world champion. I can’t say I’m glad to have waited this long. I would have loved to win in the Olympics and prior World Championships. I definitely think you to learn things to grow. I’ve been through a lot and I learned a lot. I feel like I’m a much better athlete because of it. I’m happy it came in 2009 and hopefully this will be the start of a lot more titles to come. I did go out well in the Olympics. I don’t think the first 200 was the reason I lost the Olympic final. Today, my today split was 23.0, almost the same pace as the Olympics. It’s just control. I’m in much better shape this season. Shericka (Williams) and Antonina (Krivoshapka) went out really fast. I think all of us went 23.0 flat. It was a really fast race. That’s what you expect at a major championship. Everyone is running their best race. I was really comfortable with my strategy. I felt really strong. I worked the curve as best as I could. Once I pulled up on Shericka and made my move, I just hoped I could hold her off. Debbie Dunn (Norfolk, Va.), 6th in Women’s 400 meters (On starting in Lane 1): It’s not fun for the 400. But a lot of people would kill to have Lane 1 today. I did and I was very happy to have the chance to run the final. I thought it was a good race. I feel like I should have made a lot more impact. Unfortunately, I didn’t. I wish I had a better lane. I think I would have made an impact. I have to settle for what I did today. I’m very honored and proud to represent the U.S. Next year is going to get even better. I’m looking forward to the years to come. I’m happy for Sanya. We are going to go for the gold in the 4 x 400. Bershawn Jackson (Champaign, Illinois), Men’s 400 hurdles bronze medalist I executed a real good race. Those guys went out so hard. I give them the praises–they were the better men. I wasn’t surprised that it went out as fast as it did. I’m a warrior and I’m a fighter, and I’ll be back. Kerron Clement (Gainesville, Florida), Men’s 400 hurdles gold medalist My plan all along was to defend my title, and there was no way anyone was going to take that away from me. My race plan was to go out fast. I knew that once I went out hard, that no one was going to keep up with me for the last 150, and once I got over the last hurdle, it was mine. Rachel Yurkovich (Eugene, Oregon), Women’s javelin I felt pretty good in warmups. I just wasn’t throwing well It’s kind of hard to get into a groove when the competition’s stopped for a ceremony or races, but that’s no excuse. I tried to go into it with a positive attitude, and on my last throw I had nothing to lose. I tried to be happy and go out there and (do it). I was just thrilled to have made it this far. I’m happy to be here. Dawn Harper (Los Angeles), Women’s 100-meter hurdles It was a good race. It went nice and smooth, exactly how my coach wanted me to do it. It was nice and smooth over the top of the hurdles. I’m exacted about that. It gives me confidence going into tomorrow. (On being assigned lane 1) I appreciated that because Lane 1, Heat 1, No. 1. Can anybody see that? Damu Cherry (Winter Garden, Fla.), Women’s 100-meter hurdles It was a good opener. I wanted to work on a little part of my race. I did. It wasn’t great, but it can get better for tomorrow. The false starts were a bit nerve-wracking. But I told myself to stay focused and concentrate on my lane. Ginnie Powell (Los Angeles), Women’s 100-meter hurdles It was clean. I hit one hurdle. But it was a good race. I was looking to actually work on my trail leg. I hit a hurdle with it, probably because I slowed up a bit. You can’t do that in the hurdles. But it’s the first round and that’s why I slowed up. Michelle Perry (Santa Clarita, Calif.), Women’s 100-meter hurdles I’m injured. I have a torn LCL. I have to have surgery on it. It happened in Monaco. Charles Clark (Virginia Beach, Virginia), Men’s 200 meters I thought I was pushing for a third place finish, so I’ll have to wait and see if I make the semi-finals. It’s been a great season so far, so I can’t complain. Wallace Spearmon, Jr. (College Station, Texas), Men’s 200 meters The race seemed pretty easy tonight. I didn’t want to expend any more energy than I had to, because I know that in the finals, I’m going to need all of it. As long as I was in the top two, that’s all that matters, so that I can get one of the preferred lanes. I did take a peek at the big screen to see where I was at and to make sure no one would sneak up on me. I didn’t want to see anyone come up and pass me. (on what it’s going to take to beat Usain Bolt)–Run faster! He’s running like he’s from Mars or wherever Flash is from. Sheena Tosta (San Diego, California), Women’s 400 hurdles I don’t know what happened. I did what I wanted to do over the first 8 hurdles I tried to go, but I couldn’t go. Tiffany Williams (Orlando, Florida), Women’s 400 hurdles Technically, it was a great race. It was much better than my first round. I was thinking about staying relaxed, but I probably got a little too relaxed. But, I did make the final, and that’s all that counts. I’m excited, and very grateful to be in this final. I have a day to rest, and I just have to get that second half of the race down. I have to attack the critical zone a lot harder. It’s going to take 53-low or 52-high to get a medal. Lashinda Demus (Palmdale, California), Women’s 400 hurdles I wanted to run good through the 300m mark, and I did that tonight. I just practiced on my race for the finals. I’m gonna put it together and have a good race. I’m the underdog–I’m not the Olympic champion For complete results, quotes and Team USA reports, visit www.usatf.org. Fans can watch Team USA on national television broadcasts on NBC and Versus, or online via live, daily Webcast at www.universalsports.com. For complete TV listings, visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/IAAFWorldOutdoorChampionships/mediaCoverage.asp. For more information on Team USA at the World Outdoor Championships, visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/IAAFWorldOutdoorChampionships/. About USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org  Related posts:
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| Day 4 morning quotes, 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:10 AM PDT Shawn Crawford (Los Angeles), Men’s 200 I did what I was supposed to do. I came out in the preliminary and qualified for the next round. I tried to get as many cobwebs out as I could. Wallace Spearmon (College Station, Texas), Men’s 200 I ran easily for the first round, and tried to save as much as possible for the next round. Casey Malone (Ft. Collins, Colo.), Men’s Discus It’s great to be one and done! The throw felt technically sound, so I’m happy with it! I couldn’t ask for a better performance in the morning then getting it done quickly. There are 15 competitors in that preliminary. If you don’t do it for your first throw, you are sitting around for 15 minutes before you get another. It’s the same thing if you don’t get it on that one. You really want to get it done early so you are not out there for 45 minutes, mostly on your feet. (On the throw) That was the type of throw I was looking to get our here. I really want that type of performance regardless of whether it was a qualifier for not. That is the farthest throw I have ever had at a championship event. I’d like to build off that going into the finals. I’m not complacent to end it there. I’m pretty much happy with practice and how everything is going for the finals. I wanted to get it done early, get out of here and go rest. Jarred Rome( Chula Vista, Calif.), Men’s discus This is the best I have ever felt for a major championship. In 2005, I got seventh. I was a few centimeters away from medaling. This year, I started the year slow. I was feeling OK in nationals. I made the team. I’ve been over here for two months, since nationals, just training. My warm-ups were good, all over the qualifier. My first one, I think, I got the nerves a little bit. The second one, I hit really hard, 65.50. I’m ready to medal. Lionel Larry (Compton, Calif.), Men’s 400 meters I thought I could have gone a little bit better. It was kind of windy. If I had gone a little bit faster, I won’t have to play the waiting game. I still have to figure out what I am going to do for the next day. I have to wait and see. The wind was in my face for 300 meters. Gil Roberts (Oklahoma City), Men’s 400 meters I just had a bad race. I just didn’t have it today. It was windy. But I am not making any excuses. I lost because I lost. It was just not my time. LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.), Men’s 400 meters It was a good race. 45.2 I got out good. I ran pretty comfortable. I did what I had to do and that’s get ready for tomorrow. If there was a wind, there was a wind for everyone. Everybody felt the wind. But I didn’t feel it that much. I ran a comfortable race and finished up like I wanted to. Clocked in this morning, went to work and now I am going to clock out and get ready for tomorrow. Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco), Women’s 1,500 meters I was running. It was pretty packed up. I got tripped up by the same girl. I fell down at 200, got up, got back to the pack and the same girl cut me off again. It was a little bit frustrating. After falling, I tried to be smart catching up again, but I was a little timid by the time I got going again. I’m pretty disappointed. But that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m hoping we will protest. I’m hoping to get another shot at it. That is definitely not what I am capable of. That’s how it goes when it’s a semi or a quarterfinal. You usually go slow and it’s usually packed up. I tried to stay on my feet. But unfortunately today, I was unable to. I was on the outside of lane 1, where everyone wants to be. It was kind of a messy race, with a lot of people moving around in there. I hope I get a chance at going again. I hope I have a chance of making the finals. Anna Willard (Mammonth Lakes, Calif.), Women’s 1,500 meters It was a physical race. There was a lot of shoving. But that’s fine. I expected that. You expect the physicality, especially in the first round. Everyone is super antsy, with all the waiting. It’s already been a couple of days of the championship and everyone is excited to go. When you are running slower than your PR pace, everyone wants the perfect position, so that’s going to happen. Christin Wurth-Thomas (Springdale, Arkansas), Women’s 1500 meters In the beginning, there was some jostling going on. I don’t like to feel that there are people on top of me, so I was telling myself, “‘This is butt-slow! We go faster than this at USAs, so let’s just go!’” I felt comfortable during the race, and over the last 50 meters, I looked up at the monitor knowing where I was at, and basically shut it down. I was hoping that the pace would be faster, but hey, it’s the prelims, so you gotta go with it. Amy Acuff (Isleton, Calif.), Women’s high jump I’m really excited. I don’t take making the finals for granted. Everyone is a treasure. I’m really happy to be there, especially in Berlin. I felt like I got up at 6 a.m. I felt like it was early in the morning. I drank my little green tea, but it didn’t really kick me up. I think I will feel better in the final. I want to go back (to the hotel), take a nap and get rested and try to have a more fluid run. I’m just going to let myself go and not micromanage everything. Chaunte Howard (Snellville, Ga.), Women’s high jump (On getting excited after clearing at 1.89) I did get excited. I didn’t particularly feel great today. I’m usually a morning person. But this morning I felt kind of flat. To go ahead and clear 1.89 then clear 1.92 and 1.95 on first appearances let me know that it’s going to be a good result. (Clearing 1.95) That was a sigh of relief. I was up praying all night because I couldn’t sleep. I felt like everything was going to work out today. For complete results, quotes and Team USA reports, visit www.usatf.org. Fans can watch Team USA on national television broadcasts on NBC and Versus, or online via live, daily Webcast at www.universalsports.com. For complete TV listings, visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/IAAFWorldOutdoorChampionships/mediaCoverage.asp. About USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org Related posts:
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