Posted: July 29, 2005

Athletics: USATF News & Notes, Vol. 6, No. 60

Merritt makes roster for Helsinki

LaShawn Merritt, the 19-year-old sensation at 400 meters, has been added to the men's 4x400m relay pool for the World Outdoor Championships.

With a birthday of June 27, 1986, Merritt (Portsmouth, Va.) now becomes the youngest member of Team USA.

For a full roster listing and other roster notes, visit USATF.org.

Americans tune up for Helsinki at Exxon Mobil Bislett Games

American women swept the high jump, Sandra Glover posted a hurdles win, and middle-distance personal bests were the order of the evening Friday at the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is the final meet of the TDK Golden League prior to the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, August 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland.

Five-time U.S. outdoor champion Amy Acuff led a 1-2-3 finish in the women's high jump, clearing 1.93m/6-4 to claim the win in Oslo. Erin Aldrich was second at the same height, and Ifoma Jones was third at 1.90m/6-2.75.

Sandra Glover won her first race of the 2005 Golden League Series, in the process putting fellow American Lashinda Demus out of the running in the race for the $1 million jackpot shared by athletes who win their event in every meet of the Golden League. Friday in Oslo, Glover won the women's 400 hurdles in 53.93 seconds, with Demus third in 54.59 and Sheena Johnson sixth in 55.48. Demus was previously undefeated in the 2005 Golden League, with wins at Paris (53.85) and Rome (53.68).

Americans had a strong showing in the classic event of Bislett, the men's mile, with Bernard Lagat placing second in 3:48.38 and Alan Webb fourth in a personal-best 3:48.92 (previous PR 3:50.83, 2004).

Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams led a 2-3-4 finish in the women's 100 meters. In a race won by Frenchwoman Christine Arron (11.06), Williams was second in 11.16, followed by LaTasha Colander (11.17) and Rachelle Boone-Smith (11.23).

Americans went 2-3-4-6 in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Joel Brown led the way for the Americans in second (13.22), followed by two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell (third, 13.27), four-time world champion Allen Johnson fourth (13.34) and Anwar Moore sixth (13.41). Ladji Doucoure of France was the winner in 13.00.

Two-time Olympian Hazel Clark set a big personal best in the women's 800 meters. The two-time USA outdoor champion was fourth in 1:57.99, improving on her best of 1:58.75 set at the 2000 Olympic final.

Tim Broe placed sixth in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best time of 13:11.77, surpassing his previous best of 13:12.76, which he ran to set a meet record at the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships. Abdi Abdirahman was ninth in 13:13.75.

Highest-placing Americans in other events in Oslo included Tyson Gay, third in the men's 100m (10.15); Tyree Washington, third in the men's 400 (45.30); Khadevis Robinson, fifth in the men's 800 (1:44.70); Jamie Nieto, seventh in the men's high jump (2.20m/7-2.5); and Amy Rudolph, 11th in the women's 3,000m (8:49.02).

The 2005 TDK Golden League continues August 19 at Weltklasse Zurich.

For complete results from Oslo, visit IAAF.org. For quotes from Lagat and Webb, see below.

Bislett quotes - Lagat, Webb

Bernard Lagat: 'I felt pretty sick starting Wednesday morning through today. I saw a doctor this morning who still said that I shouldn't run tonight. However, I said to give me some medicine, and I would see how I felt tonight -which was fine in my warm-ups. With the bad cold the past few days, I went out conservatively. After a while, I knew the guys up front were moving along, and they could go 3:49 if they kept it up.'

Alan Webb -'Today was a good blow-out run before Worlds. I got a PR, but I was also trying for the win, so I wish I was better than fourth. Regardless, I gave it a go and tried to be in position the whole way. With 250 to go, they shifted gears and I didn't respond initially. I was a little worried that it might be a little early, and I though before the race it might be won in the last 100. ... (Looking back) I might have gone a little too hard early to get that position up front the first lap, and that extra half-second early might have cost me up to 1 1\2 seconds at the end. Still, I felt great overall and wanted to put myself in it, and I took it as a learning experience.'

- Quotes courtesy Geoff Thurner

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