Posted: June 19, 2007

Athletics (RRW): U.S. Athletics Championships Open Tomorrow

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com The AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, arguably one of the best track meets in the world for event-by-event depth, open tomorrow in Indianapolis and will serve as the binding selection meet for the U.S. team for the IAAF World Championships in Osaka in August. Like last year, the meet will span five days and be held at the Michael A. Carroll Stadium at Indiana University-Purdue University. The top-3 finishers in each event, assuming they have achieved the appropriate IAAF qualifying standard, will be named to the U.S. team. Also, the U.S. Junior Championships will be held at the same venue over the same dates. Most of the junior events will be held earlier in the day. In the middle and long distance events, the action will begin on Thursday, June 21, with the first round (if needed) of the women's 3000m steeplechase. Also scheduled for Thursday are the first round of the men's and women's 800m, the first round of the women's 1500m, and the evening's action will be capped with the men's and women's 10,000m finals. The men's 10,000m will feature a very strong field. Seven USA men have run sub-28 minutes this year and all but one, James Carney, have declared their intention to compete. The reigning champion, Jorge Torres (27:42.91 PB), will have to get past Abdi Abdirahman (27:22.81), Galen Rupp (27:33.48), Dathan Ritzenhein (27:35.65), Ed Moran (27:43.13), Alan Culpepper (27:33.93), and Josh Rohatinsky (27:55.00). Meb Kefkezighi, the U.S. record holder for the distance with a 27:13.98 personal best, is not entered. In the women's 10,000m, U.S. record holder Deena Kastor is the favorite to take her fifth U.S. title at 10,000m at either a national championship or an Olympic Trials. With a personal best of 30:50.32, she has won this event in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004. Defending champion, Amy Rudolph, has scratched from the meet, but the women who finished second, third and fourth last year --Sara Slattery (31:57.94 PB), Samia Akbar (32:41.84), and Katie McGregor (31:21.20)-- are all entered. Kara Goucher should also contend for the title (31:17.12 PB). Jen Rhines, who won the U.S. 10,000m title in 2002, has decided to run the 5000m. NOTE: Race Results Weekly will have daily covrerage from Indianapolis beginning on Thursday --Ed. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest