DOHA, Qatar - Team USA brought home eight medals, four of them gold, and captured two American records Saturday night at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, March 12-14, in the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar.
2008 World Indoor champion Lolo Jones made history tonight, becoming the first woman ever to claim back-to-back title in the 60m hurdles and setting an American record in the process. Jones burst out of the blocks at the gun and never looked back, storming down the tracks and over the hurdles to cross the finish line in a Championship record 7.72. Jones was so ecstatic upon crossing the finish line that she almost cleared one last hurdle, the sprint crash pad. It was Gail Devers' record of 7.74 from 2003 that Jones broke. Devers, herself a three-time World Indoor champion ('93, '97, '04), immediately emailed her congratulations to Lolo. 2010 USA Indoor champion Ginnie Powell finished fifth in 7.97.
2008 Olympic silver medalist Hyleas Fountain tied the American record in the women's pentathlon with her score of 4,753 points, finishing in fourth place. Fountain has personal bests in the 800m (2:21.02) and the shot put (14.06m/46-1.5). She had a season's best in the high jump (1.87m/6-1.5), finished the 60m hurdles in 8.20 and long jumped 6.46m/21-2.5.
Reigning World Outdoor champion Christian Cantwell became the first man ever to win three World Indoor shot put gold medals tonight. Cantwell shot into the lead with his first effort of 21.60m/70-10.5 but lost it in the fifth round when Andrei Mikhnevich (BLR) threw 21.68m/71-1.5. Cantwell responded on his last throw of the competition with an effort of 21.83m/71-7.5 and the Belarussian was unable to respond. Cantwell has now won the 2004, 2008 and 2010 World Indoor titles.
Team USA's first medals of the competition came from 2008 Olympic gold medalist Bryan Clay and 2009 World Outdoor champion Trey Hardee as they went 1-2 in the men's heptathlon, respectively. Clay captured his second-consecutive world indoor gold medal in the heptathlon with 6,204 points and Hardee brought home silver with 6,184. In the 60m hurdles, Hardee had the fastest time in 7.79 and Clay was second in 8.00 and they each cleared 5.00m/16-4.75 in the pole vault. Hardee ran the 1,000m in a personal best 2:47.76 and Clay finished in 2:50.28.
2009 World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist Debbie Dunn won the first individual gold medal of her career in the women's 400m, crossing the line in 51.04. Dunn is only the third American ever to win the women's 400m at a World Indoor Championships and the first since Jearl Miles Clark in 1997.
2009 USA Outdoor champion Mike Rodgers claimed the silver medal in the men's 60m, finishing as the runner-up in 6.53 behind Great Britain's Dwain Chambers who ran a world-leading 6.48 for the win. 2010 USA Indoor runner-up Trell Kimmons took fourth in 6.59.
In the men's 400m, coming off the final turn it was the Bahamas' Chris Brown, Bershawn Jackson and Jamaal Torrance. But Ireland's David Gillick tried to make a move on the inside and clipped Jackson and Torrance. Brown finished as the winner in 45.96, Cuba's William Collazo moved up into second in 46.31 and Torrance claimed bronze in 46.43. Jackson, who originally finished sixth in 46.84, was elevated to fifth after Gillick was disqualified.
2005 World Outdoor silver medalist Chaunte Lowe claimed the bronze medal in the women's high jump with her clearance at 1.98m/6-6. Croatia's Blanka Vlasic successfully defended her title, clearing 2.00m/6-6.75 and Ruth Beitia (ESP) was second at 1.98m/6-6 but with fewer misses then Lowe.
In other action at the track, 2008 Olympian Derek Miles finished fourth in the men's pole vault after clearing 5.65m/18-6.5 and Garrett Heath finished seventh in the men's 1,500m final in 3:43.81. 2009 World Outdoor Championships marathoner Desiree Davila finished 10th in the women's 3,000m in 9:07.24.
This year's edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships will be streamed LIVE on Universal Sports and replayed on TV each night at 6 p.m. ET. For more information, go to www.universalsports.com.
For more information on Team USA and the World Indoor Championships, visit USATF.org.
Day 2 Team USA quotes from Doha
Jillian Camarena, women's shot put qualifying
"I'm wonderful. I felt really good. I knew if I could get squared away I would be ok. One and done. I'm so excited for the final tomorrow. I don't think I've ever been one and done in international competition before."
Michelle Carter, women's shot put qualifying
"It wasn't too bad. I have to work on my timing, been more patient in the middle of the ring. It's early for me. I haven't competed this early in a while. At least I had a season PR. "
Tavaris Tate, men's 4x400m qualifying - 3rd leg
"LeJerald (Betters) gave me a little step. I just wanted to get Kerron (Clement) the stick in first. Coming into World seniors I knew I had to step up my game because I'm not running against kids anymore."
Kerron Clement, men's 4x400m qualifying - anchor
"Good, it felt really good. Very relaxed. I'm having fun."
Duane Solomon, men's 800m semifinal
"I felt comfortable but I kept getting clipped and I'd have to go around people to get back in it. It just wasn't a smooth race. I wanted to sit and kick this time, and not lead. I was in second coming off the final turn and I got bumped again and it pushed me back. It was too hard to come back after that."
Brianna Glenn, women's long jump qualifying
"The runway was super hard. It was a little different, there was no bounce. So different from Albuquerque at Indoor Nationals. I'm disappointed because I know I was there."
Brittney Reese, women's long jump qualifying
"Rough. I had two scratches that I know were automatic (qualifiers). So tomorrow I just have to make sure about my steps. The runway was fast. I was shocked there were no automatic qualifiers. I just had to put myself in a position where I knew I would get in the final."
Trey Hardee, men's heptathlon silver medalist
"I felt like Bryan (Clay) had it. I was happy. I was running to try and keep my lead (over third). I'm just happy to be healthy. This is my first World Indoor Championships."
Bryan Clay, men's heptathlon gold medalist
II'm so happy with the win. I came back hungry this year. I'm 15 pounds lighter right now, which is great for me."
Desiree Davila, women's 3,000m final
"It was awesome, the crowd was crazy. It was a good learning experience. It was definitely different than prelims, more technical. This was a good learning experience."
Hyleas Fountain, women's heptathlon AMERICAN RECORD
"It went ok. I'm just really tired. I had some good PRs in two events. It's a take and give with multis. Some days it's all on and some days it's not. I'm tired, it was a long day. It's all a matter of pushing though when you're tired. I gave it everything I had.
It feels great to get the record. I didn't put pressure on myself this time."
Debbie Dunn, women's 400m gold medalist
"My main focus was to be aggressive, get to the break first and let them come and get me. I'm very happy with the win. This is my first world individual title. I'm very, very happy."
Garrett Heath, men's 1,500m final
"It was up and down. It was alright. I was where I wanted to be but I didn't feel as good as I wanted. It was awesome to make the final on my first team. That was the goal so I accomplished that. I'm a little disappointed with my race but overall I'm happy."
Jamaal Torrance, men's 400m bronze medalist
"Bumpy race, you know how it is. It is what it is. This is my first individual medal but me and Bat (Bershawn Jackson) had a plan coming in. Off the final turn though it was bumpy and we got caught up."
Derek Miles, men's pole vault final
"Cursed. I don't know what it is. I've jumped that height 71 times before and I couldn't do it today. The stars didn't line up for me, I guess."
Christian Cantwell, men's shot put gold medalist
"It was good. Anytime you win, it's good. It's fun to win at the end but stressful too. I couldn't quite hold my second throw and it was out there. I'm only three throws away from overtaking John Godina for most throws over 21 meters."
Lolo Jones, women's 60m hurdles gold medalist AMERICAN RECORD
"Excited is an understatement. I can't believe what I just did, American record, Championship record, first woman to ever win the hurdles back-to-back. It's unbelievable. Because I lost at USA's, that fired me up to come out here and win. I don't even remember the race. I remember at the third hurdle, realizing I was winning and all I could think was don't hit a hurdle!"
Trell Kimmons, men's 60m final
"I had a bad start but it was ok. I'm satisfied with my race. I'll deal with taking fourth."
Mike Rodgers, men's 60m silver medalist
"I did the best I could. I tightened up over the last five meters. Man, I got out good. I ran the best I could. It was probably the best race I ran all year."
Chaunte Lowe, women's high jump bronze medalist
"After yesterday, I went home to my room and said 'Jesus, I need your help to get over this bar tomorrow.' And he must have heard me. I felt amazing. Having Gwen (Wentland, women's jumps coach) here helped me. Coming to a meet with a coach was awesome. She was saying the same things as my coach (Nat Page). My goal for outdoors is to be able to compete with Blanka (Vlasic)."
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 USATF.org.
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