Top 10 Moments of the Track Trials

As the Network Formerly Known as Versus shows a Fourth of July marathon of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, I'm going to take this chance to look back on my favorite moments from Eugene.  The 100-meter non-runoff between Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh overshadowed everything else that happened at Trials (read my guest blog about the dead heat at The Gatsby Effect, which my friend Ryan handles).  Despite the ridiculous overcoverage after the fact, the women's 100 did make its way into my Top 10.  Although, it didn't earn the top spot.

(Two events that didn't make my Top 10 were the women's 800 and women's 1500, mainly because both Maggie Vessey and Anna Pierce didn't make the Olympic team.  Congratulations to Emma Coburn, Georganne Moline and Lisa Uhl, who now inherit the role of "Hottest Members of the U.S. Track Team Actually Going to London.")

Now, without further ado, my Top 10 Moments of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field (to see video of the race click on the event name):

10. Men's 400 Hurdles
This is one of the events that the U.S. dominates internationally.  All three medalists from Beijing were in the race, but 2008 bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson hit a hurdle late in the race and stumbled home fourth, allowing Kerron Clement (the Beijing silver medalist) to pass him for third place and the final spot on the team.

9. Women's 100 Hurdles
Everyone knows the story.  Lolo Jones was the Olympic favorite in Beijing, but hit a hurdle and finished seventh in the final.  She wasn't even supposed to make the team this year.  Apparently, no one told her that.

8. Men's & Women's Hammer Throw
For probably the first time in the event's history, the hammer throw took center stage.  Both the men's and women's event were held the day before the start of the Trials at Niketown.  And there was plenty of drama, too, as Amber Campbell won the women's title by two centimeters.
(I couldn't find this video on NBCOlympics.com, otherwise I would've linked to it.  Sorry.)

7. Heptathlon
Prior to the Trials, only one American had even qualified for the Olympics.  Hyleas Fountain, the 2008 silver medalist, became the second by winning the Trials.  In the final event, the 800 meters, Chantae McMillan ran a fast enough time to earn a place on the team, too.

6. Women's 200
Allyson Felix evidently didn't let any of that crap surrounding the 100 effect her in her best event, the 200.  The two-time defending Olympic silver medalist, she further stamped herself as the favorite for London by breaking FloJo's meet record, running the best time in the world this year--21.69 seconds.

5. Women's 5000
You've gotta feel for Julia Lucas.  She went out and pushed the pace, had nothing left down the stretch, and got passed.  Kim Conley just edged her out for third place and, because Lucas pushed the pace, barely got an Olympic qualifying time and ticket to London.

4. Men's Discus
Going into his final throw, Lance Brooks already had the event won.  But he didn't have the Olympic standard and wouldn't have been going to London.  On that last throw, Brooks threw six inches further than he needed to and secured his place on the team.  (It was the same situation with Brittany Borman in the women's javelin.)

3. Men's 5000
Galen Rupp went to Oregon and lives in Oregon.  Bernard Lagat is arguably America's best distance runner.  Over the final 100 meters of a three-mile race, Lagat took the lead, then Rupp, with the hometown crowd cheering him on, went by him to win by .15 seconds.  In the process, Rupp broke the meet record previously held by another Oregon legend--the great Steve Prefontaine.

2. Women's 100
The women's 100 comes in at No. 2 on my list.  Everybody knows what happened.  It was the result of an incredible 11 seconds of running.  And, of course, it took 10 days to decide that Allyson Felix would get the third spot on the Olympic team.

1. Decathlon
The top spot on my countdown goes to one of the most incredible track & field performances I've ever seen.  Ashton Eaton, another Oregon product, entered the final event of the decathlon--the 1500 meters--with a chance at the world record.  He needed to run 4:16 and, buoyed by the hometown fans (and paced by the top two 1500-meter runners in the field), ended up running a time of 4:14.48 to finish with 9039 points.  What made this performance even more incredible is that the conditions for the two days were horrible.  (Ashton Eaton sidebar: his fiancee, Brianne Thiesen, is the NCAA champion in the heptathlon and will represent Canada in London.)