by Larry Eder
Andrew Wheating, 2008 US Olympic Trials, Eugene, Oregon, photo by PhotoRun.net.
There is considerable fascination in the U.S. and, soon, I believe, abroad, with Andrew Wheating. Anyone who saw Wheating’s performance at the 2008 Olympic trials knows the young man has some real wheels. His performances in the NCAA 800 meters and 1,500 meters shows that Andrew Wheating knows how to run in championship races.
When asked, at the Nike Pre Classic press conference, why he is so good in championship races, Wheating noted: “I am a competitor. I do not care how fast race is, I want to win it. I
want to race to win. If you want to race fast, you have to run to win…”. With the 400 meter speed of a Sebastian Coe (80,84 1,500 champ Olympics), and Jim Ryun (Olympic silver medalist, 1968, WR holder), Wheating has the ability to race of 800 meters and 1,500 meters with world class speed.
But for this viewer, RBR is intrigued to see how Andrew Wheating, the
NCAA champion at 800m and 1,500 meters does in his first weekend of pro
racing. Wheating will run the 800 meters in Paris and the 1,500 meters
in Tangiers. In an interview with RBR at the Nike Pre Classic, Andrew
Wheating told RBR that ” I love to compete. I compete at everything.”
When asked which experience was more important, making the Olympic team
at 800 meters, or winning the double NCAA at home, Andrew smiled and
said, ” winning in front of my home crowd, there is nothing like
putting on the Oregon colors and wearing it in Eugene.” When asked, if
he considers himself a Vermonter (where he was raised, and discovered,
by Jeff
Johnson, on a soccer field), or an Oregonian, Andrew noted, ” I am both.”
UPDATED JULY 18, 2010
ANDREW WHEATING ran 1:44.62 at AREVA Paris, on Friday, July 16, 2010. That time is his personal best, and it was run in his first race as a professional. Andrew is no longer racing in Tangiers but will be racing in Monaco on July 22, over the distance of 1,500 meters.
