by Larry Eder
photo courtesy of Brooks communications
An Olympic Trials race is a totally different event. In this race will broke open with lead pack, staying conservative in the rainy Oregon weather, hitting the halfway in 16:30. Up front, were Amy Hastings, Shalane Flanagan, Natosha Rogers and Lisa Uhl.
Hastings had a lot of pressure on her. On January 15, 2012, Amy Hastings had come terribly close to making her first Olympic team. She finished fourth, probably the most depressing position in an Olympic Trials selection event. Hastings had been running Marathons for only a short time. She wept after her fourth. It had to be devastating.
Amy Hastings focused on her training this spring. In this race, Amy Hastings was pushing the pace, running 15:28 over the last 5,000 meters, with Shalane Flanagan, Natosha Rogers and Lisa Uhl keeping it honest.
With 200 meters to go, Natosha Rogers sprinted to the lead, and looked to be in charge of the race. Shalane Flanagan, who had looked so easy, went into sprint mode.
But, Amy Hastings, was ready. With 120 meters to, Amy Hastings did what every good track coach would have smiled about: she changed gears and began to kick furiously. First, she went by Flanagan, then she caught Natosha Rodgers and just gutted on by, fighting for every meter of the track, until she had the victory in her grasp.
And guess what? She won her first Olympic Trials 10,000 meters, making her first Olympic team in the process.
That makes two women runners for Brooks, with Desi Davila in the marathon. Now, Amy Hastings will be going to London.
And miles to go, as it is 35 days to London and counting!
Brooks Runner Amy Hastings Kicks to a First Place Finish, Will Lead Team USA in the 10,000m in London
Hastings Followed Dramatic Finish with Tears of Joy and Hugs for Olympic Teammates
Bothell, Wash. – June 22, 2012 – Brooks athlete Amy Hastings sprinted to the win in the 10,000m at the USA Olympic Track and Field Trials today, earning herself a spot on the 2012 USA Olympic Team. Hastings pushed the pace for the second half of the race, kicking past her competitors and across the finish line with an official time of 31:58.36.
Following a hard fought U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials performance in January, where she earned an alternate spot on the marathon team, Hastings shifted her focus to the track with one goal in mind–to make Team USA.
“My experience in Houston made me a stronger runner and gave me new confidence that I carried with me into today’s race,” said Hastings. “It has always been a dream of mine to represent Team USA in London. It is an amazing feeling to know all the hard work paid off, and to come out with the win is icing on the cake.”
Hastings is the first Olympic Trials Champion from the Brooks team in more than 25 years. She will join fellow Brooks athletes, Desiree Davila and Manuel Huerta, in a quest for gold this summer in London. Davila solidified her spot on the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team in January with a speedy second-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston. Huerta punched his ticket to the games last month by finishing ninth at the ITU World Triathlon.
“We couldn’t be happier for Amy, she deserved this win. Watching her during the last 100 meters had our entire section on their feet,” said Jesse Williams, Brooks sports marketing manager. “We can’t wait to cheer on Amy, Desi, Manny, and all of the athletes in London this summer.”
Accomplishing the victory in the 10,000m is only the first stop for Hastings in Eugene. Later this week, she will compete for a spot on the Olympic 5K team.
On the men’s side, Brooks athlete Ryan Vail ran a strategic race working his way up in the pack to finish in sixth place at 27:52.53. To learn more about all the Brooks-sponsored athletes, visit www.brooksrunning.com/athletes.
About Brooks
Brooks Sports, Inc. is a leading running company that designs and markets a line of performance footwear, apparel, and accessories in more than 60 countries worldwide. A Berkshire Hathaway Inc. company, Brooks was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle. The company’s mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and faster. Visit www.brooksrunning.com for more information, and follow frequent brand updates on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/brooksrunning ).
