by Larry Eder
Kate Grace wins the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, photo by PhotoRun.net
What a gut wrenching race!
The women’s 800 meters is a race that most of the 18,000 plus fans on July 4 were waiting for, and it did deliver.
But in ways we did not expect.
Alysia Montano took the race out hard, in 27.73 for 200 meters and hitting the 400 meters in 57.46, with Raevyn Rogers on her shoulder, with Ajee’ Wilson in third, and Molly Ludlow in fourth. Just before the 600 meter mark, Ajee’ Wilson put the peddle to the metal and took the lead, hitting the 600 meters in 1:27.98, with Brenda Martinez in second, Raeyvn Rogers in third, and Alysia Montano, starting to slow down, in fourth.
Just about the middle of the Bowerman turn, Brenda Martinez got fouled, and Alysia Montano went down, hard.
Kate Grace and Ajee’ Wilson kept their cool, and charged away, as Chrishuna Williams moved from seventh to third, and Molly Ludlow moved up from fifth, but could not get by Williams.
Kate Grace won in 1:59.10, Ajee’ Wilson was second in 1:59.51, and Chrishuna Williams was in third in1:59.59 with Molly Ludlow in 1:59.63.
Raevyn Rogers finished in fith in 2:00.59, Phoebe Wright was sixth in 2:02.55, with Brenda Martinez, who had her shoe virtually clipped off, was sixth in 2:06.63, and Alysia Montano, who went to the track and hit the ground hard, got up, and fell several times, before finishing in 3:06.77.
Here is what I believed happened: Alysia Montano was running out of gas, and as she started to collapse, and then someone clipped Brenda Martinez, who was in fine position to move.
I suspect that there might be a protest or two on this one, but as I am no Doctor, we will just have to wait.
Around 6:20 PM, we confirmed an appeal. Our contact said that the appeal was being discussed amicably.
Around 7 pm, we were told that the chance of a rerun, which we never considered, was on the table.
Around 7.20 PM we saw an email from Amanda Brooks, Marketing and communications manager for USA Track & Field:
“Incidental contact ruled in the women’s 800 meters, No DQ”
Okay, so there you have it, Kate Gace has won the 800 meters at Olympic Trials, with Ajee’ Wilson in second and Chrishinu Williams taking third.
A team who won their positions the old fashioned way. It is sad about Brenda Martinez and Alysia Montano, and I hope that they come back in 2017, and perhaps, Brenda, in the 1,500 meters.
