Emma Coburn had a near perfect season. She won the US champs, she ran American record, and she looked poised for greatness this season.
Emma Coburn, photo by PhotoRun.net
Could she medal once again in global competition? The field in 2017 looked, on paper, tougher than 2016.
I picked Emma for silver in London, but really, did not know. I had observed Emma since college, and watched her hurdling develop, her racing strategy develop, but felt that she was just a bit too cautious to win one of the big medals.
Was I wrong.
Listening to her then fiance, and coach, and now husband, Emma stayed closer to the action than ever before. Her last 500 meters was perfection, and her attack over the last water jump, and Courtney Frerichs taking silver behind Emma’s gold is one of the finest moments in American Track & Field history.
Fast times are one thing, winning a global medal in the toughest venues in the world, when there are no pacers, no safety nets, is where Emma Coburn delivered.
Sub nine minutes? It is just a matter of time.
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