FanNation - The Republic of Sport

For all those fair-weather fans who watched Usain Bolt let up in the 100 meters and left track for dead until his return in the 200 meter races, there was some exciting action missed in the long-distance races. One particularly exciting piece of news hailed from the 10K race. At first glance, American fans will quickly pass over the standings, witnessing the fact that the first dozen slots in the rankings were filled by Ethiopians and Kenyans and Eritreans and Ugandans. But sitting there in thirteenth place, the top non-African finisher in the race, was none other than the University of Oregon's own Galen Rupp. His coach, Alberto Salazar, finally was getting to feel his heart race after missing out on the boycotted 1980 Olympics -- Rupp was in the mix...

Rupp's race was definitely more Liu Xiang than Usain Bolt... the twenty-two year old Portland native, one of the first University of Oregon students to compete in the Olympics while still enrolled on the Eugene campus, quickly shook his nerves and got down to the business of racing. Alongside such luminaries of the discipline as eventual gold-medal winner Keninisa Bekele (who finished in an Olympic record 27:01.17) and Haile Gebreselassie, Rupp cut an unlikely figure. While he finished higher, eleventh, at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, the Oregonian finished on the lead lap this time a mere thirty-five seconds behind Bekele. Showing improvement at every turn, Rupp did his nation and his coach proud as he fought through the final lap to remain apace with the far more seasoned runners. Despite falling behind in the final lap, Rupp acquitted himself honorably against a top-flight field. "That's why they're the best in the world," Rupp told Register-Guard reporter George Schroeder after the race. "I've got all the confidence that in a couple of years, I'll be there."

Salazar echoes that sentiment. "He's just got to gradually chip away at it. But he's closing the gap. No doubt in my mind, God willing, he's right on course to be competitive in four years." For someone as young as Rupp, these Olympics have served as the perfect seasoning for future aspirations. Finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field was a sublime experience for this ascendant runner, certainly; finishing thirteenth, the top non-African finisher in a sport dominated by Africans for the past two decades, is an affirmation that we might have a new long-distance star on the horizon. From the land of Prefontaine, the future looks bright...

Rupp and Salazar are taking the right approach. Yes, thirteenth can be looked at as failure on his part to achieve medal status. However, the long view -- the fact that he finished only a half-lap down rather than a full lap as in Osaka, the fact that he finished within four seconds of his personal-best time on such a stress-filled stage, and the fact that his experience will only better prepare him for London four years down the road -- reveals quite the inverse. In a field as strong as this one was, completing the baker's dozen is no small achievement...

So now Eugene turns its eyes toward the trio of Symmonds, Smith and Wheating to see how they fare in the 800 meter races. Symmonds looks as though he has the best shot at the race, but don't count out Wheating just yet. Having been running competitively for only two years, the University of Oregon sophomore displayed a fearsome kick in the final hundred meters of his Trials races that ultimately saw him post a 1:45.03 in the 800. While this is only the forty-ninth best time in the world this year, Wheating nevertheless has displayed a remarkable aptitude and an exponential learning curve which continues to see him set personal bests. Don't be surprised if, starting tomorrow, another local boy makes good and brings another promising result for the young runners of Track Town USA... and as Rupp showed us today, it doesn't take a medal to offer up a hopeful finish...