Day 5 Team USA quotes – Evening Session – US Track & Field – NEWS

Women's 100m hurdles final
Lolo Jones (Baton Rouge, La.): "You hit a hurdle about twice a year where it affects your race. It's just a shame that it happened on the biggest race of my life. About the middle part of the race, the hurdles were just coming up very fast, and I just told myself what I always tell myself, 'keep things tight.'

But it's kind of like a car. When you race in a car and you're going max velocity and you hit a curve, you either maintain control or you crash and burn and today I crashed and burned."

Dawn Harper (Los Angeles): "In the beginning, I did feel a little more jitters than I did in the first round. I had to kind of shake them off. I knew I needed to react to the gun, just focus on me and be quick and attack each hurdle."

On winning being a surprise: "I felt I was always capable if I focused on myself. But for others, yes."

On Jones hitting the 9th hurdle: "I felt something happen. I didn't know how serious it was. You have to focus on you because if I get caught up on her then who knows what happens to me."

On Jackie Joyner-Kersee: "She wasn't able to come to the Olympics this year, but she sent me an email telling me that you can do it and stay focused. It's about you. Run your race on that day and that time. Focus on you."

Damu Cherry (Winter Garden, Fla.): "It's really hard to get fourth. I thought I had it; I thought I had it, I really did, so congrats to them. I was right there. It's hard."

On Jones' mishap: "You've got to concentrate on your lane, and I didn't know what happened. The thing you have to do is you've got to keep running and never quit. You never know where you are in the race. I kind of thought I was up there but it was by a thousandth of a second. It's hard to deal with. It's hard but I'm healthy and I thank God for that."

Women's 400m final

Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas): "My right hamstring grabbed on me, and I just couldn't move it anymore. I tried to hold them off, and I just couldn't. I'm so disappointed because I've never had anything like that happen. I was totally out of control on the straightaway. I was all over the lane. Christine Ohuruogu was just really strong coming home."

"I felt really good. I thought I ran the first 200 really under control. I felt really strong. I started working the curve, and I came off in good position. I got to about 320 and I knew I had at least 70 meters to go and my right hamstring kind of grabbed. I tried to pull it through, but it just got really low on me and from there on my legs just got really heavy."

"I knew that gold was mine. I knew I was going to run 48 seconds. I felt so good. I was already getting elated coming off the turn because I knew how my races had been going. My hamstring just really let me down. I just feel like I've worked so hard in vain."

Women's 200m quarterfinals

Allyson Felix (Los Angeles, Calif.): "It was good. I just wanted to get through comfortably. Being out there, I'm kind of blind, so I don't really know how fast I need to be going. I just really wanted to run a decent turn."

On if running so many 100s was a good warm-up for the 200m: "The great thing about the 100m is the front end is where I need my work, so I got a lot of work in and now I can let my endurance take over."

Marshevet Hooker (Pfugerville, Texas): "I felt great. I ran the turn hard, got in the straight away and felt where I was and based my pace off of that. You kind of feed off of who is around you. You don't want to give that much because you still have more rounds to go. It's good to feel where you are compared to everyone else."

Muna Lee (College Station, Texas): "It was pretty good. I just wanted to hold my form. I didn't want to go into the normal Muna Lee swing. It felt much better than any other time."

On her motivations after Jamaica swept the 100m: "I was pretty mad, but it was kind of like fuel to my fire. I'll just think about that when it comes to the final. It's a rivalry, but it is a friendly one because we all trained together in college. We kind of grew up around each other."

Women's 5,000m semifinals

Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C.): "(The pace) was hard. Everything was saying, you don't want to go this fast, you don't want to go this fast. But, when you're in the race, you can't get into those mind games, so I just gave it everything I had … I've got to figure out how to run a little bit of a smoother race."

On having three U.S. runners in the final: "How about that? I really like that a lot. It has a good ring to it. It just shows how hard we are working. We've got good coaches, a good support system."

"I always want to make sure I'm in that top six. I just fought it a little bit harder just to make sure I was in there. You never know what can happen."

Kara Goucher (Portland, Ore.): "I was just saying that's amazing — three runners in the final. It's going to make the final a little bit less nerve-wracking to see friends everywhere on the track. I'm just so proud of us. I think we are making a statement, and I'm so happy to be a part of it."

On her strategy going in: "That was the tiger. No one is going to pull away from me until I know I am safely in and then I might conserve a tad. With two laps to go, I was like unless I start walking, I knew what the time was. On that last lap, I didn't dig all the way, but this time it was planned. Save that for Friday."

Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.): "It felt really smooth. It was the kind of race I expected. It's a little warmer today, so I thought it would be tactical. I felt great. My foot was actually grabbing a little tight with 350 to go. I actually felt I was going to finish stronger. From there, I was just trying to stay strong and get the last automatic spot."

On her foot: "It's been a little tight on and off since I've been here. I felt really smooth until about 350 to go in that race where I felt like my form change a little bit. I just need to get it treated and rest up for Friday."

On staying close to the front: "I'm more comfortable, when it's tactical, running close to the front than sitting way in the back, so I was just trying to stay out of trouble. It was pretty physical. I knew that sometime in the last 1000m, someone was going to take off, and I was trying to be ready for that."

Men's 110m hurdles quarterfinal

David Oliver (Kissimmee, Fla.): "It's just one race at a time. I ran 20 good hurdles. I have 20 more left to go to get to my ultimate goal. I just went out there today to make it to the next round and work on a few things. That's exactly what I did, so I'm happy that I made it to the next round."

"It's always disappointing when you lose two of the greatest competitors that have ever run the event, but at the same time, I have to go out there and take care of my lane just like I was going to regardless."

David Payne (Hampton, Va.): "It was a good race for me. I think that it was right where I need to be and will set me up well for my final. The weather is great here, and I'm using that to my advantage. Hopefully, I feel great tomorrow."

On the Liu injury: "Let me say first that it's unfortunate. He's a great athlete, and I hope that he has a speedy recovery. With him being one of the great hurdlers, there's an opportunity for anyone to step up for a medal."

Men's 200m semifinals

Wallace Spearmon (Fayetteville, Ark.): "I thought that was a good preview for the final, what do you think? Shawn and Bolt are looking good, and I'm trying to run myself into shape after injury. I'm getting faster every round."

Men's 400m semifinals

Jeremy Wariner (Waco, Texas): "Coach Ford and Michael (Johnson) both wanted me to work on the first 200m like I did yesterday. I worked the turn a lot better today. I was able to shut it down with 50m to go. It was a real good time with the way I ran. I'm excited about Thursday."

"I knew where I was at in my training and I knew what I could do. I was just out there to qualify, run a good time and work on some things for the final. I did everything that I wanted to, and I'm real impressed with the way I ran today."

LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.): "I watched the race. It's Olympic time. It's time to run smart and leave it all on the track. I can't control what the next person does. I'm just going to go out Thursday and run the heck out of my race."

"I set it up well, so I didn't have to run as hard coming home. That's what it is all about. A lot of countries haven't been through three rounds like we did at nationals. The U.S. team has an advantage in these rounds. I know how to run a preliminary. I know how to get through a semifinal and the final is all about leaving it on the track."

David Neville (Valencia, Calif.): "I jus thank God. That's the only reason I made it. I'm extremely happy, overwhelmed."

On his Achilles: "It's feeling pretty good. I'm getting great treatment. Everything is working out good. I'm not feeling anything when I run. I'm pretty confident. My fitness is there. It's really just about executing my race. The last 100 meters showed me that if I do what I need to do, I'll be okay."

On talking about his race plan with his coach: "Really, we talked about running hard, running strong the whole race. I thought I got out well and then I came off the first turn and I saw everyone was pretty far ahead but I didn't panic. I just kept with my rhythm. We really talked about the last 100 meters, and I did exactly what he said I needed to do."

Vicky Oddi
Communications Coordinator
Vicky.Oddi@usatf.org