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June 13, 2008

Women Chase Olympic 1,500-metre Standard

Trying to pick the winner of the women's 1,500 metres at the upcoming Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic is a bit like trying to predict Vancouver-area weather these days. It should be clear but instead the outlook is cloudy, if not murky, and just who will emerge to shine is anybody's guess.

A large, and competitive, field of women runners is assembling to contest the 1,500 metres at the June 21 meet at Swangard Stadium. Many of these athletes have Olympics, or Olympic standards, on their minds.

Canadian team veteran Carmen Douma-Hussar comes to Swangard on a mission to attain the 4:05.0 Canadian Olympic A-plus standard after missing the mark at the recent Prefontaine Classic. Douma-Hussar, 31, has a personal best 4:02.29 earned in 2005 and she won the Jerome women's 1,500 back in 2003. Earlier this year she won the women's six-kilometre race at the NACAC cross-country championships in Florida.

Edmonton's Megan Metcalfe returns to Swangard as defending Jerome meet women's 1,500-metre champion. Earlier this year the 26-year-old runner set a Canadian indoor 3,000-metre record of 8:48.56 and went on to win the distance at the recent Adidas Track Classic in California. Another Canadian veteran, Calgary-based Malindi Elmore, is returning from a foot injury that kept her out of the 2007 world championships. The 2004 Olympian has a best time of 4:02.64.

American Kara Goucher is travelling north from Portland with Olympic aspirations but the Jerome is a means to an end for the 29-year-old runner. Goucher, bronze medallist in the 10,000 metres at the 2007 world track and field championships, brings a 1,500 personal best 4:05.14 to the Jerome meet, which is a critical prep for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials where she has qualified to compete in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.

Also look for Australia's Georgie Clarke, a semi-finalist in the 1,500 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Clarke, who won the world youth championship in 1999, was at age 16 the second-youngest track and field athlete to compete in Sydney. Aged 24 this month, she desperately needs to run under 4:07 by June 23 to be considered for Australia's Olympic team to Beijing after missing earlier attempts in North America to run her country's standard for the 5,000 metres. She has a 1,500-metre best of 4:06.50, earned in 2005.

Meantime, the women's 400 metres is emerging as a contentious affair. Calgary-based Kaltouma Nadjina of Chad brings in a personal best 50.38 and is a past gold, silver and bronze medallist at the African championships. But at age 31 she is facing the challenge of some young and eager athletes. Reigning Canadian champion Esther Akinsulie has a best of 51.72, earned in 2007. Carline Muir, second-place finisher in the 2007 national final and a three-time national junior champion, currently leads the national women's 400-metre rankings with a personal best 51.79, earned in May.

American veteran Demetria Washington, 28, also brings speed, and experience, to the event. She is a two-time NCAA indoor champion and a double gold medallist at the 2001 World University Games, where she earned her personal best of 51.05 in the 400-metre semi-finals.

The men's one-lap sprint initially appeared set to showcase Canadian record holder and world indoor champion Tyler Christopher. But the 24-year-old speedster has withdrawn from the Jerome meet due to allergy problems suffered while competing at the recent Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., where he finished fourth in 45.52.

American Mike Mitchell appeared the only major Jerome challenger to world indoor champion Christopher and with the Canadian's exit he is now the veritable frontrunner. Mitchell currently has a season best 45.88 for the 400 and 20.33 over 200 metres in current USATF rankings for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials.

Calgary's Andrew Dargie, 21, is a runner to watch for the future. Dargie, eighth-place finisher at the 2006 world junior championships, brings a PB 46.43 to Swangard. Toronto's Adam Johnson is also a runner to watch for the future as he brings a 46.77 PB to the track, earned in the semi-finals of the Pan-Am junior championships in Brazil, where he finished sixth in the final.

The 25th annual Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic goes Saturday, June 21 at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium. Tickets and meet information are now available through the meet website at www.harryjerome.com.

For media inquiries contact:
Diane Clement
dclement00@hotmail.com or (604) 261-6220

For athlete information contact:
Marek Jedrezejek
marekj@interchange.ubc.ca or (604) 822-6259

or

Doug Clement
dclement00@hotmail.com

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