Athlete Quotes - USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, presented by Visa

Held: June 23-26, 2005 at the Home Depot Center, Carson, CA

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Day 4

Open Men's 400 Meter Hurdles

Kerron Clement (Nike), 47.24

"I'm confident I can go under my PR. I came here this morning and I was really focused. My coach told me what I needed to do and I listened to him. I gave it my full effort. At World Championships I am planning to do my best again. I charged every hurdle today. That's what I have to do to win every race. It was a perfect race. Next year I plan to run the 200 and occasionally the 4."

Bershawn Jackson (Nike), 47.80

"Lane 1 is a tough lane to run in. It's tight on the inside. Too many people can't survive Lane 1. I worked hard to stay in the race and thank God I made it. I was running as fast as I could."

James Carter (Nike), 48.03

"Last time I qualified for the World's; I got hurt prior to the meet. I made it to the semifinals. I'd like to make it to the finals. I'm looking to get on the podium. Time doesn't matter. All that matters is finishing 1, 2 or 3."

Open Women's 100 Meter Hurdles (-0.7 wind)

Michelle Perry (Nike) 12.66

"I just went out and I wanted to run a smart race. I was pressing each hurdle. I felt Joanna (Hayes) hit me in the arm, but it comes with the territory. I'm not giving up the heptathlon, just that the hurdles took off this year. I felt better yesterday. I expected a lot today based on yesterday. My legs did not feel that fresh today. We (Michelle and her coaches) made a decision to go out with the hurdles and not do the heptathlon. The schedule didn't allow me to do both. Bobby (Kersee) said go ahead, have fun and run the hurdles."

Joanna Hayes (Nike) 12.77

"I have to go home and recoup. I didn't get out at all. This is not going to break me. I've been here before. Last year was closer and no one cares about the Trials. I plan on getting a gold medal. I plan on being ready for the Worlds."

Open Women's 200 Meters (0.3 wind)

Allyson Felix (adidas) 22.13

"Sub-22 is definitely the plan at Worlds. I have a lot to work on and hopefully that will all come together in the next month. My trainings have been focused on strength on a 400 meter base. We haven't gotten to the speed work yet so I'm excited to go back home and focus on that aspect of my race. Because I usually have trouble the first part of the race, I wanted to go out and attack that and come home strong."

LaTasha Colander (Nike) 3rd, 22.34

"I'm versatile and I go with my heart. This year we strategized to make the World team in the 200 meters."

Open Women's Triple Jump

Erica McLain (Stanford), 45-11.75

"Hitting the junior record, that was cool, but it wasn't really my goal. My goal was meeting the A standard. I didn't even have the B standard coming in. But I knew if I hit the B then I had to win and it created extra pressure. But the fact that I hit the B and won the competition made me excited and I cried. I didn't know what else to do. Going in I felt like I didn't do enough speed work and my coach stepped back and let me do my own thing. He left it up to me and I'm glad he did because I'm proud of my results."

Open Men's 200 Meters (wind, -0.9)

Justin Gatlin (Nike) 20.04

"The weekend has really turned around for me. I feel like I'm back in my zone...like in College ... doubling and dominating. I want to make sure that the name Justin Gatlin is well known in the sprints. I had a spark of inspiration this year after the Olympic Games where so many people didn't expect me to win, so I set out this year to focus on both the 100 and 200 and I want to dominate every race I'm in. Yesterday was an exhausting day, I felt cramping in my arms and thighs after the 100. I had to make sure that I did a lot of stretching and hydrating today. The field was stacked; every competitor out there is capable of taking a race on any day."

Tyson Gay (adidas), 2nd, 20.06

"I didn't know whether I had caught Shawn at the end, but I was just happy making the team. My coach and I had a strategy to run only the 200 here instead of doubling, but when I saw how all the young guys did so well in the 100 I might have liked to have run that, but I'm just glad to be on the team."

Shawn Crawford (Nike) 3rd, 20.12

"Lane 9 was not a problem, I love lane 9. What was a problem was not feeling ready to perform at my best. This whole meet was a disaster for me, but hey, I made the team. #1, I lost both of my races, and I hate losing. #2, the times really sucked. I know that if I'm healthy, then I would run the times I should be running. Both of my feet (metatarsal swelling) have been injured since the fall, the left is worse then the right."

Open Men's 800 Meters

Khadevis Robinson (Nike), 1:45.27

"It feels great to win it. It's been a long five years since my last title and I've been second for the last three years. I couldn't really tell that the other runners were not on my shoulder, but I figured if I'm feeling it so are they. I tightened up a little over the last 100 because I started hearing the crowd and the announcer. I could've picked up another second if I'd have just relaxed. I've been training really well. I opened up the year in the low 145's and I have a lot of confidence. I'm working with Johnny Gray, analyzing all of his best races, and now it's time for me to start taking the risks to get to the next level. Last year I was consistent on 144's and now I've to take the risk of hitting the 600 mark in 1:15 so I can get consistent in the 1:43's. I expected to win here. But I need to continue to work hard so I can run better in Europe. I'm in my comfort zone in the US and there's a lot of other factors to competing in Europe.

Open Women's 800 Meters

Hazel Clark, 1:59.74

"I was really excited going into the race and I knew I wanted to go wire to wire, so I took it out in the beginning and things went my way. I'm just so excited right now. I'm excited for World's. I've been training with Treniere (Clement) and we've been pushing each other hard in practice. She's helping me on my 800 speed, and I'm helping her with her 1500 speed. I'm in the best shape right now and I know that World's is going to be exciting.

Open Men's 20,000 Meter Race Walk

Tim Seaman, New York Athletic Club, winner, 1:26:41.36

On race walking on a track:

"Mentally it was very tough to do 20K on the track. So it's a matter of staying focused as long as possible."

Weather conditions:

"It was OK. It got a little warm toward the end, but nothing like it's been in the past in Sacramento. It's much hotter and other places are much, much hotter. It helped that we started a little bit early and "June gloom" definitely helps up here."

Looking forward to Helsinki:

"Maybe. Maybe. I'll try. I'm not sure yet. Mentally I'm very tired. I didn't get much of a break after Athens. I'll have to talk it over and we'll see."

Open Women's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase

Elizabeth Jackson (Nike), 9:39.78

"This is really exciting for me. I've had a rough year; year and a half. My strategy was to go out and stay with the leaders. In the second half of the race, which is my strong point, I was able to go hard."

Lisa Galaviz (unattached), 9:40.58, second

"I wanted to make the world team. I didn't care if it hurt or not. I just wanted to qualify for the team. When I tried out for the World cross county team, they took the top six and I finished seventh."

Open Women's Heptathlon, Hyleas Fountain (Nike), 6208

"I felt confident going into the 800 even though my lead was only 21 points. I had a lot of energy and I knew if I stayed on her shoulder (Virginia Miller) I could win the competition. This weekend started off a little down, last month I had a 6500 in Austria, so yesterday wasn't going that well, but I was in the thick of the competition. Last night I thought a lot about what I needed to do and I got ready to take care of each event today. Although last year was a disappointment (4th in Trials), I really felt good about getting experience at that level and I was ready to bounce back this year and work hard on each event and go after it. I'm looking forward to Helsinki. The level of competition is totally different and I've competed well in Europe before."

Open Men's High Jump, Matt Hemingway (adidas), 7-5.25

"I felt good. I felt like I could jump high. The old way (old technique) I couldn't make the adjustment. My goal for the World Championships is to win and to set an American record. That will be place to do it. I am out there to jump and jump to win."

Open Men's Shot Put

Christian Cantwell (Nike) 71-0

"Today it went better than Olympic Trials. I'm grateful to make the team. You could have mixed and matched it a dozen different ways. I watched the Games on TV with a bunch of buddies. I felt we could have swept it had things been a little different. I think we can win Worlds and I hope we do win it ... then we'll get four people in it. There's always talk of a sweep but it never happens. We'll just get all of us into the finals and see what happens. After the Trials I took six months off. In training I've been throwing much better. I'm just starting to hit stride and I think I can get a PR in the next couple weeks."

Adam Nelson (Medivox Rx) 70-07.25

"I tried to come up with some creative way to find sponsorship. I sold sponsorship on e-bay that included four TV appearances and one personal appearance. I had 10,000 people visit the e-bay site and over a 100 bids. I was expecting a much larger throw today and in 6 weeks I'll be expecting a larger throw again. Everything is fine. This is the first month. Timing is everything in the shot and my injuries seem to heal in time for the big meets."

John Godina (adidas) 68-10.50

"I thought I'd have a little bit better day today. My first 2 throws weren't very good, but I've been around the block in my 450 years of competing and I knew I'd get one in. There's always a sense of panic and it depends on how you deal with it."

Day 3

Open Women's 20,000 Meter Race Walk, Teresa Vaill, Walk USA, winner, 1:33:28.15, American record

On her belief that she could break the record today (record has been on books since 1999):

"Yes, I definitely believed I had the chance to run this time. It's just hard when you're by yourself. Breaking the record is very exciting, but I just wanted to win. "

On how far down she can take this record:

"I think I can take this down to a 1:32."

On looking forward to Helsinki and goals for World Championships:

"I'm really looking forward to Helsinki. That's why I came back for one more year. My goal for Worlds is to get in the top 20. "

On the weather conditions:

"Perfect. This is nothing compared to Florida. Florida has a lot of humidity. It was perfect today ... I can't complain."

Open Women's Pole Vault, Stacy Dragila, winner, 14-07.25, Nike

"I was happy just to get off the ground and to make bars. I was happy to win. I thought that Tracy (O'Hara) would win. She has been jumping very well and very smoothly. I have been running from a new run (distance) and I am trying to find my rhythm. I relied on my past experiences."

Tracy O'Hara, adidas, 2nd 4.40 (14-05.25)

"My performance was OK ... The wind was crazy. There was a strong cross and head wind. As a result every jump was inconsistent. I'm really excited about my finish, which is my highest at a national championship. My goal was to make the team, as well as win, especially with all the injuries everyone is having."

Open Men's Steeplechase, Daniel Lincoln, Nike, 8:17:27

"I was really nervous, but I made up my mind to make a move with two laps to go and I didn't want to get paralyzed in the race. As soon as I made the move and got some clearance, I was confident in my speed. I was not sure how Anthony (Famiglietti) would react. It's always good to win a good race and I wanted real bad. I was nervous because I was injured from February through April (stress fracture, left tibia). It took a long time to heal, but I was doing a lot of training in the pool and on the bike and I was confident in my fitness.

Open Women's 400m, Sanya Richards, winner, Nike, 49:28 (3rd fastest all-time American)

"I knew I could go fast. I wanted to go out well and execute my race. My dad said that if I did that, I'd have a good time. It was a great race. There are three under 50 seconds. What more can you ask for?"

Dee Dee Trotter, 2nd, adidas, 49:88

"I was looking forward to a faster start. I had a steady pace in the prelims and semis. I came home fast. I felt I could go faster."

Open Men's 400m, Darold Williamson, Nike, 44:62, 2nd

"Jeremy wins the important ones. I've beat him all year, but today he put his race together and executed. I didn't work my 200/300 curve and he made his up on that curve. The most important thing is making the team. I missed it by 1-1/100th of a second last year. It's all about putting together the 44 seconds that we run. If he puts it together, he (Wariner) wins. If I put it together, I win."

Andrew Rock, adidas, 3rd, 44:70

"I looked left and thought I was in fourth or fifth, but I kept thinking I have to make this team. I just pushed hard through the line."

Jeremy Wariner, adidas, winner, 44.20

"I stumbled during the first half part of the race, but other than that, I couldn't have asked for a better race. My race plan was to come in to 200 at 21.2, but it was slower than that, I had to work harder on the second turn. I had plenty of energy for the home straight. It was a great competition with four or five people going for that third spot. Last year this was a harder race for me, but this year there's a lot more competition." A sweep in Helsinki is possible. Darrell is obviously right there and Andrew (Rock) has been running well all year. I'm really proud of how those guys ran. I'm in a good position to go faster."

Open Women's 1,500m, Jennifer Toomey, Nike, 2nd 4:07.39

"It was a fun race. I didn't know what to expect. I was just looking to place in the top three. (Toomey does not have an A standard mark) I have some races in Europe. Hopefully I'll get a time there. It's hard to get a time at a championship race, because everyone's looking at everyone else."

Treniere Clement, Nike, 1st, 4:06.73

"I have been working on my finish all year. My speed is strong. I knew that would pull me through. (Clement does not have an A standard in the 1500) I'm going to sit with my coach and figure out what to do. My time today is a personal record.

On why she picked the 1500 over the 800 where she has an A standard:

"The 1500 has been my goal from day one."

Open Men's 1,500m, Alan Webb, Nike, 1st, 3:41.97

"I won. I'm happy. It was rough at the beginning but I just wanted to stay focused and not panic. My composure was pretty good and I was ready for the move during the last 300/400 meters to go. The pace was a little slow, slower than I would have liked, I just had to be patient and wait for the race's speed to pick up. I trained with Chris Lukezic (he was second with 3:42:06) so I wasn't surprised that he was right there, I know how strong of a runner he is. Today was a great day for northern Virginia, the two of us trained last year with Treniere Clement (formerly of Georgetown). "

Open Men's 100m, Maurice Greene, adidas, DNF

"I got a good start. I was just going to make my move and start to accelerate and I felt my hamstring pop. There's nothing you can do about it."

Open Women's 400m Hurdles, LaShinda Demus, Nike, 1st, 53.35

"I got out of the first few hurdles fast and maintained my speed and rhythm. After the 7th hurdle, I just sprinted home. I know what I'm capable of ... and that's medaling at Worlds, but you never know what's going to happen."

Open Men's 400m Hurdles, James Carter, Nike, Winner, Heat 1, 48.80

"I wanted to go out and win my heat to make sure I had a good lane for the final. Right now I feel good and I'm ready for the next race."

Ken Ferguson, 48.65, unattached, Winner, Heat 2

"I felt I couldn't let them scare me out of my race. So I was kinda the rabbit. Coming home I knew it would be a battle with Kerron, but I know I'm in shape to beat anyone coming down the stretch. This is my first year running with the seniors and it's a whole new experience running with the professionals."

Open Women's 100m Hurdles

Michelle Perry (Nike) winner of Heat 1, 12.52 (-0.9 wind)

"I just wanted to qualify, and I pushed it near the end just to make sure. I was happy with the time and I didn't hit any hurdles. Things are going really well. I feel amazing and I'm expecting really big things in Sunday's final. Joanna (Hayes) and I train together and we push each other all the time, and bring out the best in each other. I decided to withdraw from the heptathlon to focus on the hurdles, but I could have gone out there and made the team in the heptathlon as well. There's a different kind of training and time commitment with the heptathlon compared to the hurdles, but I'm not giving up the heptathlon."

Joanna Hayes (Nike) winner of Heat 2, Nike, 12.62 (+1.2 wind)

"It was my first time on the track in a week. It was sloppy, but cool. I have to be quicker in the middle. I need to be better technically. My goal here is to win and go to the Worlds, not just qualify for the Worlds."

Danielle Carruthers (Nike) winner of Heat 3, 12.92 (-0.9 wind)

"The race went well considering I have been trying to get over a little Achilles injury. It went well. I stayed relaxed. I knew I had to be technically efficient because of the wind and I just needed to get through the first round. Now that I have that behind me, I am ready for tomorrow."

Open Women's 200m, Angela Daigle (Nike), 22.77 (0.6 wind), winner Heat 1

"The 100 meters was disappointing for me (6th, 11.41). I expected so much of myself. The 200 gives me a chance to redeem myself. I ran very relaxed in my heat and just wanted to make sure I crossed the line first. I like the 100 meters better, but I can run the 200 meters very relaxed. It's just a different approach."

Rachelle Smith (Nike), 22.53 (1.4 wind), winner Heat 2

"It was good; it is just the first round and just got finished with the 100. It kept me warm for the 200. We don't know if we are going to have a semi or just have a final. We're looking forward to seeing good things. A lot of people are coming in with fast times, the whole field is competitive.

Stephanie Durst (Nike), 22.94 (-1.8 wind), winner Heat 3

"I was just trying to get first in my heat ... just trying to make through to the next round. The wind was pretty strong and that didn't make it easy."

Open Women's 100m, Me'Lisa Barber (adidas) winner, 11:10 (-1.6 wind)

"My success this year in the 100 is not a surprise to me. I've always considered myself a 100 meter runner. Since 2002 I've focused mostly on the 400 meters because I have been getting injured early in my college career. Now I'm a lot stronger and my form is much better. I went up against a great field. They are all great competitors. I started training with Trevor Graham in November and I've learned a lot about sprinting. His coaching is very technical and focuses a lot on form, strength and weight training. When I first started working with him. The workouts were very hard and he told me "now you see why I have the world's top sprinters here." (He also coaches Justin Gatlin and Shawn Crawford).

Open Men's 200m, Leo Bookman (Nike), winner of Heat 1, 20.63 (-0.9 wind)

"I was trying to make it through to the next round. I wasn't looking for a time. My curve was good. I went hard the first 120 and made sure I finished in the top 2."

Tyson Gay (adidas), winner of Heat 3, 20.38 (-1.6 wind)

"I felt real good ... I ran the curve at 50% and maintained through the finish, just enough to cross the line in first place. I feel like I'm where I need to be. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. There's a lot of competition out there. I train in Fayetteville with Wallace Spearmon. We push each other and he's starting to teach me some things."

Shawn Crawford (Nike), winner of Heat 2, 200 meters; 2nd in 100 meters, 10.17

"I trained through the European season. I'm going to be running in Rome, but it's important for me to be ready for Helsinki. He (Maurice Greene) played it smart to shut it down. Sometimes if you run through a hamstring pull, it can blow your whole season, but if you pull up you may be able to come back quicker with some therapy. You can never count out Maurice Greene. He'll come back and train even harder."

Justin Gatlin (Nike), Winner of heat 4, 20.53 (-2.3 wind), 100 meter champion, 10.08

"I got about 3 1/2; hours of sleep last night. People called me from all over unhappy with whole incident from yesterday. In my race today I didn't want anyone to think that I had an unfair advantage and I had to make sure that I came prepared. Now I also want to show that in the 200. There is a lot of young guys coming up and it is a very competitive field where no one is dominating. The trials are very hard mentally. In 2003 I didn't make the team and I wanted to make sure that it didn't happen here. In the 100 final, Maurice got out on me well and I saw him ahead of me when I came out of my start. When he pulled up his hand smacked me in the forehead and had I not been leaning back, he would have hit me squarely in the nose."

Open Women's Hammer, Throw Erin Gilreath (NYAC) 242'04" (73.87) *NEW AMERICAN RECORD

"I was really tired, but I told myself to feel the throw and it would be there. I have been having great practices and I new a great throw was coming. I am pretty emotional right now because I had a hard indoor season and after I returned from Athens I didn't know if I wanted to do this anymore. My goal at worlds is to just have a better performance than Athens. Right now I am just excited about today and not thinking about worlds quite yet. I still have a while to prepare for that."

Day 2

Open Men's 100 meter dash, prelims:

Justin Gatlin, Nike, Heat 1 false start:

"Obviously, there was a first flinch off the first gun and the second time I reacted to another athlete in the field and I guess that wasn't called and I was off with the first athlete that left the blocks. So I reacted to somebody else and that's all I can really say about it."

"I'm protesting it, and if it comes out my way, hopefully, people understand, and my fans will still be behind me. And if it doesn't, then I'll go on and cross my fingers for the 200m."

"This is the first time this has happened to me, but things happen for a reason and hopefully something big will happen later on in the season for me."

Explanation of Justin Gatlin's advancement to men's 100m semifinal:

A protest was filed on behalf of Justin Gatlin after he was disqualified for a false start in Heat 1 of the men's 100 meters first round. Head men's referee Ed Gorman studied a print-out of the start of the race and determined that the runner in lane 5 (adjacent to Gatlin in lane 4) was not motionless prior to the start. Therefore, Gatlin's protest was approved by the referee and he will compete in Saturday's semifinal round.

Statement from USATF's Men's Track & Field Chair John Chaplin concerning sprinter Justin Gatlin:

The referee, after looking at all the facts, has decided to seed, and to advance Justin Gatlin into the semi-final round of the 100 meters.

What that means in practical terms is that we'll have three heats of six (6), six (6), and seven (7), and we'll take two (2), two (2), two (2) from the heats, and next three (3) fastest to the final.

Open Women 100m dash, prelims:

Heat 1 winner Angela Daigle, Nike, 11.40

"It was tough out there, there was a lot of a wind, but I pushed through. I'm just trying to get through the rounds and take it from there."

Heat 2 winner Marshvet Hooker, Texas

On race,

I felt it was a little windy, but I just kept running all the way through the line. It was a quick race.

Finals:

We have semis and then finals, and I'm taking one round at a time. It's a bunch of great competitors, so I don't take it as a win, I take it as a qualifying for the next round.

Heat 3 winner MeLisa Barber, adidas, 11.04 (PR)

"I have a different program now. I'm injury free and more dedicated this year. I've always been a 100/200 winner. I always liked the short races."

On her coaching change from Curtis Frye to Trevor Graham:

I'm with Trevor because he's a great sprint coach. (On Frye) He's a great coach too.

Muna Lee, Nike, Heat 3 second place, 11.21.

"The race went alright. I think it will be a good final."

Open Men's 100m dash, prelims:

Heat 1 winner DaBryan Blanton, Nike, 10.17

On the false start in heat 1:

"I didn't think about it. I just went over my race in my head and stayed focused."

On his race:

"I felt good. I didn't run well at NCAAs, and I'm just tried to redeem myself here."

Heat 2 winner Maurice Greene, adidas, 10.12

On the false start:

"It's the starter. He's not any good, That's the bottom line. He's holding us for a thousand years. At every championship meet, adrenaline is rushing, but I can't remember this many false starts at any meet I've been in."

On Tim Montgomery pulling out of the event today:

"I didn't even know he pulled out. I didn't know who was in my heat. I've been focused on me and my group the last two weeks, and that's it."

On Gatlin's exit:

"I'm disappointed, because he's a good competitor. I went up to him and said I'm sorry he's not going to be in the 100, but he's still going to be in the 200."

On making it to Helsinki:

"There are only three tickets. Who's going to get it? I want one."

Heat 3 winner Leonard Scott, Nike, 10.20.

"I'm real surprised about Gatlin, I've known him as a teammate at Tennessee, he's a very focused person, and a very will-minded person, he wants to do it. I truly think it was a lack of concentration today, on his part."

What did Maurice say to you after his race:

"He was scared, wasn't he, I'm like the first person out of the blocks, but after today, after all those false starts, he said 'I'll just play catch up today". Just to be on the safe side. I'll take my chances tomorrow. Today is just trying to qualify."

On the starter:

"He's really bad. I mean, usually, we have a count in our head, 1000-1, 1000-2, 1000-3, pow, then he shoots it. You gotta stay focused and keep your composure."

Heat 4 winner Walter Dix, Florida State, 10.27

"I got out of the blocks good. I just want to make it through to the next round. I hope to make the team. My ultimate goal is to win and show the old men that this young man is ready."

On Justin Gatlin's false start:

"Sometimes you make mistakes, and sometimes you have bad days."

Heat 5 winner Shawn Crawford, Nike, 10.10.

On the starter:

"The starter seemed to be holding the runners a little bit longer than usual."

On running 10.10:

"All I can tell you is that the 10.10 won the 5th heat, and gets me into the semifinals."

Can you recall when we've had this many false starts?

"Whew, I don't even pay attention to track and field when I'm not running."

Open Men's 400m dash, semifinals:

Tyree Washington, Nike, 4th in heat

It was a good race. It was good for me to get through. It's good to keep on racing. I'm having fun, and getting ready for it to get better.

On youth:

Half the kids I don't know. I'm the only one left from my crowd. When I finish my career, I'm not going to hang my head low. I had a great career. The youth showing shows a lot of depth in the US. We are deeper in the 400 than we've ever been.

Open Women's Long Jump, final: Grace Upshaw, Nike, 6.70m/21-11.75, 1.3 wind.

"I feel grateful to win, because I knew it was going to be great competition out there."

On her jump:

"It's a little less than what I had hoped for, but it's just about making the team."

Men's 800, heat 1 Khadevis Robinson

The race went pretty good. I wanted to push the pace and come through at 51 seconds. My time should have been faster, but I just chilled the last 50 meters. The name of the game is qualifying and making it to Sunday.

Men's 800 heat 2 winner Jebreh Harris

I ran a smart race tonight. The main thing was to make it through to the next round. Last year I gave it my all, but I didn't run smart. Coach says I have to run smart.

Men's 110 meter hurdles

Allen Johnson 12.99

Race:

I was in lane 2, away from the action. The gun went off and I ran as hard as I could, bc I knew domnique and trammel were there. I got nervous in the middle, and I didn't know if I had won off of the last hurdle, until the offical announced it, and I saw the scoreboard.

Three fastest times:

We're going to be running fast all summer and I feel sorry for the rest of the guys in the world.

Dominque

I didn't think I'd be this fast. There was no inidcaiton that we would all run this fast. My start was shaky, but I've been working on coming off my last hurdle. Today I PR'd, and I'm excited. I always knew I could run faster than 13.11, but injuries have hindered me. To run that fast now is great.

Trammel

We are sweeping worlds, and you can quote me on that. We don't know what order, but it will happen, just like it did tonight.

To me, finishing 3rd today is a victory, bc I ran 13.02. I got beat by big times, and that's not too good.

About Allen:

The old man just won't go away, but I couldn't be happier for him.

Open Men's 110 meter hurdles, final:

Allen Johnson, Nike, 12.99, first place.

On the race:

"I was in lane 2, away from the action. The gun went off and I ran as hard as I could, because I knew Dominique and Trammell were there. I got nervous in the middle, and I didn't know if I had won off of the last hurdle, until the official announced it, and I saw the scoreboard."

On the top three in the race getting the three fastest times in the world this year:

"We're going to be running fast all summer and I feel sorry for the rest of the guys in the world."

Dominique Arnold, Nike, 13.01, second place:

"I didn't think I'd be this fast. There was no indication that we would all run this fast. My start was shaky, but I've been working on coming off my last hurdle. Today I PR'd, and I'm excited. I always knew I could run faster than 13.11, but injuries have hindered me. To run that fast now is great."

Terrence Trammell, Mizuno, 13.02, third place:

"We are sweeping worlds, and you can quote me on that. We don't know what order, but it will happen, just like it did tonight. To me, finishing 3rd today is a victory, because I ran 13.02. I got beat by big times, and that's not too bad."

About Allen Johnson:

"The old man just won't go away, but I couldn't be happier for him."

Open Women's 400m, semifinals:

Heat 1 winner De'Hashia Trotter, adidas, 51.18.

Her objective in the first round:

"To qualify well enough to put yourself in a good position for a lane, that's my main objective. Qualifying is very important, so that can also be a goal too. A second goal is qualifying high enough to get a good lane for the next race."

On the wind:

"The wind is not going to give us a break. Not even a little one. Our times are going to be consistently slower, even though, this is a group of girls that runs 49s here. With this wind, I can't see us doing that."

Heat 2 winner Sanya Richards, Nike, 51.09.

On her race:

"I felt real good. Me & my coach wanted to execute the first 300m, and I did so."

On finals:

"It's going to be tough. There's a lot of fast women in the field."

Open Men's Hammer Throw, final:

James Parker, USAF, winner, 74.15m/243-03.

On winning his third title:

"I'm always nervous at every USA outdoor championship. I feel like I'm the new guy."

On going to World Championships:

"I have to turn it up now. I'm coming up little by little. I hope by the World Championships, I'm able to qualify for the finals."

Open Men's Hammer Throw, final: A. G. Kruger, Ashland Elite, third place, 71.48m/234-06.

"My first throw was my best throw. I came close to something big, but just didn't do it. Some days are great days and some days you struggle. Today was a 'struggle' day. It was a little frustrating. I had some great foul throws, but fouls don't count."

Are you going to Worlds?

"James Parker and I already have the "A" standard, so both of us will qualify for worlds."

Open Women's Shot Put, final:

Elizabeth Wanless, NYAC, 3rd place, 18.14m/59-06.25.

"I think my performance shows that I am starting to fit into my new skin. Last year I watched the girls in the stands. I finished 13th at the Olympic Trials. My big improvement in one year is attributed to Coach Larry Judge's commitment to my goals."

"I want to thank the Bates Friends. I hope I will make you proud in Helsinki."

Open Men's Decathlon, final:

Bryan Clay, Nike, winner, 8506.

On scoring 8506:

"It was alright. It wasn't anything special. I haven't been able to train the last couple weeks as I would have liked to, due to some injuries and things like that. We came out, got the job done, the score was decent, and now we'll get ready for Helsinki."

How was the track:

"I don't want to be rude, but it was tough. We had a lot of headwinds, the 100m for us was a 1.8 headwind, the hurdles were a 1.4 headwind, and even though the long jump didn't register wind, it was still affecting the jumps, and you saw it in a lot of people's performances. There wasn't a lot of blazing times, like you would expect from this track, since it's a very fast track. It's kind of too bad, since you'd hope that we'd come out here and things would be set up so we could have big marks, but it's left up to meet management, and that's what they decided to do. All in all, it was okay, but conditions weren't the greatest."

Did you miss competing against Pappas today:

"I always miss Pappas. I miss competing against a lot of the guys. I've been in contact with him. He's training, he's going to be back next year, and we'll put on a good show and start sending some strong teams to World Championships. We have a good group of guys that get along real well, want to help each other and work together, and I think it's showing in a lot of our scores."

What's your last favorite event?

"The 1500 sucks. That's definitely the toughest one for me. More than physically, it's a mental thing, you get down to the last event, it's been two days, and you've nine events prior to that, some go your way, some don't, so you're going up and down on an emotional roller coaster and by the time you get to the 15, you just hate it."

Open Men's 400m Hurdles Preliminaries:

Heat 1 winner Bennie Brazell LSU, 49.94

"I felt really good about the race ... comfortable. I was glad to get it out of the way."

On getting to the finals:

"I just need to be consistent and change nothing. I just need to be consistent."

Heat 2 winner Kerron Clement, Nike, 49.67

"I felt the race was kind of windy on the backstretch. I am looking forward to doing better in the finals."

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an NCAA runner?

"The advantages are knowing who's out there; there are no disadvantages."

Heat 3 winner Kenneth Ferguson, Unattached, 49.78

"It went well. I had a problem down the homestretch, stuttering over some hurdles. I won my first heat, and that's what I wanted - to move into the semis. In the semis, I just need to execute when needed and get through to the next rounds."

Heat 4 winner James Carter, Nike, 49.65

On weather conditions:

"It's windy, but I can live with it. It's a pretty new track so it makes it fast."

On his age (27 years old):

"I have respect for the young guys. I'm the old man and experience helps. And 27 is not THAT old."

Heat 5 winner Bershawn Jackson, Nike, 49.86

"I feel great. I had a long, hard season last year. Coming back ... Putting an exclamation on my season. It's a great benefit. My plans are to go out there and not to do what I did last year. I took forth in the Trials last year and I want to stay humble through the rounds. Take each round one at a time."

Open Women's 400 meter hurdles, semi-finals:

Heat 1 winner Lashinda Demus, Nike, 54.19.

"My legs were a little tight, because I haven't run in a while. All of these rounds are getting me back into race shape. I hit a hurdle, and I'm never happy about that, but I'm happy to advance to the next round."

Heat 2 winner Sheena Johnson, Nike, 55.22.

"I felt really good. My goal is to win the heat and make it to the final round. I accomplished that."

Her plan for making it to finals:

"I got to run a little faster and work out the kinks. Hopefully, everything will work out tomorrow."

Open Men's 5000m, final:

Tim Broe, adidas, 13:12.76 (fastest time in the world this year)

"I had a good start and felt good. I just tried to make it an honest effort from the get-go. It is the first time since 2001 that I have been 100% prepared, and it takes a lot of strength to not worry about the past."

On the young competition in this event:

"My hat is off to the young talent here tonight. They aren't afraid, and that's what we need at the world championships."

On future races:

"I've known the last month that on my best day, I could run 13.05, after today, I'm convinced that I can."

Open Women's 3000m Steeplechase, prelims:

Heat 1 winner Briana Shook, Nike, 10:07.37, fastest qualifying time overall

About your race:

I thought it was okay. To completely honest, I think it was a big waste of time (running prelims). I really disappointed that we had to do it.

Tell us about your good luck charm (she wears a picture of grandfather on her jersey):

"This is my grandpa. He passed away three years ago. He was one of my biggest fans. He's always running with me now."

On Sunday's race:

"I'm just going to run as hard as I can, and I think everyone else plans to too. I think it will be a good race and fun."

Heat 2 winner Rena Chesser, BYU, 10:17.81

"It was slow and windy out there. It was good for a trials race. Technically, it would have been a good race if everyone went all out, but it was only a trial. With only two or three runners not making it to the finals, it was going to obviously be a slow race. I'm satisfied with this race, for it being a trial."

Open Women's 10,000m run, final:

Katie McGregor, Reebok, winner, 31:33.82.

"It was a fun race. I had a good time out there. It was a great field. It was hard to know when to take it and when not to take it. Things are coming together for me. I felt in good shape. Having the 'A' standard, that helped me tonight. I didn't have any pressure in the race."

Deena Kastor, Asics, 4th place, 31:45.08

"My foot really wasn't bothering me, it was more just a loss of fitness. I had a really good attitude going into the race. I'm going to concentrate on road races now. I'm not disappointed. I would have been if I hadn't been out there."

Day 1

Open Women's Javelin Throw: Kim Kreiner, Nike, Winner (58.95m/193-05)

On her performance today.

"I feel good about my performance. I wish I would have thrown a little farther, at least the 'B' standard. I was hoping for 200 ft., but to come out and throw 58m twice in a series is pretty good. That's my best series this year."

On the World Championships:

"I'm fairly confident on being able to get to go. I'm really excited. My technique is where I need it to be, and I just need one throw to put it all together. This year I'm a little more prepared (to go to the World Championships), having been to the Olympics last year."

Women 400m Dash Open, prelims: Monique Henderson, UCLA, 3rd in heat #3, 52.06

On her heat:

"I knew who was in the race with me (other 4x400 gold medallists), and I knew we'd be bringing it home together."

"I'm possibly running the 200m also this weekend. I don't know about the 200m yet. I'm entered in it, but my coach and I will decide after the 400m on Saturday."

Women 400m Dash Open, prelims: Monique Hennegan, Nike, winner of heat #1, second fastest qualifying time, 51.80

On the wind:

"It was real windy. I really felt it coming out of the blocks and on the homestretch."

Her plan for the semi-finals:

"I want to run fast enough to get a good lane in the finals."

On her training:

"I feel that at this point in time I am further ahead than last year."

On this being a post-Olympic year:

"Everything happens so fast. We just came back from Europe, and now is already trials. Time just flew by. I'm taking it all in, basically, but I'm ready."

What will it take to get top three at the World Championships:

"I need to run smart and keep consistently training. I think I can do it."

Women 400m Dash Open, prelims: Sanya Richards, Nike, winner of heat #2 and fastest qualifying time, 51.79

On the wind:

"Last time I ran here it wasn't as windy, but it was hotter."

Her plan for the semi-finals:

"This round I wanted to work on getting out for the first 200 meters, and for the semifinals, I'm going to take it out for the first 300m and work on keeping my exact pace for 300 meters. Then, for the finals, I'll come out and execute the whole race well."

Women 400m Dash Open, prelims: Dee Dee Trotter, adidas, winner of heat #3, third fastest qualifying time, 51.81

"I'm in the best shape of my life, and it shows. I'm looking to run well here, but not peak yet. I'm looking to qualify for the team and run a couple of good races. It's been a tough year, because I was juggling getting my degree in criminal justice, training, and running on the pro circuit. But now I have my degree, and more time for extra training."

Men's 400m Dash Open, prelims: Derrick Brew, Nike, winner of heat #3, second fastest qualifying time, 45.48

"This day is just to get you ready for the next few rounds. You just feel it through and try to win each heat. Tomorrow, I'll try to finish in the top four and win my heat to keep moving on."

Men's 400m Dash Open, prelims: Jeremy Wariner, adidas, winner of heat #1 and fastest qualifying time, 45.29

What did this race tell you today?

"It tells me today that I'm in good shape right now. I ran a very easy race out there, and I was trying to do is qualify for the next round."

We all want to be known as great quarter-milers, and be the best in the US and in the world.

On the wind:

"I could feel it coming out of the blocks and on the first turn. After that, it was fine on the backstretch and helped me out on the final stretch.

Men's 400m Dash Open, prelims: Darold Williamson, Baylor, winner of heat #4 and fourth fastest qualifying time, 45.58

Pressure on him for this race:

"There's not a lot of pressure for me, but for my teammate, since he's the defending world champion. I'm out here just to prove myself, I guess. There's not that much pressure. It's just me coming out and proving my quality, and putting on a good show."

On his rivalry with Jeremy Wariner:

"There isn't any rivalry. We're really close friends. I'm always at his house, he's at my house, playing video games, hanging out, and we travel together. We're just really good friends. I think that's what's most important. As long as we continue to be good friends, a race will never come between us, we'll just be true competitors, and run faster.

Men's 800m Run Open, prelims: Jonathan Johnson, unattached, second in heat #2, 1:50.44

On the pace:

"The pace felt really good, it was a pretty easy pace, so it wasn't going to kill you."

On going pro:

"It feels great. I'm more motivated to run and glad to be out in the pro circuit."

On coming back from his NCAA performance:

"There was a lot of pressure running for a contract at the NCAA meet. Now that I don't have to worry about that, I'm refreshed and more motivated than ever."

Men's 800m Run Open, prelims: Derrick Peterson, adidas, first in heat #1, 1:50.46

"I was a little anxious because it's the first day and first round. I was just trying to focus on executing my race plan and making the next round."

On racing tomorrow:

"I'm not going to think about that today. I'm going to celebrate this minor victory today, and focus on tomorrow, tomorrow."

Men's 800m Run Open, prelims: Duane Solomon, unattached, first in heat #4 and fastest qualifying time, 1:48.90

"I planned to get a good start and run hard because I was in lane 9. I wanted to run comfortable the first 400m so I had enough left to kick. After 500m I was next to last, then the last 150m I was able to build up and finish strong."

On his season:

"This has been an up and down season, and I came out here hoping to redeem myself after a bad NCAA meet."

Open Men's 110m Hurdles, prelims: Allen Johnson, Nike, second in heat #2, 13.76

On his fall in Athens:

"Athens gave me a little extra motivation to run a little harder. I was disappointed with the fall in Athens."

On today's run:

"Today was just purely conserving energy for tomorrow's race."

Open Men's 110m Hurdles, prelims: David Oliver, Ehi, first in heat #3, 13.48

On today's run:

"It felt good out there. Coach told me what to do and I did it."

"I'm ready for the semifinals tomorrow and I want to duplicate this performance tomorrow."

Open Men's 110m Hurdles, prelims: Dominique Arnold, unattached, first in heat #4, 13.52

On the race plan today:

"I wanted to work on getting out of the blocks and the first three to five hurdles because I've been having problems this season with my start. Once I got through the first few hurdles I shut down and worked on my finish."

On his race:

"I feel pretty good, but I cramped up a little in the middle and the false start kind of drew out the race."

On the next round:

"I'm going to try to finish in the top four and stay focused on my technique."

Open men's 110 meter hurdles, prelims: Terrence Trammell, Mizuno, first in heat #1 and first in qualifying, 13.37

"In the first round, I'm always nervous. I try to get the jitters out. I made through fairly easily, even though my technique is not as good as it's been in my training."

Open men's 110 meter hurdles, prelims: Michael Mitchum, Oregon, first in heat #2, 13.75

"I felt pretty good. This was a good, easy race for me. I'm just having fun. My goal is to make it to the finals."

Open Men's Discus Throw, final: Ian Waltz, unattached, 64.54m/211-09

"64.54m at a national championship is pretty good, considering the conditions (wind). I couldn't be happier to win. The adrenalin was flowing and I couldn't feel my legs, but overall, I felt good."

On his training partner, Jarred Rome, qualifying as well for World Championships:

"It's awesome. Last year, we went one-two (at the US Olympic trials), and this year, we did it again. It makes the experience so much better with him there."

Open Men's Long Jump, final: Miguel Pate, Nike, winner, 8.35m/27-04.75, -0.4m/sec wind.

"It's been a long two years, and I'm happy to be at this point."

On his injury that kept him out of competition for the last few years:

"It means a lot, because it gives me a new perspective on things. Before the injury, I thought I was invincible. But after the surgery, I'm just trying to have fun. That's what matters, like the way it was when you were in college."

On beating Phillips:

"It's huge. He's a great competitor, and to beat him, and be national champion, I can't even put it into perspective. There are no words for how I feel."

On a new rivalry between him & Phillips:

We were in it before I got hurt: me, Phillips, and Savante Stringfellow. Now I'm back, and it's always good to have a rivalry, because it brings out your best competition.

Open Men's Long Jump, final: Dwight Phillips, Nike, second place, 8.28m/27-02.00, +0.0m/sec wind.

On finishing second:

"I'm very angry right now, but Miguel was the better man today. This is the first time I've been contested in a while, and I got to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Open Women's 5000m, final: Shalane Flanagan, Nike, 15:10.96, winner, fastest American women's time this year

"My style is to go out and run fast. I love to run fast. You come to a championship meet, and you know you have to run well. I wanted to make the team very badly. I knew I just needed to attack it. I completely ran within myself tonight, and it worked out very well."

Open Women's 400m hurdles, prelims: Lashinda Demus, Nike, 54.68, first in heat #2 and fastest qualifying time.

"Technically, it was a good race, and I ran well. I needed the first round to just get through it. I'm very satisfied and very happy."

Open Women's High Jump, final: Amy Acuff, Asics, 1.90m/6-02.75, winner.

"My goal was to come out and clear the height. Everyone seemed to be a little off so I snuck in there and won. I was glad they went up 5 cm. That worked to my advantage."

On last month's foot injury at the Adidas Track Classic:

"I tore some ligaments in my take-off ankle at the adidas meet. It was really touch and go, itt really came down to the wire, being able to jump at this meet. I'm really lucky that I was able to jump here, and I can't believe I won the meet. I was just hoping to clear the bar here."

On World Championships and being prepared:

"I think I have plenty of time to get everything in order for World Championships. I look forward to competing healthy and getting back to jumping in practice."

On the conditions today:

"[The conditions] were fine. We'd always like for it to be warm and sunny, but it was a really good track from the performance standpoint tonight."

Open Men's 1500m, prelims: Alan Webb, Nike, first in heat #1, 3:44.32.

"It felt good, comfortable and good. It's the rounds. You just try to do what you have to do to advance. I got knocked around a bit but I felt like I'm getting used to getting knocked around a bit in the preliminary heats. I had a great spring. My fitness is great. This is my first 1500m of the year. To run a good tactical race is great."

Open Men's 1500m, prelims: Rob Myers, Reebook, first in heat #2 and first overall in qualifying, 3:38.96.

"I felt good and confident, but you don't want to be overconfident in this race. I just wanted to be in a good position for the last lap. Jon Rankin took it out, and that was fine with me, because I just went along for the ride and just made sure I was in the top two."

Open Men's 1500m, prelims: Jason Lunn, Nike, first in heat #3, 3:40.78.

"This is my first race this season. I just wanted to feel it out and get in the top three or four. I felt like I'm in shape and I'm very happy. I've been training in Palo Alto even though I'm getting my MBA in Boulder (University of Colorado, Boulder). My training has been going well."

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Brad Walker, Nike, 5.75m/18-10.25, winner.

Injuries he's dealt with:

I kind of had a little bit of an injury plague the last few years. This the first year that I've put a full season together out of college (I graduated last year). My training has changed quite a bit and I feel that I'm a lot stronger and in better shape right now. I feel like I'm a little more resilent to injuries and really stronger to avoid the injuries.

Wind:

It was pretty bad early on. It calmed down quite a bit once we got to some of the bigger heights. But early on if you caught it at the right time, you made the cross bar, if you didn't, you didn't, it was pretty on and off.

Toby Stevenson:

How is this year different than last year

This year's been different because I've had the pressure of being a silver medallist. They expect you to win or get second at every meet. I wanted to come back and legitimize my medal. Today was tough. I kind of got in my own head a little bit. I fully take the blame for a pathetic showing of vaulting that I did. I'm just disappointed in myself, since I got third. I'm an athlete, and I love competing. To be able to represent the US this summer, like I did last year, it's incredible and that makes up for it.

Nick Hysong:

Differences this year and last year:

I don't think I need to make amends for last year. Last year, we sent an unbelievable team to the Olympics, and I was actually proud of the team we sent to the Olympics. I'd love myself to be on that team but circumstances and it wasn't in God's plan. This year I've very lucky to have friends like Brad and Toby push me along, get me fired up, because I had a little bit of shake in my confidence, had to bring that around. I think that showed tonight in the tough conditions that I managed to jump decently well. I didn't jump necessarily high but I jumped on good size poles and I have a decent chance to jump 580s and 590s. I'd really like to thank Toby for his support in the last few weeks, he's been very generous and supportive.

Toby:

Nick pulled me along with him when I was coming up, and hopefully I'm pulling Brad, since he's pushing the hell out of me. Brad was incredible today. Not only is it a thrill to make the team, but to make the team with these two guys. We're going to go over there and take one-two-three.

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Brad Walker, Nike, 5.75m/18-10.25, winner.

Injuries he's dealt with:

"I kind of had a little bit of an injury plague the last few years. This the first year that I've put a full season together out of college (I graduated last year). My training has changed quite a bit and I feel that I'm a lot stronger and in better shape right now. I feel like I'm a little more resilient to injuries and really stronger to avoid the injuries."

On the wind today:

"It was pretty bad early on. It calmed down quite a bit once we got to some of the bigger heights. But early on if you caught it at the right time, you made the cross bar, if you didn't, you didn't, it was pretty on and off."

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Toby Stevenson, Nike, 5.65m/18-06.50, third place.

How this year is different than last year:

"This year's been different because I've had the pressure of being a silver medallist. They expect you to win or get second at every meet. I wanted to come back and legitimize my medal. Today was tough. I kind of got in my own head a little bit. I fully take the blame for a pathetic showing of vaulting that I did. I'm just disappointed in myself, since I got third. I'm an athlete, and I love competing. To be able to represent the US this summer, like I did last year, it's incredible and that makes up for it."

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Nick Hysong, Nike, 5.65m/18-06.50, second place.

Differences between this year and last year:

"I don't think I need to make amends for last year. Last year, we sent an unbelievable team to the Olympics, and I was actually proud of the team we sent to the Olympics. I'd love myself to be on that team but circumstances and it wasn't in God's plan. This year I've very lucky to have friends like Brad and Toby push me along, get me fired up, because I had a little bit of shake in my confidence, had to bring that around. I think that showed tonight in the tough conditions that I managed to jump decently well. I didn't jump necessarily high but I jumped on good size poles and I have a decent chance to jump 5.80s and 5.90s. I'd really like to thank Toby for his support in the last few weeks, he's been very generous and supportive."

Toby Stevenson again:

"Nick pulled me along with him when I was coming up, and hopefully I'm pulling Brad, since he's pushing the hell out of me. Brad was incredible today. Not only is it a thrill to make the team, but to make the team with these two guys. We're going to go over there and take one-two-three."

Open Women's Discus Throw, final: Becky (Rebecca) Breisch, Nebraska, winner, 62.92m/206-5 on last throw.

"I feel unbelievable! I was hoping for the best, but this group of throwers, you never know what will happen. This is what I train for. This is great, considering I just came off of two elbow surgeries. I can't wait to represent the United States at the World Championships."

Open Women's Discus Throw, final: Aretha Thurmond, Nike, third place, 61.77m/202-08.

"Hey, I made the team. It was an interesting competition. There were several lead changes."

On the competition:

"It was nighttime, colder than normal, so competing was a little different. I wish I would have thrown a lot farther. I know I should have won the competition, but the goal was at least to make the team."

Open Men's 10,000m, final: Abdi Abdiraham, Nike, winner, 28:10.38.

"I was going to do whatever it takes to win this race. In the last lap, I was in a good position. I was comfortable with my kick. I was feeling great. My body was feeling very comfortable. I knew I had it won in the last 10 meters. I'm training for the 10k for Helsinki."

Open Men's 10,000m, final: Meb Keflezighi, Nike, second place, 28:10.57.

"I felt fine. You have to put it into perspective. This is my first track since last Trials. I thought I could beat Abdi. At the end of the day, he won it, but we're friends. We're good friends, we warm up together, talk together. I'm just glad both of us are going, and going to win it (World Championships)."