Saturday 8/21 morning session quotes

WOMEN'S 400 HURDLES ROUND ONE

Brenda Taylor (Chula Vista, Calif.), 2nd in heat 3 (54.72): "The name of the game today is having an opportunity for tomorrow. I'm happy with my round. It was a little slower than I thought it was - it felt like I was running faster. I've been in the Athletes Village for a while, waiting to compete, so it's good to get out there."

LaShinda Demus (Columbia, S.C.), 2nd in heat 4 (54.66): "It was technically all right. Basically, I ran slow, so I wouldn't die. I made sure I got over the ninth hurdle clear, and I did that, so that's good. It was a clean race. That's what we were looking for. The first round, you get the jitters out. It's always a little slow."

Sheena Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif.), 2nd in heat 5 (54.81): "I just wanted to qualify for the semifinal. I probably went out a little slower than I should have. I'm glad to get today's race out of the way." On whether she was nervous: "Today, yes. The first round for me is always the most nervous."

WOMEN'S 400 ROUND ONE

Monique Hennagan (Stockbridge, Calif.), 1st in heat 2 (51.02): "It's a good feeling to get the first one out of the way. You have so many things going through your head. I felt comfortable throughout the race. The heat isn't my preference. The sun really beams here. I prefer cooler temperatures. All of us run together all the time. I want everybody to go out there and do their best. I wanted to run comfortable and not exert too much energy."

DeeDee Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.) 2nd in heat 4 (50.56): "I'm feeling very confident. I ran the first part of the race faster than I usually do. I'm known as a closer, but in this competition you can't run them down at the end. You have to be in the race. The races at night are going to be better. I'm definitely a night person. It's not going to be so hot."

Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas),1st in heat 6 (50.11): "This is exciting. I am happy to get the first round out of the way. I wanted to run fast in the first round. I want to run each race well and get better and better. It will take a lot of focus mentally in the next round. We will have to run the semis like it's the finals. It will be a tough field in the finals. I think whoever is ready to run fast well come out on top."

MEN'S 100 ROUND ONE

Justin Gatlin (Raleigh, N.C.), 1st in heat three (10.07):"That was the easiest 100 I have run in my life and I slowed down at the line. I felt like I was running on air. There is a lot to come for the next round and the next round after and the round after that. We're coming out for all rounds to run very fast. My start is probably my weakest part of the race. But I have been working on it for a couple weeks and I think it is ready."

Shawn Crawford (Raleigh, N.C.), 1st in heat 4 (10.02): "This wasn't my idea (pointing to one black shoe and one white shoe), this was (pointing to a white hat he wore with the bill toward the back in his race). I wore it over the back of my head so my engine wouldn't overheat. I haven't worn a hat in a race before. I decided to when I was warming up. It was a spur of the moment thing. That's the way I am. That was the easiest 10.02 I've ever run in my life. This is the Olympic games. They can have the race at 6 o'clock in the morning and I'll be there on the line and ready to run."

Maurice Greene (Granada Hills, Calif.), 1st in heat 8 (10.18): "It was just an early morning jog. Things are started now and things are now going to go by very fast. Everybody has their own strategy. That's Shawn (referring to Shawn Crawford wearing a hat in his heat). I don't do anything like that. I have to do what I have to do. I have a plan and I'm going to stick to it. I want to be relaxed. I don't want to put too much on myself right now and just run as easily as possible. Athens is a great place for me, and I'm going to prove it."

MEN'S DISCUS QUALIFYING ROUND

Casey Malone (Fort Collins, Colo.), 8th in qualifying; advanced to final(61.83m/207-7, third row) "I'm very fired up. To make the Olympic team was a huge goal but it was a dream come true to make it into the finals. With first throw, obviously you are going to be a little nervous with your first time in the Olympics. The second throw I was a little more relaxed. To do it on the third throw I made was a big confidence booster

"It was nice to come in under radar because there was no pressure to deal with. Jared (Rome) and Ian (Waltz) are great throwers and it was disappointing that they couldn't make it into the final.

"That third row that allowed me to qualify wasn't that much of a big surprise because I was throwing good in warm-ups. I really couldn't tell how far I threw it. I knew it felt good, but I really didn't know until I saw the mark that I would make it into the finals. When I saw the mark it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The goal was try to get it to the automatic mark but if you look at the history of the Olympics, 63 meters usually gets you into the finals.

"Now my goal is mainly technique wise...to stay with what I have been working on. Wherever that gets me that gets me. In my mind I would like to stay at least eight or higher and make the finals."

Ian Waltz (Chula Vista, Calif.),22nd in qualifying(58.97m/ 193-5, first throw) "I got about four hours of sleep. My body hasn't felt the same since I came over here. This is my first time in Europe. It is frustrating not to place higher. This was probably my worst meet of the year. My power was down. After the Olympic Trials, it was hard to hold that peak. Being a power thrower it is hard to hold that peak long. But I don't want to make too many excuses I didn't throw well today. I am on an Olympic team so I can't be too upset but I am not happy with where I finished. There is always next year to come back and be better. "

Jarred Rome (Chula Vista, Calif.),14th in qualifying(61.55m/201-11, third throw): "This was my second worst meet of the year. In the Olympics, you don't want to throw this poorly. I wasn't nervous. I felt like I was going to make the finals. Hopefully I can make the finals, but you never know. To come here and throw four meters less than I have been throwing is a disappointment. I felt great today. My warm-ups were good. I felt sure I would have a big throw today. I hit the cage on my second throw. That's the first time in my career I've done that and I was a little rattled by it. I told myself to slow down on my last attempt and hit the crap out of it. But unfortunately I was too slow and didn't get enough power off my legs."