Spearmon heads 400m entrants for AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships

BOSTON - Fresh off indoor world records in the 300 meters and a 4x400m relay, Wallace Spearmon enters the 2006 AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships on a roll, and at a new distance. The former 200-meter specialist will compete at 400 meters.

He faces a field that is loaded with talent, including 2003 World Indoor gold medalist Tyree Washington and LaShawn Merritt. In 2005 at age 18, Merritt ran the fastest indoor 400m ever by a junior athlete with his win at the Tyson Invitational in 44.93, the fourth-fastest indoor time in history. The precocious Merritt also is a 2005 World Outdoor 4x400m relay gold medalist and is the 2004 World Junior 400m champion, while Washington is the 2003 World Outdoor silver medalist and 1997 bronze medalist.

The AT&T USA Indoor Championships is the final event of USATF's Indoor Visa Championship Series and serves as the selection event for Team USA roster spots for the 2006 World Indoor Championships next month in Moscow, Russia. ESPN will televise the AT&T USA Indoor Championships on February 26 from 3:30-5:30 p.m., Eastern Time. The men's 400 meters will be broadcast live.

Spearmon first made a name for himself when he broke the indoor American record for 200 meters - twice - at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships, winning the final in 20.01 seconds. He didn't let up outdoors, winning the NCAA Outdoor crown for the University of Arkansas, taking the 200m silver medal at the World Outdoor Championships, and running the two fastest times in the world on the year (19.89, 19.91).

In 2006, Spearmon has begun to move up his racing distances. At the Tyson Invitational, he broke the world indoor best in the 300 with a time of 31.88 seconds. The next day he joined Kerron Clement, Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner to break the world indoor 4x400m relay record (3:01.96), with Spearmon's leg timed in 45.94.

On Monday, Spearmon spoke with the media via USATF teleconference. Below are excerpts from the teleconference.

Q: Tell us about your big weekend at the Tyson Invitational.

A: It was the first time I raced the 300 competitively. It hurt more than a 200 and it hurt more than a 400. I came back the next day with the 4x400, and came back with another record.

Q: Is running the 400 at the AT&T USA Indoor Championships a one-time foray into the distance, or will you be doing more of it in the future?

A: I'll be doing more of it in the future. I'll do a mixture of both, it just depends on the year, as far as the major championships and Golden League and everything.

Q: Since the 300 was an announced world record attempt at Tyson, did you feel any extra expectations? What was your mental approach?

A: When they first mentioned it, it was all fun and games. Then we got kind of caught up with the world record. Last year I made the same mistake of trying to run a record, in the 200, and I ran slow. So I had to get back to it being fun and games.

Q: Was there any boost from running in front of the home crowd?

A: I didn't want to lose at home in front of the people you spend every day with. The people at Arkansas they're used to winning, and after the world championships, Some asked, 'what's wrong, why didn't you win?' I said, 'I thought I did pretty good for the first time, didn't I?'

Q: How do you feel about world record holder being tagged onto you name?

A: I was pretty excited for the next day. Then I realized I had to go back to practice. But it was a very exciting time - a lot of goals reached in one weekend.

Q: What are expectations this weekend?

A: I would love to make the team [for the World Indoor Championships]. I've never run in Boston before. Hopefully I'll adjust well.

Q: What's the philosophy with you moving up distance?

A: In high school, I ran about seven events at state, so running two events was kind of my idea. I don't want to be stuck to just one event. You might get bored if you get stuck with one event. I will hopefully compete and be recognized as a threat.

Q: Your father also ran for John McDonnell at Arkansas. What did he tell you about it?

A: When I was younger, I used to go to practice almost every day. So I saw everything - hands-on training ... practices, meets and everything. I've been here all my life, so it was kind of hard to get away.

Actually, I didn't want to run track. I was into football and basketball. I didn't make the track team in my 7^th grade year or 10^th grade year. In my 11^th-grade year, a guy said someone was the fastest in the state - I bet you can't beat him. He beat me in the 100, but I came back and beat him in the 200.

Q: When did you start to love track?

A: Whenever I run, I like to catch people. My 12^th grade year we were running a relay and I caught everybody. After that, I just loved track.

Q: What is hard about the 400, and what do you enjoy?

A: I don't have a sense of time, I just run to win. I'm going to have to adjust and gain a sense of timing and contain myself for the first 200. Because if I race people like Jeremy [Wariner] and LaShawn [Merritt], they might take me out too fast or too slow and use tactics to their advantage. I enjoy longer sprints. I'm not the best starter, and this is a mix of speed and endurance.

Q: Running the 200 and 400, you're bound to be compared to Michael Johnson.

A: I've heard it a few times, and he has a few records. [laughs] I do think about it a lot. I'm not saying I'm anywhere near where he was. I'll have to go back and look to see at my age, to see where he was. I'm doing all right so far. I've got some improvements to make, 400-wise.

Q: Were you disappointed to finish fourth at the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships?

A: I was heartbroken. Going in there and getting fourth, in my heart I knew I was going to make the team. But after the race, Shawn Crawford told me he wasn't going to go [to Helsinki, freeing up a spot for Spearmon]. I thought he was playing, but he said he was injured. A few days later they called me and said I was going to run. I told them I'd believe them once I ran the first round.

Q: Did your father give you advice about competing at Worlds?

A: He tried to give me guidelines, but he wants me to learn on my own.

Q: What does your outdoor season look like?

A: I usually open up with a 200 in Mt. SAC, but I'm not too sure this year. I'll sit down with my coach and decide. I'm not sure if the 2 or the 4 will be first.

Q: Are you looking for a specific time this weekend?

A: I'm just hoping to make the team. With the talent there, anybody who made the team would have to run fast.

Q: Have you studied film of how 400m runners pace themselves?

A: I have tapes of almost any athlete that has run. I got that from football. I have tapes of Michael Johnson, tapes of everybody. I don't try to compare my style to anyone else. Most of the time I can't think, it just comes naturally.

Q: Which would be the more difficult world record to break outdoors, 2 or 4?

A: I think about the 2, I haven't really thought about the 4. Those records are pretty far away.

Q: Who do you consider your primary rivals?

A: At 200, Tyson Gay, my teammate, and Shawn Crawford. And for the 400, it would be Jeremy Wariner.

Q: What do you see in Shawn that makes him so dangerous?

A: At the 2004 Trials, I saw him run three 19s and 20-oh in the rounds. I can't even put words to that. Right now he is the guy who is most impressive.

Q: What are your strong points, and what do you have to improve on to get faster?

A: Everybody is probably going to tell you my start is not the best. My strong points - my legs are so long, I can run relaxed and not disburse so much energy. My stride pattern holds together longer than most people when I get tired. That's an advantage I have. My lower body is a lot longer than my upper body.

For more information on the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, including schedule, ticket information and status of entries, visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2006/USAIndoorTFChampionships/

For more information on the Visa Championship Series, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com

Sponsors of the AT&T USA Indoor Track & field Championships are AT&T, Nike, Visa, Hershey's, 24 Hour Fitness, Gleukos, Gill Athletics and Sport Court. Local sponsors include the Boston Herald Coca-cola, Keyspan, Hilton Family of Hotel, MBTA and Hot 97.7FM.