2016 U.S. Olympic Team TrialsJul 2, 2016 by Dennis Young
Galen Rupp Wins 8th 10K Title, Two Army Soldiers Make Olympic Team
Galen Rupp Wins 8th 10K Title, Two Army Soldiers Make Olympic Team
In a bizarre and brutal race on his home track at Hayward Field, Galen Rupp won his eighth U.S. 10K title and qualified for his third Olympic team in 27:55.
In a bizarre and brutal race on his home track at Hayward Field, Galen Rupp won his eighth U.S. 10K title and qualified for his third Olympic team in 27:55.
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program runners Shadrack Kipchirchir and Leonard Korir finished second and third to qualify for their first Olympic team. The 81-degree weather wreaked havoc on the field as Bernard Lagat, Eric Jenkins, German Fernandez, Diego Estrada, and Jason Witt dropped out. Lagat dramatically dropped out when Hassan Mead caught him for third place, but Mead then dropped out—though he later returned to the track—when Korir passed him for third.
This was the first Olympic Trials for Kipchirchir and Korir, though Kipchirchir was on the U.S. 10K at last year's world championships. Kipchirchir competed at Oklahoma State and Korir was an NCAA champion at Iona; both are Kenyans who obtained U.S. citizenship the hard way—joining the Army.
Major underdogs Scott Fauble and Chris Derrick earned $4,000 and $2,000 by finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Courtesy of NBCOlympics (http://liveextra.nbcsports.com) and USOC
It's a HOME RUN for Galen Rupp!
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) July 2, 2016
The #London2012 silver medalist is headed back to the Olympics!#TrackTown16 pic.twitter.com/WEqwueT40N
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program runners Shadrack Kipchirchir and Leonard Korir finished second and third to qualify for their first Olympic team. The 81-degree weather wreaked havoc on the field as Bernard Lagat, Eric Jenkins, German Fernandez, Diego Estrada, and Jason Witt dropped out. Lagat dramatically dropped out when Hassan Mead caught him for third place, but Mead then dropped out—though he later returned to the track—when Korir passed him for third.
This was the first Olympic Trials for Kipchirchir and Korir, though Kipchirchir was on the U.S. 10K at last year's world championships. Kipchirchir competed at Oklahoma State and Korir was an NCAA champion at Iona; both are Kenyans who obtained U.S. citizenship the hard way—joining the Army.
Major underdogs Scott Fauble and Chris Derrick earned $4,000 and $2,000 by finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Courtesy of NBCOlympics (http://liveextra.nbcsports.com) and USOC