The decathlon lived up to all of its hype, with two well balanced decathletes duking it out for first and two other decathletes, both well matched, having to run the 1,500 all out to decide third and fourth place!

Bryan Clay over Tom Pappas, Monique Hennegan Wins 400 meters
Today, we have the following:

20k Race Walk, Mens Decathlon, day two, 110m hurdles, Discus Throw, Pole Vault, Javelin Throw, !,500m Men's 200 m quarter final 110m hurldes qualfying womens 100m hurdles quarter final womens 200m semi final mens 110 hurdles quarter final Mens Javelin Throw final

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The 20k Race Walk, Mens' Final

The 20k Race Walk is 12.4 miles of keeping form, while walking as fast as most people ever run. Tim Seaman had a trying day. First, he threw up in the first 5k, but he did persevere, finally winning the darn thing in 1.25.40. John Nunn of the U.S. Army took second, in 1.26.23 and Kevin Eastler of the U.S. Air Force took third in 1.28.49.

This is how Tim Seaman described his race, " This is 20 kilometers of pain sometimes and doubt sometimes and frustration sometimes. It was a very difficult race today. Four of the top 22 guys in America were competing today. It was a top notch field.

"I did not sleep last night. In the first 5k I threwup. wasn't sure if it was nerves or the Lucky Charms I ate this morning. From 10-15 kilometers, I felt very strong."

A tip of the hat to Steve Vaitones, a 50k race walker and USATF New England lifer, who did the announcing on the walk, which started at 7 am this morning.

****** Men's 110 Meter hurdles, quarter finals

Heat 1

Allen Johnson won this one in 13.25, with a -1.2 m wind. Duane Ross was second, Anwar Moore was third and Joel Brown was fourth.

Heat 2

Arend Watkins won here in 13.33, with Ron Bramlet, Mark Crear and David Payne moving on.

Heat 3

Terrence Trammell won here in 13.55, with Robby Hughes, Aubrey Herring and Eric Mitchum moving on.

Also moving on, from heat 2 were Micah Harris, Chris Phillips and Josh Walker. In heat 3, Antwon Hicks also moved on.

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Womens 100m hurdles, quarter finals

Heat 1

Joanna Hayes took the first heat, in 12.67, with Nicole Denby, Raasin McIntosh, and Joyce Bates-Fair.

Heat 2

Jenny Adams ran 12.92 to take heat 2, with Ebony Foster, Melissa Morrison, Sani Roseby and Brenda Taylor moved on.

Heat 3

Michelle Perry won here, in 13.05, with Sheena Johnson, Danielle Carruthers moving on.

Heat 4

Gail Devers, the queen of the 100 m hurdles ran 12.79 to win heat 4. Miesha McKelvy-Jones and Lolo Jones moved on.

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Men's Javelin Throw-Final

Breaux Greer, dealing with a leg injury, still won the javelin final today with a throw of 82.39m or 270-04. Greer won with his first throw of 82.39m, then threw 81.37, 82.16 and passed on his last three throws. Greer did admit an injury, and told the media that " I will compete until 2008. I want to do something special."

Brian Chaput, in his fourth throw, popped a nice 79.81m or 261-10.

The tough place to be was fighting for third, which happened between Leigh Smith and Tom Pukstys, a two time Olympian.

Tom Pukstys went from second to third to fourth over the time of the compeition. Pukstys had second through round 3, when Smith popped 76.38. Then Brian Chaput, in his fifth throw, popped a 79.81 and second was done and the battle raged for third. Smith fouled the last two, but Tom Pukstys, showing the experience of the wise man of the javelin, improved in both rounds 5 and 6, alas, it was not enough.

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Men's triple jump final

Well, this was a see saw competition. First, Melvin Lister jumped 17.21 in round 1, and took the lead. Then Kenta Bell jumped 17.39 in round two to take the lead. Next round, Walter Davis jumped a 17.38, so it was, after three rounds, Kenta Bell, Melvin Lister and Walter Davis.

Nothing happened until round six, when the final three jumps did some exciting things. Kenta Bell jumps 17.57 in his sixth jump, and thinks that he is in first. Then, Walter Davis, in third, jumps 17.63 and goes from third to first!

Then comes Melvin Lister, who triple jumps 17.78, or 58-04 for first, himself going from third to first, and that is how the event finished--all three medals determined in last three jumps!

The final posiitons were Melvin Lister, Walter Davis and Kenta Bell. The most unfortuate thing was that the entirie stadium could not witness such a thirll!

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Women's 200 m Dash

Marion Jones pulled out of the 200 meters, citing fatigue. She told a press conference this afternoon that she will not race in Europe until the Crystal Palace event, and until then, will go home and regroup.

Heat 1

Torri Edwards took heat 1, with a 22.38. Stepahie Durst ran 22.66, Rachelle Boone ran 22.69 to move on.

Heat 2

Allyson Felix ran 22.70, Muna Lee ran 22.85 to move on.

Heat 3

LaShaunte Moore ran 22.63, with Connie Moore running 22.77 and Inger Miller run 23.00.

A good 200 , and it looks to me like Edwards, Felix and Miller.

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Men's 200 Meter Dash-Semi Final

Heat 1

Bernard Williams ran 20.15, with Joshua Johnson in 20.45, Mickey Grimes in third in 20.48 and Justin Gatlin in 20.50.

Heat 2

Shawn Crawford ran 20.00, with Darvis Patton in second in 20.17 and Tyson Gay in 20. 17, and John Capel in 20.49.

The 200 m final should be Darvis Patton, Shawn Crawford, Bernard Williams, with Justin Gatlin to spoil.

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Women's 400 m final

Monique Hennegan showed the young uns, the new 400 meter girls who everyone is paying money to, that being a veteran is a good thing.

Monique Hennegan handed the young sprinters a stunning upset, as she won in 49.56, breaking her own Pr by one minute. Sanya Richards broke her own Junior American Record with a new AJR of 49.89 and Dee Dee Trotter ran a fine 50.28. Monique Henderson ran a fine 50.75 only to get fourth place!

The 28 year old Hennegan showed the young sprinters that, first you win, then you talk.

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Decathlon, Day Two

At the end of day one, only three points seperated Tom Pappas, the day 1 leader and Bryan Clay. Ryan Olkowski was third and Stephen Moore was in fourth place

The first event on day two was the hurdles, and ironically, Bryan Clay and Tom Pappas ran exactly the same time, 2ith 14.23 and both recieved 945 points.

The second event would prove to be the undoing of Tom Pappas. Bryan Clay threw 52.10 for the discus or 170-11 for 914 points, with Tom Pappas going 153-06 or 46.80m, a sub par throw. At this level, a sub par event is the difference between first and second.

The battle for third was between Ryan Olkowski, Stephen Mooore, Phil McMullen and Paul Terek.

In event 8, the Pole Vault, Bryan Clay added 31 points to his lead, with a clearance of 5.10 or 16-8.75. Pappas had a so so 5.00 or 16-4.75, but Paul Terek vaulted himself into third and Phil McMullen pushed himself into fourth.

In the ninth event, Bryan Clay threw 224-03 for 864 points to Tom Pappas 60.75 m or 199-04 for 749 points. Paul Terek and Phil McMullen added on some good throws to have it come down to the 1,500 for third place to be decided.

After nine events, the scores were Bryan Clay at 8135, Tom Pappas at 7882, Paul Terek at 7529 and Phil McMullen at 7440.

Note also that Kip Janvrin, coach at Central Missouri State, finishing his 86th career decathlon in 22 years, with his first national decathlon in 1984 for the junior national deceathlon. In 2000, KIp was the oldest Olympian on the U.S team, now at 39, he is the grand old man of the US decathlon. Kip finished in style, winning the first of the dec 1500s, with a 4.28.54.

"One of the bravest 1,500 metes that you will ever see," said Dr. Zarnowski, the announcer for the Decathlon. He was speaking of Phil McMullen, who placed fourth in 2000. To make the team, Phil McMullen had to have 13 seconds between him and Paul Terek at the end of the 1,500 metes.

McMullen put four seconds on Terek by the end of 1200 metes, when he began to kick and the space between McMullen and Terek increased,...five seconds, six seconds, seven seconds, to nine seconds at the finsih, where McMullen hit the tape in 4.15. Paul Terek held on, to take third position on the team and he did that by keeping McMullen to nine seconds difference at the finish.

Tom Pappas and Bryan Clay ran 4.44 and 5.03 respectively, but that did not change the upset, Bryan Clay scored 8660 to Tom Pappas' 8517 and Paul Terek scored 8312 to Phil McMullen's 8295.

For the second Olympic Trials in a row, Phil McMullen has placed fourth in the decathlon.

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