 |
|  Abdirahman Edges Keflezighi for USA 10K Title, Flanagan Dominates Women's 5K By Basil Honikman June 23, 2005 Courtesy of Running USA wire
CARSON, CA - For the last five years, Meb Keflezighi and Abdi
Abdirahman have battled each other at almost every national track and
cross country championship (and a few road ones). With Alan
Culpepper (not running tonight), the trio have been America's very best
and consistent male distance runners. So it was fitting that at the USA
10,000m Championship, the Team Running USA teammates who are
friends and occasionally train together would pull away from the rest of
the field after the first kilometer and run together for the next nine. Their pace was a steady 66 to 68 seconds per lap under windy, humid
conditions at the Home Depot Center track. Abdirahman, a two-time
Olympian, led most of the laps as Keflezighi, coming back from a recent
injury, seemed to be testing his fitness. At the nine kilometer mark, Abdi
tried to surge away, but Meb, the defending 10,000 meter national
champion, answered the challenge and led with 2 laps to go. After 9500 meters, Abdirahman had a half a step on Keflezighi, the 2004
Olympic Marathon silver medalist. On the last curve, Keflezighi passed
the Arizona grad, but could not drop him. With 50 meters to go, they
were even and the race was undecided until the final 5 meters when
Abdi surged once more and became the 2005 USA 10,000 meter
champion in 28:10.38 with Meb second by a step and 19/100th of a
second in 28:10.57. "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," said Abdirahman who also won the 2001 USA 10,000 meter
title. "I felt fine. You have to put it into perspective. This is my first track race
since the 2004 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 to the World
Championships," commented Keflezighi who was a four-time NCAA
champion at nearby UCLA. Half a lap behind, Matt Downin earned third in 28:34.65 and a place on
the U.S. World Championship team (if he can get an "A" world qualifier -
27:49) after waiting till the last 800 meters to make a move from the back
of the second pack. After the race, he said, "I felt good, it was one of
those nights. The race played into my hands. I did no work and hung at
the back until I needed to go." Earlier in the evening, the women's 5000 meters was The Shalane
Flanagan Show. Content to run near the front as Amy Begley and others
led the top flight field through the first two kilometers in 6:08, Flanagan,
23, a 2004 Olympian, immediately opened a 10 meter gap. Over the
next few laps, she increased her lead to 13 seconds as most of the best
American 5000 meter runners were resigned to compete for second. Over the last kilometer, rising star Lauren Fleshman and veteran Amy
Rudolph gave chase and closed the gap to just under 6 seconds, but
the victory was never in doubt as Flanagan cruised to the tape in
15:10.96. After the race, two-time Olympian Rudolph who finished third said,
"When Shalane made her move my first reaction was to cover it. Then I
thought it was more important to make the World Championship team so
I dropped back into the pack. It (Shalane's) was a gutsy move." Women's 5000 Meters 1) Shalane Flanagan (NC), 15:10.96, $4000 Men's 10,000 Meters 1) Abdi Abdirahman (AZ), 28:10.38, $4000
About American Track & Field | About Running Network | Privacy Policy | Copyright | Contact Us | Advertise With Us |
|
|
