2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships Day 5 Team USA morning quotes

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Contact:
Vicky Oddi
USA Track & Field
Communications Coordinator
+4917617368884; Vicky.Oddi@usatf.org


2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships Day 5 Team USA morning quotes

Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Women's 5,000 meters

I felt really good out there. I'm pleased to get this run through. Now it's time to get ready for Saturday. I looked at the clock before the heat and I made the decision. I could have finished a hair stronger if I really dug down. But I thought I should save some of it for Saturday. I knew if came in the top eight or nine and finished under 15:32, I would go.

Julie Culley (Arlington, Va.), Women's 5,000 meters

It was a little bit slow, through about the 3K. It was probably close to 9:15, 9:20 even. In the last 3K, I was starting to have some trouble. I have been struggling with an injury (hamstring and glute). When they started to pick it up and I had to start to open up my stride, that's when it started to hurt. I was doing the best I could.

Stephanie Brown Trafton (Galt, Calif.), Women's Discus
I'm not a morning person. I feel positive. The conditions were pretty good. The fans were loud and supportive. They were rooting for everyone.

(On winning the Olympic gold before the US or World gold) It may be an awkward way. But I have never been known to do things the normal way. I always find a different way to accomplish my goal. At some point, I will accomplish all of my goals.

I was more nervous than I thought I would be. I feel like I have something to prove. I love being the underdog. I'd love it if I were to scrape by and make it to the finals with the last spot. That will motivate me even more. By scraping by is creating drama for me. I love drama.

Aretha Hill Thurmond (Opelika, Alabama), Women's discus

I think I just gave my high school coach some grey hairs today. It's been my M.O. unfortunately my whole career. I'm the type of competitor that takes a while to get into a groove. It's like sprinters in a qualifying round, where everyone's so tight and trying to get a feel for what's about to happen.

The point was to get out there and make it through to the finals. We've got two Americans in the finals and now we can go see if we can put two on the podium.

Becky Breisch (Chula Vista, Calif.), Women's Discus

It didn't go so great today. If I knew why, I'd fix it out there. It was just not my day. This experience was great. Berlin is a wonderful place to be. They have done a great job doing everything for us.

Terrence Trammell (Atlanta), Men's 110 high hurdles

I felt good. I think that I was able to knock the dust off. It's been two months since I competed. I'm healthy, I feel in great shape. It felt good to get the first round out of the way. I had a few cobwebs. I wanted to come out and get a feel for things. Tomorrow, I will turn it up a notch. There are no injuries. I just wanted to work on a few things and focus on the rest of the last half of the season.

David Payne (Covington, Ky.), Men's 110 high hurdles

The race was horrible. I got a decent start, but I didn't attack right away. I hit a couple of hurdles and stayed in that state. I didn't push or come on. I started to get comfortable with my feet. As I starting hitting all the hurdles, I felt the guys to the right of me pass me. There wasn't that urgency there. It wasn't a good race. But I made it to the next round, and that's all that matter.

Tora Harris (Chula Vista, California), Men's high jump
It was hard. I wasn't feeling great coming in. The approach just wasn't working. I think I gave it a good effort.

Keith Moffatt (Newport News, Virginia), Men's high jump

First, I didn't know I made it to the finals. I was clean all the way up to 2.30. I felt real good.

I think that in the finals, I'll start at a higher height, because when I got to 2.30, I was a little tired. No matter what happens in the finals, I'm gonna go hard! I'm glad I made it!

Andra Manson (Austin, Texas), Men's high jump

It's a great feeling to make the finals!

There were a couple of good jumps today, but there were also some bad ones. Fortunately, I was able to correct myself at 2.30, and fortunately, that's what it's all about--I had to clear 2.30 to make the finals. That's going to give me a lot of confidence going to the finals.

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For more information on Team USA at the World Outdoor Championships, visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/IAAFWorldOutdoorChampionships.




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