Reese, Eaton win gold on day two of World Championships

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOSCOW — Brittney Reese won her sixth international title since 2009 and Team USA brought home gold in the decathlon for the eighth time in World Championships history as Ashton Eaton maintained his title as World’s Greatest Athlete, winning with 8809 points on the second day of competition Sunday at the 2013 World Outdoor Championships at Luzhniki Stadium.

The World Championships boast nearly 50 hours of television coverage in the U.S. with broadcasts airing during all nine days of competition. View the complete broadcast schedule here.

Team USA is at the top of the medal table with two golds and one silver and leads the team scoring ahead of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Reese (Chula Vista, Calif.) became one of Team USA’s most-decorated athletes, continuing her undefeated championships streak in the women’s long jump. She moved into first for good on her second jump, breaking the seven-meter barrier with a leap of 7.01m/23-0. Tori Polk (Waco, Texas) finished eighth at 6.73m/22-1, and Janay Deloach Soukup (Fort Collins, Colo.) leapt 6.44m/21-1.5 to finish 11th.

After good performances earlier in the day in the hurdles and discus, Eaton (Bend, Ore.) jumped a season best 5.20m/17-0.75 in the pole vault and extended his lead to 181 points. His third-round javelin throw of 64.83m/212-8, a decathlon PR, virtually assured him of gold, carrying a 168-point lead into the 1500m. A leisurely and careful 4:29.80 gave Eaton a world title to go with his Olympic gold and world record.

Gunnar Nixon (Edmond, Okla.), who was second after day one, finished 13th with a PR of 8312 points. Nixon cleared 4.60m/15-1 in the pole vault, and followed up with a 57.97m/190-2 effort in the javelin and a 4:35.82 in the 1500m.

In the men’s 100m final, Justin Gatlin (Clermont, Fla.) had a great start in the rain and took silver in a season-best 9.85 behind Usain Bolt’s 9.77. Michael Rodgers (Round Rock, Texas) was sixth, crossing the line in 10.04. Gatlin’s silver was the 19th medal won by an American man in the 100m in World Championships history.

Earlier in the day, Gatlin ran 9.94 to advance while Rodgers ran 9.93 to claim his lane in the final.

In the women’s discus final, Gia Lewis-Smallwood (Champaign, Ill.) gave a solid effort to finish fifth at 64.23m/210-8 in her first appearance in a global championship final. Lewis-Smallwood equalled the best finish ever by an American woman.

Shalane Flanagan (Portland, Ore.) was Team USA’s best finisher in the women’s 10,000m placing eighth at 31:34.83. Flanagan took off after 250 meters and led the pack during the first 3600m, but fell off the pace and drifted back when the tempo picked up. Jordan Hasay (Portland, Ore.) ran 32:17.93 to finish 12th and Amy Hastings (Providence, R.I.) was 14th in 32:51.19.

Competing in his fifth world championship, Tim Seaman (Chula Vista, Calif.) finished the 20 km race walk 53rd at 1:36:35.

In prelims earlier in the evening, Jenn Suhr (Churchville, N.Y.) cleared 4.55m/14-11 in the women’s pole vault to move to the final. Becky Holliday (Jonesboro, Ark.) did not advance after jumping 4.45m/14-7.25, while Kylie Hutson (Terre Haute, Ind.) failed to clear her opening height.

Duane Solomon (Los Angeles, Calif.) led from the gun in heat one of the men’s 800m semi-final going through 400m in 50.67. He extended his lead in the backstretch and went on to win in 1:43.87, the fastest time ever in a semifinal at the World Championships. Nick Symmonds (Springfield, Ore.) advanced by finishing second in heat three at 1:45.00. Brandon Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif.) was passed in the final 10 meters of the second heat, finishing third in 1:44.89 but did not advance.

Natasha Hastings and Francena McCorory both advanced to Monday’s women’s 400m final. Hastings (Atlanta, Ga.) finished second in her heat matching her season-best 49.94 while McCorory (Hampton, Va.) crossed the line first with a personal best 49.86 in heat three. Ashley Spencer (Indianapolis, Ind.) was fifth in heat one with a time of 51.80 and did not advance.

For more information on Team USA at the IAAF World Championships, visit www.USATF.org. Live results and startlists are available at www.IAAF.org.

Athlete Quotes
Brittney Reese, women’s long jump final
“It feels good. This was great because now I am in the history books, and I've done something that no one has ever done. I'm just excited that God gave me the opportunity to get that last spot yesterday, so I could come out here and show the world that yesterday was not the Brittney Reese that they know. Today was the one that they know. My plan was to get the first jump, but that didn't go as planned. I thought that seven meters was going to get me a medal, but I didn't know it would get me gold. I'm glad it held up, and I'm glad I didn't wait until the last minute and give everybody a scare. Yesterday I was sluggish because I caught a cold and my body wasn't where it needed to be, and I just got plenty of rest and a lot of fluids and just put that in the back of my head, because I can't blame being sick on not winning gold.”

Tori Polk, women's long jump final
“I'm excited. I can't complain at all. Of course you always want to do better, but I'm excited with how I competed. My jumps were good, but they could have been better.”

Janay Deloach Soukup, women’s long jump final
“I felt okay. I just didn't have it, there is really no explanation except the right foot’s not it, and the left foot is. My left foot is injured, and I tried to work with it, but it didn't work out today. I'm probably shutting down my season and getting my body healed and get ready for world indoors next year. I'm going to hurdle and long jump - I'd like to make it in both.”

Ashton Eaton, men’s decathlon
“It feels good. It was the only thing I had left on my list to do. Now I have done everything there is to do in the multi-events. I'm very excited just to be able to be here. This is what I look forward to, this is what I put in all my training for, and it is good to come away a winner. It is always just good to finish with the decathlon guys, they are a great group. Anywhere we compete whether it is the world championships or the Olympics, it is just really fun to finish with them.”

Gunnar Nixon, men’s decathlon
“The shot put went really well, and the discus went really well, and there is still a lot more there to develop. It is no different to me than the junior level, you still have to do the same events, and really you just have to focus on yourself. You focus on yourself, and don't worry about everyone else, because really in the decathlon you are competing against yourself and no one else. I'm happy with what I did, it was an overall personal best. That's a big PR from 8198, so I can't complain.”

Justin Gatlin, men’s 100m final
“The last 30 meters I got kind of long on my race, that’s what I’ve been working on, to attack the track. I went out there competing in the last half of the race, instead of running a technical race. That is why I got the silver instead of the gold. I thought I had it for a second, then you see these long legs coming on my right side, but if felt good to go out there. I’m still healthy. I know I’m going to be competing against him [Usain Bolt] in a couple of more races this season, so hopefully when I get my technique together, there are going to be some great races.”

Mike Rodgers, men’s 100m final
"I was cramping the whole race. I was trying to fight through a cramp. I finished the race, so I'm happy I don't have an injury, so I'll take sixth place. (It was my) first world championship making the final, so I'm happy.”

Gia Lewis-Smallwood, women’s discus final
“Wow, it was so eye opening. You plan for these things, but it is sort of like planning for something that you don't really understand. Then when you are in it, it is amazing. I actually had to make my third throw to even get in the finals. And I did. My fourth throw, I just really went for it. It was awesome, I'm very pleased. This is huge. The only thing I can think about is how much I want to train. I don't want to take any time off, I just want to train and get better. That is the only thing I am thinking about. I just want to train. It was a huge motivator. Let's go.“

Amy Hastings, women’s 10,000m final
“It was just a really rough day. I felt good going into it, and I've been working hard, but it just wasn’t there today.”

Jordan Hasay, women’s 10,000m final
“It wasn't my night. I felt like I tried to stay with that main pack, but then every lap I was just kind of on the edge, and it made me relax a little bit, maybe a little too much. Then I got out of the race, but this is only my first one. Hopefully in a couple of more years I'll be able to move up.”

Shalane Flanagan, women’s 10,000m final
“It's always an honor to represent my country any chance I get, but it wasn't how I wanted it to go. I wanted to be in the mix. I always feel like I come in with the intention of contending, but I didn't really contend.”

Tim Seaman, men’s 20 km race walk final
"It was rough. It was really warm for me, and I had two red cards early on and I didn't expect it. I only saw one paddle, then suddenly there were two reds on the board. So once you have two you have to be extra cautious, so I just didn't want to get disqualified. I really tried to focus, but the more I focused, the more I slowed down. I just couldn't get my legs moving again. I’m disappointed in my race, but I'm looking forward to Tuesday's race with the three U.S. women, so I'm excited for that."

Kylie Hutson, women’s pole vault qualification
“My honest opinion, I just had a rough go at it. I didn't have it today. I had a lot of outside factors that were playing against my mind, and everything just kind of weighed me down. It didn't go we'll. I'm not happy. Hopefully I'm going home from here. I'll be decompressing for a month or two, then I'll look forward to next year.”

Jenn Suhr, women’s pole vault qualification
“I took two jumps. The first one I just blew through the pole, so the second one I was able to go up the pole and make it. It's always like, 'Is that enough to get in? Do I have to jump again?' It's always crazy. Qualifying is always nerve wracking. There are a lot of studs in their third attempt out there, and I just want to make it first attempt, but that didn't work out, so I just tried to get it on the second jump. Finals you can relax more and accept things, the qualifier you are just tense and want to get to the next round.”

Becky Holliday, women’s pole vault qualification
“I started out good, then my run fell apart a little bit, so that is a good lesson to learn. I need to be prepared to come in higher and not waste my time at the lower bars. I'm looking forward to next year, I'm going home from Moscow, so my season is probably done, but you never know.”

Duane Solomon, men’s 800m semifinal
"It felt really good. I felt a little better than yesterday, but I just had to get my legs moving again. Today everything was loose. I got all of the lactic acid out of my legs last night, and I felt really relaxed and comfortable today. I came in there with a clear mind and everything worked out. I kept my own rhythm, uped it and the end and was able take the win."

Brandon Johnson, men’s 800m semifinal
"I'm upset. I'm hurt. I literally did everything in my power this year to make sure I succeed and do well. I feel like all year I've been so good, then to come here, and I didn't run bad, but not to make that final. I expected myself to be in there, so it is just kind of heartbreaking."

Nick Symmonds, men’s 800m semifinal
"I'm just ecstatic about the way the final is shaping up. Today I felt really smooth going through the gears there. There were times especially in the first lap where I was like 'come on, lets get going, we're wasting this opportunity.' I feel like I am ready to run 1:43, maybe dip under 1:43 if need be, that's what we're going to find out on Tuesday. I'm also really extatic that Duane is in the race. It provides a certain amount of comfort to know he is there, I've been racing him for ten years, and I know exactly how he is going to run. He knows how I am going to run. You all know how we are going to run this. But that's the fun of the cat and mouse game between him and myself.”

Natasha Hastings, women’s 400m semifinal
“I felt pretty good. I tied my season's best. I knew it was going to take somewhere close to 49, if not 49 to get into the final, so I’m just happy with the finish and ready for tomorrow. I predict myself on that podium.”

Francena McCorory, women’s 400m semifinal
“It felt awesome. I felt that what I've been training for is starting to all come together, so I'm excited for tomorrow. I think if we go out there hard and run our best, we could both be on the medal stand.”

Ashley Spencer, women’s 400m semifinal
“My reaction was really good I've been trying to focus on my block starts, but I caught a cramp after the first turn. I tried to recover from it, but I just couldn't recover in time. It is what it is. It was my left hamstring. You know, it is my first world championships, so I'm just going to focus on the 4x4. I'm a little disappointed I didn't make it in that final, but I know Natasha and Francena will represent, so I'm not worried."




About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track & Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States: www.usatf.org.







Click here to forward this mailing with your personal message.

This email was sent to: keithconning@aol.com