Day Two Evening Session Quotes - IAAF World Championships

8/23/2015

 

Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles - Semifinal

Kerron Clement

“I had a run a key race on yesterday, quarterfinals to finals that’s all that matters. I’m just going out there and unleash a beast in the final.”

Johnny Dutch

“I felt really strong, really confident. That’s usually how I get out. On the way I could feel it that I didn’t have it in my legs. The last hurdle was just really bad. I felt everyone surge forward at that point, words can’t express how I was feeling. This is disappointing.”

Michael Tinsley

“It was a good run, I got out well. I had a few mistakes in the curve, but I was able to come strong and that’s really what I wanted to do.”

 

Men’s Shot Put - Final

Joe Kovacs

“It was supposed to happen, I just had to make it happen. That’s probably the best thing.”

“It’s my first World Championships. Just coming here was just finding a few things. I dealt with it in different ways. I was excited to come away with the win. Coming in as the favorite, I think anyone in U.S. shot put kind of feels that. We’re always in the mix. It’s the first team I made and being in U.S. shot put, you kind of expect to be at the top.”

Reese Hoffa

“It went really well. Joe won it. I wish I had done a little better, but what happens is what happens. This will be my last World Championships. I wish I could have placed a little higher. I still made the final, I threw 21 (meters). I think there’s a lot of positives I can take from it. I’ll continue to train for next year and see if I can make the Olympic Team. I’ll keep chugging along.”

Women’s Heptathlon

Barbara Nwaba

“Day 2 was awesome. It started off with long jump, I had two fouls. It came to my last jump to either get a mark or foul out. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to get a mark, I wanted to do well, even though things weren’t going well first day. I had my third best jump ever at 6.08. I was pumped and my coach was happy that I could experience that. So it came down to a lot of pressure, to my last jump. I PR’d in the javelin on my second round throw and I was so stoked. I mean I could have just ended it there and ran an easy 800, but there’s no such thing as an easy 800, it’s going to hurt either way. I wanted to run a 2:06 PR but I kind of lost the wheels in the last 200. I still won the race and finished strong.”

Sharon Day-Monroe

“I’m glad it’s over. Day 2 started out a little rough with long jump. I was happy with my jump. I’ve done pretty consistently well there, but it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be today. Overall, just a rough couple of days. I wanted to do better, my training lately has been so good. I felt like I was really prepared for this meet and it just really didn’t show the last few days. I just have to keep trusting in my training and keep working hard, I know that eventually it will pay off.”

 

Men’s 800 Meters - Semifinal

Clayton Murphy

“The race didn’t go as planned. I wasn’t in position at all during the race. It was a bad race, but it was a great experience. I can’t be disappointed.”

Erik Sowinski

“I went out there and put myself in good position through 600. I just didn’t have it. I’m definitely disappointed. I’ve trained all year for something like this and I didn’t plan on bombing. Definitely disappointed. I’ll try to use this as a building block.”

 

Women’s 1500 Meters - Semifinal

Kerri Gallagher

“I went out very tactical. I thought that might happen. Then it came down to a lap to go, everyone started going and I was on the inside. I moved up and was on the outside, so I went for it. It probably wasn't the best move to make, but I felt like it was my only option at that point. It was a good race, I just didn’t make it through, it’s just a bit disappointing. But Shannon did and we still have the second heat going. I’m sure we’ll have great U.S. representation there.”

Shannon Rowbury

“We went out really slow and I was out in front. Then, it gradually picked up throughout the race. There was a big move with somewhere between 400 or 500 to go. I was kind of farther back than I would have like to been, kind of boxed in. I had to go pretty wide on the back stretch, but I just kept on building and kept myself clear. I knew I could have a good last 100 if I was just able to run. I felt the last 20 meters, I felt like someone was coming up to get me, so I just made sure to ran through the line and get that automatic spot.”

Jenny Simpson

“I kind of went towards the front early on. I just wanted to make sure it was a somewhat honest pace. Because I knew the first round went so slow. I didn’t care if we ran 4:10 again, I just didn’t want to run 4:20. I thought if seven people get through in our heat, that’s half the field. I put myself in a position to kind of run the smoothest race.”

Lauren Johnson

“I got out well, I got in the position I wanted and followed my race plan perfectly. I was at the front, ready to cover moves and i did exactly that until the last 100. I just couldn’t keep it together the last 100.”

Men’s 100 Meters - Final

Justin Gatlin

“At the end of the day, I gave the race away the last five meters and I stumbled the last five meters coming across the finish line. I’m happy that it came so close and I’m happy to represent my country.”

“I’ve had pressure since 2011. It’s not the pressure. It’s just to come out here and run. The last five meters, it just wasn’t my day to do so. So, I have the 200 and the 4x1 to represent my country.”

Trayvon Bromell

“I just wanted to get out and stay focused like I did and execute well, like my coach said, and hopefully just medal. It’s a blessing to come out here and get third place. I just hope that in the future I can do even better.”

“I’m still shocked about the whole experience. I had a good prelims, then a kind of bad semis. I didn’t let it get to me. I just wanted to put everything together and make the finals and hopefully, run well.”

Michael Rodgers

“I thought I got a good start, but at the end I got kind of sloppy. It really did cost me. I got fifth. It’s a growing experience, a learning experience for the Olympics next year. Now I have the (4x100m) relay on the 29th.”

“It was awesome to have four Americans in the final. I thought one of us was going to win, but you can’t mistakes in the finals.”

Tyson Gay

“My start wasn’t great. It kind of put me out of the race in the beginning. I was in the back. I tried my best, I think I just ran out of energy. The rounds took a little toll on me. I missed a little bit of training. That’s about it.