By Romaine Soh
It can take just a clip, a misstep and a tumble to dash an Olympic hopeful’s dream.
In the final of the women’s 800 meters on Monday evening at Hayward Field, which was popularly regarded as the most competitive track event at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials, a tussle in the final 150 meters resulted in Brenda Martinez tripping and six-time national champion Alysia Montano taking a spill.
“It all happened so quick,” said a teary-eyed Martinez. She still has another chance to make the Rio-bound team in the 1,500 meters, for which the qualifying rounds start on Thursday evening.
With the incident taking the top contenders out of the equation, the top four women went on to dip below the 2-minute barrier, finishing within a second of one another.
Kate Grace blasted past Ajee Wilson on the home stretch to win her first ever national title in 1 minute, 59.10 seconds, bettering her PR by 0.37 seconds.
“It’s surreal,” said Grace. “I knew I was at this level, and I am so thankful for the support I’ve had throughout the years to allow me to train to get to this place.”
Wilson, the 2012 world junior champion and a silver medalist at the 2016 indoor worlds, settled for the silver in 1:59.51. Bronze medalist Chrishuna Williams improved her PR by .30 to clinch the final spot on the Rio team in 1:59.59, edging Molly Ludlow by just .004. Oregon sophomore Raevyn Rogers clocked a season’s best of 2:00.59 to place fifth.
In what looked to be a new race plan, the 19-year-old Rogers took the lead for the first 200 meters, but veteran Montano soon decided to take control of the race. This continued for the next lap until the final bend, where most of the action typically happens for the 800 meters. This time, the hustle to get into a favorable position produced catastrophic results for two runners.
Montano eventually got up to finish the race while sporadically collapsing on the track in fits of tears and heartbreak.
“There’s no re-dos,” said a sobbing Montano. USATF later ruled that it was an incidental contact, so no disqualifications ensued.
Montano, a mother of one, has had a decorated athletic career. She is a six-time U.S. champion. At the world stage, she finished fourth at the 2011 and 2013 world outdoor championships, as well as fifth at the 2012 Olympics. With the recent doping scandals, however, she can possibly be upgraded to three bronze medals if the Russians who finished ahead of her are disqualified.
“I fought tooth and nail with basically a very volatile situation that I dealt with on my own,” said Montano, who is famous for racing the 2014 U.S. nationals 800-meter final while eight months pregnant. “Everyone just got to watch me cry on national television a hundred times. It’s not a story. It’s my life.”
Montano’s daughter, Linnea, seemed unaware of the whole situation, giggling at the various technologies shafted at her mother’s face while showering her mother with hugs. She turns 2 next month.
Of those affected in the tussle, Rogers seemed to be the most composed, with just a single tear signaling her acceptance of the situation.
“Whether I make it or didn’t make it, I’m positive everything happens for a reason,” said the two-time NCAA champion. “Although it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, I gave my best.”
