Totally Trials: 20K Race Walk and Day 1
(*Updated 7/8/16 to be in compliance with Rule 40 by the USOC. Read more here).
DAY 1
Hello world! Reporting in from tracktown, USA, #totallytrials16.
Yesterday was the first day, and heyo, we have an Olympian.
WHAT?!
It's true!...
Maria Michta-Coffey, finished 1st in the Women's 20K in 1:33:48!
It was our first Race Walk Championship to watch live, and it was AWESOME!
DAY 2
Heyyyy Hayward Field!
We started off with ushering Maria Michta to the top of the podium.
A little bit of behind-the-sport-action as we contemplated whether or not she would be asked to wear the Team USA warmup, despite the fact that it's her right to wear our kit to the podium.
KMet and I walked through the entire process with her. We got a few odd looks and questions - re keeping her O kit on - but overall, it went smoothly.
Then...
The 800m heats. Five of them.
photo: How Lao
We had Dom Jackson in heat 2. She started off in the back of the pack, but had a really exciting surge halfway through. We screamed as she rounded turn three, and then finished strong in 2:03.99. Love you, Dom! Loved seeing your fire!
And then in heat 5, we had double trouble Lauren Wallace and Fast Kate.
photo: How Lao
Lauren made a good run for it and finished 5th in 2:05.52.
Kate made our hearts race, per usual, with a little bit of Maytag, mixing and moving in the back.
But with 200 to go she muscled from 5th to 1st with a final time of 2:01.36.
Ding, ding, ding! She moves on to the next round: tomorrow at 11:43am.
All will be known in the 800m real fast. The final is Monday! Signing off from a humble abode around the corner from the ice cream store in Eugene, OR.
See you tomorrow!
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