|
Click on above images - Purchases Support DyeStatCal
World record holder
Jacobs to double at USA Indoors
BOSTON – Women’s world indoor 1,500m record holder Regina
Jacobs on Thursday
announced at a USATF press conference that she will run both the 1,500
meters and 3,000 meters at the 2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships
this weekend in Boston. The 1,500 will be contested Saturday, with the
3,000
on Sunday.
Also at Thursday’s press conference, defending world indoor men’s
60m
hurdles champion Terrence Trammell revealed that he is considering a double
in the hurdles and 60 meters at the USA Indoor Championships. Both events,
including qualifying rounds, take place on Saturday; Trammell could run
up
to six races in a single day. In addition, two-time defending women’s
U.S.
indoor 60m champion Chryste Gaines discussed her hopes of earning a
three-peat in that event on Saturday.
Events begin Friday afternoon, February 28, with the finals of the women’s
and men’s weight throws and the first rounds of the 400 meters.
A full
schedule of competition begins Saturday, with the conclusion of the meet
Sunday afternoon.
The 2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships will be broadcast
live on
ESPN2 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Eastern Time on Saturday, March 1.
Sunday’s events will be broadcast via the Internet, with a webcast
from
1-5:30 p.m. that can be viewed at www.i2sports.com. Cost is $10.
Excerpts from Thursday’s press conference follow. For more information
on
the 2003 USA Indoor Championships, including the current list of entries
and
complete bios of Regina Jacobs, Terrence Trammell and Chryste Gaines,
visit
www.usatf.org.
FALSE START RULE: USATF men’s and women’s track & field
chairs, John Chaplin
and Stephanie Hightower, on Thursday announced that the 2003 USA Indoor
Track & Field Championships will utilize the new IAAF false-start
rule for
sprint races 400 meters and below. Chaplin noted that they had not received
clarification on whether times run at the USA Indoor Championships would
be
accepted as qualifying marks for the World Indoor Championships. The IAAF
false start rule allows one false start, charged to the entire field.
Subsequent false starts result in disqualification.
REGINA JACOBS
Q: What’s it like for you to compete here again in Boston, where
you’ve had
so much success?
A: I’m really happy to be back in Boston. It’s one of my
favorite places to
run. The Reggie Lewis Center has provided me with many great experiences
and
lots of records. It’s a fabulous track with an incredible crowd.
The nice
thing about being here is that people really understand the distances
and
they make it fun. I’d have to say that it’s the audience and
people who come
to watch who’ve spurred me on to some really great performances.
Q: What events will you run this weekend?
A: I am going to double in the 1,500 and 3,000. I’m obviously not
going to
go for it on both days, but on one of those days I’m planning something
special, so you’ll just have to buy tickets for both Saturday and
Sunday so
you can find out.
Q: How are you physically right now?
A: Very good, very good. I’m ready to rock and roll. I’ve
had some very good
training sessions at home and it was unseasonably warm at home, and the
last
time we were here the weather was actually really nice. But wow!! It’s
gotten really, really cold.
Q: What are your plans for running at the World Indoor Championships?
A: For World Indoors I’m definitely running the 1500m and leave
it open
after that.
TERRENCE TRAMMELL
Q: Do you plan to run both the men’s 60m and 60m hurdles this weekend?
A: Right now we’re just playing it by ear. Just talking to my coach
and
saying how I’m feeling on a daily basis. I am entered in both and
I did
declare in both, and you know we’ll just have to see how things
go.
Q: How likely is it that you’ll compete in both events?
A: It’s possible. The schedule is feasible to do. I don’t
think that it is
impossible. I’ve set my mind to do both, and that’s pretty
much it. I’m not
going to go out here and kill myself by any means, but I still know that
there is still a lot of track and field left in the season. I’m
taking full
advantage of the opportunity that I have.
Q: Talk about how well your first full professional season has gone to
this
point since earning your college degree from South Carolina, and how your
fitness is.
A: My fitness is going well. We’ve kind of tapered off the last
week and a
half. We’ve been doing a lot of heavy training and I’ve doubled
up a couple
of times this season. Right now the emphasis is to keep my body fresh
so I
can compete well on Saturday. I feel that a lot of things have gone
differently for me since I have more time during the day to focus more
so on
track than on say 21 credit hours like I did last semester. I’m
happy and I
feel like I’m free, I’m loose and I have a chance to take
advantage of my
ability and the opportunities that are presented to me.
CHRYSTE GAINES
Q: By winning the last two U.S. women’s indoor 60m titles, it appears
that
you’ve really come into your own.
A: Actually I’d like to differ on that point. I came into my own
in 1998
when I ran 10.89. If coming into my own is winning national championships,
then I have come into my own the last couple years. Am I in the best shape
of my life right now? I don’t know, we’ll see Saturday.
Q: What challenges do you face in the 60 at USA Indoor Nationals?
A: Indoor Nationals is always a challenge, especially for me. I’m
not a
quote/unquote indoor runner. Being from Texas and going to Stanford, we
never really had an indoor season. This year is very indicative of that.
I’
ve run two indoor meets and now at the national championships, so it’s
always a challenge because I’m definitely taller than everyone else
and my
start is not always as great as some of the other runners. So indoors
is a
challenge for me and I’m always basically up for a challenge, so
on Saturday
we’ll see.
Q: What would a three-peat mean to you?
A: A three-peat would be great for me. Actually just defending the
championship last year was a feat and I’m definitely going to go
for the
three-peat. I guess I can put myself in the same light as the Lakers or
the
Bulls, or somebody like that.
Q: Chryste, we’re in Boston, you better say Celtics.
A: The Celtics….(laughter).
Back to DyeStatCal News
|
is published by 