Spearmon going to Olympics

UA Sports Information

Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/66862/

EUGENE, Ore. — Former Arkansas Razorback and Fayetteville’s own Wallace Spearmon will represent Team USA at the 2008 Olympics, it was decided on Sunday, the final day of the U. S. Olympic Trials at Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Spearmon finished third in the 200-meter finals. He clocked a time of 19. 90 to secure his spot in Beijing. Spearmon will be a member of Team USA at the Olympic Games for the first time in his career.

“ I’m very excited, ” Spearmon said. “ Words can’t describe what I feel right now. My family was in the stands and they were all crying. In the first 100 meters, I didn’t know where I was because ever yone was on the inside of me and Xavier Carter was gone. I kept looking around me because I was basically running blind. When we came off the turn everyone was ahead of me and I thought, ‘ Oh no here I am again. I’ve got to catch up. ’ I dug deep to catch everyone and unfortunately for Rodney Martin, I caught him. ”

“ I plan to run more 400 ’s before the Olympics to touch up the last par t of my race and to get stronger, ” Spearmon said. “ This is the first time I’ve doubled, even though I only ran three rounds of the 100 meters, so I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel. All I know is I’m going to Beijing. ”

Andy McClary concluded a stellar outdoor season with an eighth-place finish in the 1, 500-meter finals. He clocked a time of 3: 42. 40.