US National
Championships Day 2Men’s 5000m
K. Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
22 June 2001 – Eugene - “I always heard that the sign of the true champion is how they come back from adversity. I feel like champion,” said Bob Kennedy, winner of the 5000m at the US National Championships here in Eugene.
After dominating the 5000m in the US during mid to late nineties, Kennedy failed to qualify for the Olympic team last year when he could only finish sixth in the US Olympic Trials in Sacramento. His preparation for the Olympic trials was hampered severely when his car was rear-ended at an intersection several weeks before the trials. A year later, once again, he is back as the top US 5000m runner ready to challenge the world in Edmonton.
Ever since Adam Goucher came into distance running scene, a showdown between Kennedy and Goucher was awaited with anticipation among distance race fans. By 1999, Goucher was ready to challenge Kennedy, the King of the 5000m. In the 1999 US National Championships in Eugene, two years ago, three-time national 5000m champion, Bob Kennedy was finally beaten by an American: Goucher.
Although the last year’s Olympic Trials was supposed to be showdown number II, Kennedy was far from 100% in Sacramento. With Kennedy back in shape this year, the national championships 5000m race between three time national champion Kennedy and two time national champion Goucher was awaited with much anticipation. As it turned out the time was not very fast, but the race did not disappoint anyone, especially here in Eugene where the spectators are knowledgeable about distance races.
It is an unpredictable nature of our sport that fascinates many fans. If we knew ahead of time, who is going to win, and how they are going to win, then much of the excitement would be lost. With the 5000m race here in Eugene, not only people could not predict who was going to prevail, but nobody knew what Kennedy was going to do, which was exactly what Kennedy had in mind.“I wanted to be unpredictable. In the past I was too predictable. I wanted to be unpredictable, and I think I accomplished that and it worked out well for me today,” said Kennedy after the race.
A huge field of 25 runners started the 5000m final at the US national championships on Friday afternoon. Adam Goucher, one of the co-favorites for the race, took the lead immediately. He was followed by Matt Lane, Alan Culpepper who was doubling back from the 10000m on the previous day and Bob Kennedy. It was quite a surprise that Culpepper started the race. After the previous day’s 10,000m, Culpepper assessed his chance of starting the 5000m as about 20%. With Goucher leading, the lead pack passed the 1000m in 2:44.62, and 2000m in 5:30.24.
Goucher stayed in front until 2200m, where Kennedy put on his first surge of the day. He covered the next 400m in 60 seconds, while opening up the gap immediately on Goucher and Culpepper. Kennedy led Goucher by over 10m with six laps to go. However, on the next lap Kennedy slowed down and both Goucher and Culpepper caught up with him. But Kennedy was not through. He surged again at 3000m (8:11.47). In the post race interview Kennedy said, “I was planning to run in and out 400m. I was trying to run about 62 (seconds), 67, 62, 67 (for successive 400m). Up and down up and down (run 62 seconds 400m followed by 67 400m and repeat again).” And that is exactly what he was doing. He surged at 2200m, 3000m, and again at 3800m. With one lap to go, it was Kennedy, Goucher and Matt Lane forming the lead pack. Alan Culpepper had lost contact with the leaders.
Said Kennedy after the race: “With that kind of tactics (multiple surging) you don’t try to get away from people, but you try to kill them. Then you try to outsprint them. That’s the whole idea... To do it effectively, you have to prepare for it in training.”
Kennedy was not doing what Brendan Foster used to do in the mid-seventies. That is, to run 60-second lap followed by another fast lap in the middle of the 5000m to get away from the opposition. Kennedy was alternating his fast laps (62 seconds) with slow laps (67 seconds). It was more like what Vladimir Kuts did against Gordon Pirie in the classic 10000m in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. Kennedy pushed again in the final lap. Goucher tried to stay with Kennedy, but Kennedy slowly drew away from Goucher in the homestraight. Alan Culpepper came from way behind to catch Lane in the beginning of the homestraight, and then tiring Goucher about 15m from the finish. Kennedy crossed the finish line first showing all the emotions. “This means lot to me,” said Kennedy referring to his road back to the top.
Back in the pack, Dathan Ritzenhein was challenging Gerry Lindgren’s national high school record of 13:44.0, which had stood since 1964. After the race, Ritzenhein said, “ With a lap to go, by watching the clock I knew I needed something like 63, or 64 seconds last lap to get the (high school) record.” Although he missed the record by 0.7seconds, he was still happy with his run, and was excited to run in the famed Hayward stadium. “It is nice to run in the track stadium where they don’t play football in the infield,” concluded Ritzenhein as journalists surrounded him.
Kennedy will be heading for Europe next week for 3000m in Nice, 5000m in Oslo and 3000m in either Monaco or London. After returning home for about five days, he will be heading to Edmonton. “I would not go if I wasn’t trying to win it. Making the final is the first step of trying to win it, so it is just like any other time I have been there,” said Kennedy.
After Edmonton, Kennedy who failed his attempt at the US 10000m record at the Cardinal Invitational in May will sets his sight at the US 10000m record attempt at Van Damme meet in Bruxelles. For the time goal in Bruxelles, Kennedy said: “I was the first non-African to run sub 13 minutes 5000m. I want to be the first non-African to run sub 27 minutes 10000m.”
