Get in the Spirit for the Summer Olympics
Jenny Simpson winning the 1500World Championship in 2011 (Photo by Victah Sailor/PhotoRun.net)
We at the Sacramento Running News have long enjoyed an appreciation for 1500 meter world champion Jenny (Barringer) Simpson. The expression on Simpson’s face as she crossed the finish line in Daegu and won the 2011 World Championship stands out in my mind as one of the great images from the sport.
Her expression was a deer in the headlight look of amazement and delight.
Simpson’s post race interviews showed her to be charming and gracious–something this sport needs–showing humility and heaping praise on all the people who had helped her get to that podium.
The US Olympic Track and Field Trials are coming up in about a month (June 21 to July 1). To start getting you in the mood, New Balance, Simpson’s benefactor, has put together a short biographical video about Simpson.
It’s a little short on running, and a bit long on talking heads, but still enjoyable. I especially appreciated Simpson talking about building a team and about learning how to move from being a talented high school and collegiate runner to being able to compete at the professional level.
I look forward to seeing her run in Eugene and, hopefully, the Olympics in London.
(I’ll embed the video here, but to do it justice you should probably visit the New Balance Youtube channel and watch it in full screen H.D.)
Enjoy!