US Outdoor Nationals: Days Four and Five
Simpson wins in 4:04.96! (Photo courtesy of painani.org)
Quiet has settled on Hornet Stadium. The fans are gone. The races and jumps are over. Now the post-event analysis can commence.
All in all, I think the event was a tremendous success. USATF is reporting final attendance numbers of 32,700, which doesn’t include the crowds that showed up for the shot put at the State Capitol. This far exceeded the promised minimum 22,500 that Event Director John Mansoor had promised to USATF in pitching Sacramento as host for the event.
The race of the weekend would have to be the women’s 400 meters, where Francena McCorory edged out Sanya Richards-Ross in the last 100 meters and won in 49.48, which is the 5th fastest time by an American.
Or maybe it was the Women’s 1500, where we got to watch a super talented women’s field duke it out, Morgan Uceny fall down again, and Jenny Simpson win decisively, but not easily, over the surging Mary Cain and the tenacious Katie Mackey.