Virginians at the Olympics Updates

 

 

 

Day 5 Highlights

James River High School's hurdling Olympian Kellie Wells won her semi-final heat of the 100 meter hurdles today in a season best time of 12.51 to set up a finals showdown for the medals between herself and world leader Sally Pearson of Australia and reigning Olympic champion Dawn Harper of the United States, who also won their semi-final heats.

Hayfield High School's sprinting Olympian Murielle Ahoure has qualified for her second Olympic finals in the sprints at London by finishing second with a 22.49 clocking in her 200 meter dash semi-final heat to favorite Allyson Felix of the US, which automatically qualifies Ahoure for the finals tomorrow. Ahoure was 7th in the 100 meter dash finals earlier in the Olympic Games.

 

Day 4 Highlights (August 6th)

Kellie Wells, a former  high school hurdler at James River and Manchester High School in Midlothian, easily won her first heat of the 100 meter hurdles in London with a 12.69 clocking. A medal contender, Wells and other Americans Dawn Harper and LoLo Jones along with Australian Sally Pearson all moved onto the semi-finals of the hurdles with Jones and Pearson winning their heats as well. Also running in the prelims of the women's 100 meter hurdles was a former college teammate of Wells at Hampton University in Lavonne Idlette. Idlette, who ran hurdles as a prep also at Bethel High School, is in the middle of law school but competed in the Olympic Games for the Dominican Republic and clocked a time of 13.60 to finish sixth in her prelim heat but unable to advance to the semis.

Hampton High School alumni T'erea Brown has made the Olympic finals in the women's 400 meter hurdles. After clocking her second personal best of the Olympic Games by finishing third in her semi-finals heat with a 54.21 clocking, Brown had to play the wait and see game and see if her time would advance her as one of the two finalists advancing on time. Brown ended up being the fastest non-automatic qualifier and fifth fastest overall for Wednesday's finals in the event.

 

After making the finals of the 100 meter dash earlier in this Olympic Games, former Hayfield High School track athlete Murielle Ahoure (competing for the African nation Ivory Coast) is on her way to make another Olympic finals in the sprints after winning her heat in the opening round of the 200 meter dash in a 22.55 clocking which was a faster time than Team USA's Allyson Felix (22.71) and Carmelita Jeter (22.65) who won the following 200 meter prelim heats.

 

Day 3 Highlights (August 5th)

Hampton High School product T'erea Brown successfully moved onto the semi-finals of the women's 400 meter hurdles by placing second in her prelim heat with a personal best time of 54.72. Her time ranks as 7th fastest among all qualifiers, so she will have a legitimate shot to make the finals in her first Olympic Games in the next round.

Francena McCorory made it through two rounds of the 400 meter dash to make into the finals of the Olympic Games 400 meter dash. In the finals, the Bethel High School graduate finished 7th with a time of 50.33 as it required sub 50 second times to crack into the top 4 while the two other Americans in Sanya Richards-Ross (gold) and Deedee Trotter (bronze) were both medalists.

 

Day 2 Highlights (August 4th)

With a third place finish in the semis and clocking a time of 11.01 in the third of three semi-final heats, former Hayfield High School sprinter Murielle Ahoure was able to advance onto finals of the 100 meter dash at the Olympic Games. Competing for the west African nation Ivory Coast was 7th in the Olympic finals with a 11.00 clocking for the 24 year old who competed collegiately at George Mason University and the University of Miami.

Bethel High School's Olympian in Francena McCorory will be competing on Sunday in the finals of the women's 400 meter dash in her first Olympic Games. McCorory qualified on place in the semis with a 50.19 second place showing in her heat behind Botswana's Amantle Montsho. McCorory will be one of three Americans who made the finals with Sanya Richards-Ross and Deedee Trotter and all three have realistic Olympic top 3 medal aspirations.

First disappointing times from the Virginians competing at the Olympics. Defending Olympic 400 meter dash champion Lashawn Merritt pulls up and does not finish in the prelims of the 400 this morning as his recent hamstring injury apparently had not healed soon enough for him to be ready for the Olympic Games.

 

Day 1 Highlights (August 3rd)

Both of Virginian's own in the women's 400 meter dash at the Olympics have qualified onto the semi-finals with Bethel High School graduate Francena McCorory winning her prelim heat in 50.78 (3rd fastest among qualifiers) and Landstown High School graduate Marlena Wesh finishing 3rd in her heat at 51.98 to move onto the next round as well. McCorory is running for Team USA, while Wesh is competing for her parents' native country of Haiti.

Former Hayfield High School athlete Murielle Ahoure ('05), competing for the African nation Ivory Coast now internationally, won her preliminary heat of the 100 meter dash at the Olympic Games in London with a national record time of 10.99 (5th fastest qualifier).  In her senior year at Hayfield, Ahoure was a third place All-State finisher in the 55 meter dash indoors and 100 meter dash outdoors. Proof that you don't have to be a state champion in high school to give you faith to chase and eventually fulfill Olympic dreams.

 

 

TV SCHEDULE

 

Friday, Aug. 3
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Qualifying (10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.), Women's 10,000M Gold Medal Final (4:30 p.m.)
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Men's Shotput Gold Medal Final
Saturday, Aug. 4
4 a.m. - 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
§  Track & Field: Women's Triathlon (4 a.m.)
7 a.m. - 6 p.m. (MSNBC)
§  Track & Field: Men's 20K Walk (4:45 p.m.)
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Qualifying Men's 100M and 400M, Women's Pole Vault (11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m.), Men's 10,000M Gold Medal Final (4:15 p.m.)
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Women's 100m, heptathlon; Men's long jump)
12:30 - 1:30 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Women's Discuss Gold Medal Final
Sunday, Aug. 5
6 a.m. - 6 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Women's Marathon (6 a.m.)
7 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Men's 100m dash; Women's 400m, triple jump)
12:35 - 1:35 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Men's hammer throw, steeple chase), Qualifying (high jump)
Monday, Aug. 6
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Qualifying Women's 100m hurdles, 1500m; Men's 800m (10 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m.)
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Men's 400m, 400m hurdles; Women's Pole Vault)
12:35 - 1:35 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Women's steeple chase, shotput)
Tuesday, Aug. 7
4 a.m. - 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
§  Track & Field: Men's Triathlon (6:30 a.m.)
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Qualifying Men's 100m hurdles, 200m; Women's 5000m (10 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m.)
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Women's 100m hurdles; Men's 1500m)
12:35 - 1:35 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Men's Discuss Throw
Wednesday, Aug. 8
§  Wrestling: Freestyle Gold Medal Finals (48 kg and 63 kg classes 4 p.m.)
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Qualifying Men's pole vault, 5000m; Women's 800m. (10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m.) Men's Decathlon 400m Race (4:30 p.m.)
8 - 11:08 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Women's 200m, 400m hurdles, long jump; Men's 100m hurdles)
12:05 - 1:05 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Men's Javelin Qualifying
Thursday, Aug. 9
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Qualifying Heats (Noon)
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (decathlon, Men's triple jump, 200m, 800m)
12:35 - 1:35 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Women's Javelin Gold Medal Final
Friday, Aug. 10
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Men's 4x400m relay, pole vault; Women's 4x100m relay, 1500m)
12:35 - 1:35 a.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Women's hammer thrown, 5000m)
Saturday, Aug. 11
4 a.m. - 6 p.m. (NBCSN)
§  Track & Field: Women's 20KM Walk (Noon)
8 p.m. - Midnight (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals (Men's 4x100m relay, 5000m, javelin; Women's 4x400m relay, 800m, high jump)
Sunday, Aug. 12
6 a.m. - 6 p.m. (NBC)
§  Track & Field: Men's Marathon (6 a.m.)