And then, five kilometers through the women’s 10,000m final, there were three.
Hitting the 5,000m mark at 16 minutes, 10 seconds, the lead pack of Shalane Flanagan, Kara Goucher and Amy Yoder Begley had virtually closed the race to the other competitors.
Happy to keep with the pack for four kilometers, Flanagan darted to the lead and turned a pedestrian pace into one that, while still off the American record by one minute, was still too fast for everybody else. Goucher and Yoder Begley followed Flanagan’s lead – all the way to Beijing.
Flanagan won in only her second 10,000m ever after smashing the American record in her debut earlier this spring, but it was a desperate surge by Yoder Begley that had the fans on their feet at the finish.
The only runner of the three who hadn’t already run the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 31:45 this year, Yoder Begley made the standard in 31:43.60 – but just barely.
“Amazing as Shalane is and, as amazing as I think I am,” said Goucher, poking fun at herself, “I think Amy is the story of the night.”
“This is probably the best day ever,” said Yoder Begley, whose best before the race was 31:59.46.
While the three had run side by side the entire race, trading first place along the way, Flanagan and Goucher made a furious charge with a lap of 70.7 seconds with one kilometer to go, leaving Yoder Begley 20, then 30, meters behind.
At the bell lap, the two found another gear, running a 69.9 lap, the fastest of the race. Flanagan won in 31:34.81, followed by Goucher in 31:37.72.
It’s the first Olympic team for Goucher and Yoder Begley, training partners under Nike’s Alberto Salazar, who finished third in the 1980 Trials 10,000m. Flanagan competed in 2004 in Athens in the 5,000m.
“We’ve been through a lot and I wouldn’t want to go to Beijing with anybody else,” Yoder Begley said. She was hobbled with hip bursitis and a broken ankle in 2006 before beginning her training in Portland with Salazar and Goucher.
Goucher was a 2007 bronze medalist in the 10,000 at the worlds in Osaka, a feat she said was worthless compared to her performance Friday night.
“The dream wasn’t an obscure medal in Osaka, Japan, but to be an Olympian,” Goucher said.
Once Yoder Begley and Goucher realized the ‘A’ standard had been met, the duo jumped up and down with joy for seconds, waving American flags. They soon met Flanagan at the water pit of the steeplechase for photos and congratulatory hugs.
During the race, their attitudes weren’t quite as cordial.
Flanagan said she prepared “for war” because of her duo’s popularity with the Oregon fans.
“It’s going to be a Kara Goucher fan club out there so I had to be ready for war because they probably weren’t going to be cheering my name over those last few laps,” Flanagan said. “It’s a big relief.”
Both Flanagan and Goucher will return for the 5,000m semifinal Monday night at 8:50. The 5,000 final is Friday, July 4.
Already Beijing-bound once, Flanagan and Goucher looked forward to doing it again.
“Probably nothing more American you can do on July 4 than try out for the Olympic team,” Flanagan said.
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