KARA GOUCHER TO DEFEND MILLROSE MILE TITLE
By David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission
Although
Track & Field News ranked her as the #1 USA marathoner in 2008
after her American debut record at the ING New York City Marathon last
November, the reigning USA 5000m champion has decided to defend her
title in the mile at the 102nd Millrose Games one week from tomorrow.
Goucher,
30, used this event to open her season in 2008, the best of her
career. Running on a banked track for the first time since 1999, she
went low and inside on the final turn to narrowly defeat race leader
Sara Hall by just 8/100ths of a second in a personal best 4:36.03.
"This
is good," Goucher told Race Results Weekly after last year's race.
"This is why I'm running these races. I didn't know if I could win
here, but I wanted to be competitive."
That victory set the
stage for Goucher, the 2007 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist at
10,000m, to win two national titles at 5000m and 10 miles, make the
Olympic team in two events, and finish third in New York in the
best-ever time by an American debutante: 2:25:53.
The 102nd Millrose Games is scheduled for Friday, January 30.
ENDS
