ATHLETICS

Former Tiger Runner Is Athens Bound

By Tom Lewis

Tiger post-collegian Derrick Peterson of Jonesboro, Ga., ran for a personal-best time of 1:45.08 to finish third in the 800-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials earning a spot on Team USA and traveling to Athens, Greece, for the 25th Games of the Olympiad. The 2000 graduate of Missouri once again ran a “come from behind race” to clinch a spot in the top three.

Peterson entered the trials as the third best in the nation for the year, with his season-best time of 1:46.46. In this race, Peterson was in third place in the first half-lap, traveling to fifth by the end of the first 400 meters. In the final 120 meters, Peterson was back in sixth place. Once again, Peterson used a big kick to excel him past Jesse O’Connell and 2004 World Indoor Champion, David Krummenacker to reach the third place spot and kept closing in on the top two, Nike’s Khadevis Robinson and the winner, Texas Tech’s Jonathan Johnson.

“This was the most nerve-racking race of my life,” Peterson said “I started the race a little more aggressive than I usually do. I was the most comfortable when I crossed the finish line and always stayed poised on it until the end of the race.”

Peterson’s time of 1:45.08 was a new personal best by one-tenth of a second. His previous best of 1:45.18 was five years ago at the 1999 NCAA Championships in Durham, N.C.

“We’ve got a good team, and I can’t be more excited to be going to Athens.”

At the 2000 Olympic Trials, Peterson missed the final round by one-hundredth of a second.

“Coming into the 2000 Trials, I was expected to win the finals,” Peterson added. “For a long time that semifinal haunted me, but once I started to run again and get into the groove, I was confident that I could come back and get to the Olympics in ’04. But, just keep in mind, I’m just getting started. I’ll celebrate tonight, but start getting ready for Athens tomorrow.”

“Obviously, I couldn’t be more excited for Derrick,” said Jared Wilmes, Missouri Assistant Coach. “Derrick worked extremely hard over the past years, and I am so thrilled for the guy. He ran a classic Derrick Peterson race; he was boxed-in for a while and came through and broke into his kick right when he planned and everything worked out for the best.”

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Last Update: November 15, 2007