Michigan Olympic Updates: Women's Track and Field
8/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field, Olympics
Thursday, Aug. 21
Former Michigan high jumper Nicole Forrester (1996-99) made her Olympic debut Thursday morning in Beijing, competing in group B of the high-jump qualifying rounds. Forrester cleared 1.89 meters (6-2 1/4 feet) on her second attempt at the height. Forrester finished 11th in the group, 19th overall, and did not advance to the high-jump finals.
| INDIVIDUAL | EVENT | RESULT |
| Nicole Forrester (Canada) | Women's High Jump Qualification | 11th, Group B (1.89m, 6-2 1/4) |
Sunday, Aug. 17
In the final of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, an event being contested in the Olympics for the first time, U-M 2007-08 Female Athlete of the Year Anna Willard placed 10th in the 15-runner race with a personal-best time of 9:25.63. She took nearly two seconds off her previous best, the then-American record 9:27:59 that earned her first place at the U.S. Olympic Trials in early July. USA teammate Jennifer Barringer broke her own American record to finish ninth (9:22.26) in Beijing, while Russia's Gulnara Galkina-Samitova won the gold medal and became the first woman to break the nine-minute mark, clocking 8:58.81 for an 8.60-second margin of victory.
| INDIVIDUAL | EVENT | RESULT |
| Anna Willard (USA) | 3,000m Steeplechase Final | 10th (9:25.63) |
Friday, Aug. 15
On Friday, the first day of Olympic track and field competition, former U-M national champion Anna Willard advanced to the finals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Running in the third of three heats, Willard crossed the line sixth in a time of 9:28.52 and, with the top four in each heat plus the next three fastest times advancing, earned the last spot in the final. Willard posted the 11th-best time overall among the 47 runners competing in the first-ever women's Olympic steeplechase race, and she will be one of 15 athletes vying for medals in the final on Sunday evening.
| INDIVIDUAL | EVENT | RESULT |
| Anna Willard (USA) | 3,000m Steeplechase Heats | 6th, Heat 3 (9:28.52^) |
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