By
Shira Springer
Globe Staff
/ February 22, 2008
There comes a moment in every
middle-distance race when runners must make a move. "Should I push the
pace? Should I move closer to the front-runners? Should I start my kick
now?"
Inaction or indecision can be the difference between victory and defeat, an Olympic berth and fourth place at the Trials.
Jenelle Deatherage knows all too well the importance of making the right move at the right time.
Since
finishing fourth at the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 1,500 meters by
14-100ths of a second, Deatherage went through "a rough couple of years
over that distance." She struggled to finish fast. Believing 2008 would
be her last opportunity to make an Olympic team and that the 1,500
offered her the best chance, she decided to make a bold move off the
track. The Minneapolis-based Deatherage switched coaches and left Team
USA Minnesota last summer. The aspiring Olympian now does speed
workouts by herself under the supervision of new coach Juli Henner, who
lives in the Washington, D.C., area.
