7/1/08

EUGENE, Ore. — Ian Dobson didn't take a direct path to his place on the U.S. Olympic track team, but he made it to the starting line in Beijing next month because he's always known this is what he wants to do. No matter how long it took.

Dobson, a 26-year-old Stanford graduate, finished third in the 5,000 meters Monday night at the Olympic trials.

"It has been a very long process," Dobson said. "I had a couple of frustrating years when I first got to college. For me, it's been a matter of just buying into the entire process.