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Just weeks after his much-discussed rendezvous with Hollywood paparazzi favorite Paris Hilton, Nick Symmonds thrilled his own followers, the track fans at Hayward Field, with a come-from-way-behind victory in the 800 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene Monday night. The win stamped Symmonds’ ticket to London for this summer’s Olympic Games, where he will look to amend his performance four years ago in Beijing when he failed to make it through to the finals.
Symmonds’ win, in a time of 1:43.92, was a Hayward Field record, and the runner, who lives in nearby Springfield, gave considerable credit to the hometown crowd of more than 20,000 for getting him to the finish line ahead of Khadevis Robinson and Duane Solomon Jr.
“I’ve had a residence in Springfield for six years and I have a small business here in town,” said Symmonds, 29, a member of the Oregon Track Club Elite who now has won five consecutive national titles in the 800. “I have really made this my home, and I think the community has appreciated that. I am proud to race in an Oregon singlet. I can hear that crowd when they announce my name and it gives me a huge shot of adrenaline. I do think that is an advantage.”
Four years ago at the Trials, also held at Hayward, Symmonds was involved in a classic showdown that ultimately sent three Oregon stars—Symmonds, Andrew Wheating, and Christian Smith—to Beijing, much to the delight of the Hayward faithful. Last night that crowd again had visions of an Oregon sweep. In addition to Symmonds, the field of eight included Tyler Mulder, an OTC member, and Elijah Greer of the University of Oregon. But this time, Robinson, the hard-luck fourth-place finisher in ’08, took second. At 35, Robinson will be making his first Olympic appearance since 2004. Solomon, the third finalist, will be making his Olympic debut.
Through the better part of 400 meters, Symmonds, coming out of lane 4, found himself in sixth place. Both Charles Jock and Solomon pushed a fast early pace that had the sprinters going through the halfway mark in the 49-second range. Symmonds began to pick off the leaders over the next 200 meters, and by the time the pack was heading into Bowerman Curve and toward the finish line, he was fully in contention. When Symmonds finally broke the tape, as America’s top 800-meter man once again, he raised his arms and wagged his tongue. The Hayward crowd exploded.
“Every time I cross the line, I can’t explain the relief,” he said later. “You spend years training for these. It’s literally an 11-month cycle getting ready for one of these events. You can’t even describe it.”
In the weeks leading up to the Trials, Symmonds had made as much of a name for himself in the gossip pages as in the sports section. Reportedly he had a 90-minute encounter with Paris Hilton in Los Angeles earlier in the month. That meeting fueled talk that the reality star would be attending the Trials. While no Paris sightings were reported, the more than 20,000 spectators who braved persistent rains and a chilled air went home at the end of the night warmed by watching their own reality star succeed on their beloved track (again).
Now, Symmonds must prepare for London, where he’ll look to make the break-through into the finals that eluded him at the ’08 Olympics.
The bitter taste in my month of not making it into the finals stuck with me for four years,” Symmonds said. “There is only one way to erase that: by going to London and winning a medal.”
For more of Symmonds’ post-race press conference, see below:
It seems like you are Eugene’s "guy". Is there a lot of pressure for you to cope with being the guy everyone looks for? "That's a great question. One of the reasons I moved down here in '06 was that coach [Vin] Lananna and Nike said they wanted to create an elite group here. And I said, I loved being part of a team, from Bishop Kelly High School to Willamette University, I just like being around people who inspire me. This community really embraced me. I think most people say I'm a [Oregon] Duck, but they forget I went to Willamette University and I am Bearcat. I have had a residence in Springfield for six years and I have a small business here in town. I have really made this my home, and I think the community has appreciated that."
Races & Places? "You know, I come from a distance background. I started out in cross-country, and when I ran my first season in high school I said I was never going to run anything less than a mile. I was a distance runner. But I went through puberty and I got stronger and I found my sprinting form and became an 800-meter runner. Speed comes from strength and I spend nine months of the year without my spikes on just doing mile repeats and tempos. I get speed from strength. I train more like a miler most of the year. I go to altitude. That allows me to come home pretty strong."
Which feels better, making it in '08 or '12? "That’s tough. '08 is always going to be special for me because it is my first team. You know, there was just so much relief. Once you are an Olympian, you are always an Olympian. So, coming into this, I said, 'Heaven forbid something happens and I get tripped, but you can't take '08 away from me.' That said, the bitter taste in my mouth from not making in the final in '08 stuck with me for four years, and there is only one way to erase that: by going to London and winning a medal."
The Spring Marathons of 2025? "One reason I love track and field so much is that it gives you the opportunity to do so much. It has given me the platform to travel the world and make friends around the world, and go on incredible dates. But there needs to be a certain amount of balance between fun and business. Compartmentalizing is something I need to work on."
