Air Force athlete earns silver medal at Olympic Trials

  • Published
EUGENE, Ore. (AFPN) --  U.S. Air Force Academy record-holder Dana Pounds placed second in the javelin throw in the finals of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials June 30 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. 

Posting a distance of 189 feet 9 inches, Pounds finished just two feet behind the meet's winner, but despite the second-place finish, Pounds missed a spot on the Olympic team as a throw of 198'6" was needed during the qualifying period.

Pounds, a current member of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, had secured a personal-best throw of 195'6" prior to the trials.

Pounds opened the finals with a throw of 171'2", before posting the 189'9" throw that secured her the silver medal. Although she fouled off three of her final attempts, she added a toss of 188'4" to her evening.

"I truly believe the throw is there," Pounds said after the meet. "I'm not sure why it didn't come out tonight. I've believed for the last six meets that I've thrown in this year, that I've had an 'A' standard throw. I've had more than an 'A' standard throw in me. I think I tried too hard. I don't think I relaxed enough."

Purdue's Kara Patterson won the meet with a throw of 191'9". Patterson, one of just two throwers who had met the Olympic "A" standard prior to the Trials, will be the lone javelin representative for Team USA at the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. Oregon's Rachel Yurkovich placed third with a throw of 185'1", while American record holder Kim Kreiner finished fourth with a toss of 183'5". 

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page