Team Usa’s Women’s Track and Field for 2008 Olympics: a Backgrounder

100, 200 meters | Allyson Felix

• A Two-time world champion in the outdoors for the 200 meter-dash.

• She had the biggest margin of victory ever in World Championships 200-meter final (2007).

• She was the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the 200 meters.

• Has run a 10.93second 100m. this season.

400 meters | Sanya Richards

• She is the 2006 IAAF world athlete of the year

• A three-time U.S. champion outdoors

• A 2004 Olympic gold medalist on the 4×400 relay team.

• She competed at University of Texas.

800 meters | Alysia Johnson

• She just completed her college eligibility for California at the NCAA championships

• She is the reigning U.S. outdoor champion.

• Her winning time of 1:59.29 at the 2007 NCAA meet is the 3rd fastest in college history.

1,500 meters | Treniere Clement

• Has won three successive U.S. outdoor championships in the 1,500

• She was the 2006 U.S. indoor 1,500 champion

• A sub-2-minute 800 runner.

• She competed for Georgetown.

5,000 meters | Lauren Fleshman

• The 2006 U.S. Championship

• A three-time NCAA champion for Stanford.

• She is trained by Oregon Coach Vin Lananna.

10,000 meters | Kara Goucher

• Became the first U.S. woman to medal at the World Championships in the 10,000 by taking the bronze in 2007.

• Was second in the 5,000 at the 2006 nationals

• Second Placer in the 10,000 at last year’s U.S. championships.

• She is trained by Coach Alberto Salazar

Steeplechase | Jennifer Barringer

• The reigning U.S. champion after winning last season in 9:34.64, then the second-fastest time by a U.S. woman.

• 2008 NCAA champion for University of Colorado.

100 hurdles | Lolo Jones

• A two-time reigning U.S. indoor 60-meter champion and 2008 world indoor champion.

• She placed third in the 2007 U.S. championships outdoors

• She placed sixth at last year’s World Championships outdoors.

• Was a three-time national champion

• Was an 11-time All-American for Louisiana State.

400 hurdles | Tiffany Ross-Williams

• The reigning U.S. Champion

• Winner of the 2007 Visa Championship Series.

• Ranked sixth in the world in 2007 by Track & Field News.

High jump | Amy Acuff

• Won her first U.S. championship in 1995 and still is among the best in the world. A three-time Olympian and the reigning U.S. champion, she finished fourth in the 2004 Athens Games. Competed for UCLA.

Long jump | Brittney Reese

• NCAA champion in 2008

• NCAA champion in 2007

• Named Southeastern Conference women’s field athlete of the year.

• Second at the 2007 U.S. Championships

• Ranked eighth at the World Championships.

Triple jump | Erica McClain

• She has won seven Pacific-10 Conference titles in either the long or triple jumps, including both events at the 2008 Pac-10 meet.

• She has won the 2005 U.S. triple jump championship as a Stanford freshman.

• Third at the U.S. championships outdoors last season.

Pole vault | Jenn Stuczynski

• A U.S. Record-holder

• She reset her own record last month at 16- 3/4.

• She has won three consecutive U.S. outdoor championships

• She has won three of the last four national championships indoors.

Shot | Kristin Heaston

• Three-time U.S. champion outdoors and 2004 Olympian.

• She was the first thrower in the qualifying round in the 2004 Games at Ancient Olympia

• The first woman to compete there in an Olympiad

Discus | Suzy Powell-Roos

• U.S. Record-holder

• She broke a mark that had stood for 21 years by throwing 222-0 last year.

• The reigning U.S. Champion

• A two-time Olympian.

• She finished eighth at last year’s World Championships

Hammer | Brittany Riley

• Reigning U.S. Champion

• The 2007 runner-up at the NCAA championships

• She was the 2005 U.S. junior champion.

Javelin | Dana Pounds

• Beat U.S. record-holder Kim Kreiner to win the 2007 U.S. Championship

• She was a runner-up in 2006

• She was a runner-up in 2005

• She won back-to-back NCAA titles for the Air Force Academy in 2006

• She won back-to-back NCAA titles for the Air Force Academy in 2005

• Sixth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Heptathlon | Jacquelyn Johnson

• She won her fourth consecutive Pac-10 heptathlon championship last month for Arizona State, scoring meet-record 6,307 points.

• She was fifth at the 2007 U.S. championships while a college junior.