http://www.usatf.org/News/Boston-Marathon-winner-Meb-Keflezighi-named-USATF-.aspx
Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi named Athlete of the Week
4/23/2014
INDIANAPOLIS -- Honoring the first American man to win the Boston Marathon
since 1983, USA Track & Field named Meb Keflezighi (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.)
USATF Athlete of the Week after his final lunge through the tape left the
city of Boston and the nation standing in salute.
Spurred on by thousands of supporters on the sidelines, Keflezighi won in
personal best 2:08:37. As the crowd erupted into frenzied cheers,
Keflezighi knelt to kiss the ground, draped himself in an American flag and
finally let the tears stream down his cheeks.
"I wanted to win it for Boston . . . win it for the people," Keflezighi
told the Boston Herald. "The last three to four miles, (the crowd) pushed
me through it. I'm so lucky to be the champion."
At age 38, Keflezighi became the oldest man to win the Boston Marathon
since 1931. His family immigrated to the United States from Eritrea, a
country in the Horn of Africa, when he was 12-years-old.
"This is almost like winning five Bostons, there was so much emotion and
symbolism in this year's race, and for Meb to win it, it's just
incredible," said Dick Patrick, co-author of Meb's autobiography and USA
Today columnist, told the Herald.
Keflezighi was the silver medalist at the 2004 Olympics marathon in Athens,
Greece, and in 2009 he became the first American since 1982 to win the New
York City Marathon.
Prior to Keflezighi's historic win on Monday, there were several track &
field performances of note around the country this past weekend. Duane
Solomon (Los Angeles, Calif.) ran a 1:43.88 800m at the Mt. SAC Relays,
which is the fastest time in the world this year and the fastest 800m ever
run before May. David Oliver (Kissimee, Fla.) won the 110H at the Tom Jones
Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., in a world-leading 13.26.
Christian Cantwell (Columbia, Mo.) claimed the top spot in the world shot
put rankings with his throw of 21.36m/70-1 to win the Kansas Relays. Ashley
Higginson (Marlboro, N.J.) had the fastest 3000m steeplechase time in the
world this year with her 9:35.72 at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational.
High school prodigy Desiree Freier (Justin, Texas) set a pending American
Junior Record in the pole vault with her 14-6 clearance at a Class 5A 4/5
Area Meet in Coppell, Texas.
2014 Winners: January 15, Chris Derrick; January 22, Galen Rupp; January
29, Galen Rupp; February 5, Alexa Efraimson; February 12, Mike Rutt; Feb.
19, Bernard Lagat; Feb. 26, Sharon Day-Monroe; March 3, David Torrence;
March 13, Francena McCorory; March 19, Irene Obera; March 26, Duane
Solomon; April 2, Maria Michta; April 7, Noah Lyles; April 14, Kendell
Williams; April 21, Meb Keflezighi.
Received on Wed Apr 23 2014 - 16:30:25 EDT