Richards cruises to semifinal win in women's 400

EUGENE, Ore. " It must be nice work if one can earn being the World's No. 1 ranked runner in the women's 400 meters.

Sanya Richards made it look easy in the semifinals. She's so ahead of everyone else that all she wanted to do was run basically three-fourths of a race and take it easy over the last 100 meters.

That's what Richards did on Monday in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field as she ran hard for 300 meters and then let up for the final 100. She literally trotted home the last 20 meters and still had the semifinals' fastest time at 50.75 seconds.

"I wanted to execute the first 300 and at 320 I wanted to relax," Richards said. " I'm really happy with the run."

If Richards didn't take it easy enough in her semifinal run, she plans to take it even easier before Thursday's finals. She said she was going to do nothing between now and then. She then said she could go for a walk or possibly come to the track to "shake it out." But there won't be any running.

Otherwise, she said she just plans to go to bed early and eat well. "I'm just going to relax," she said.

WARINER IMPRESSIVE

Jeremy Wariner, the defending Olympic champion, was as impressive as Richards, finishing with the fastest time in the men's 400 semifinals in 44.66, an outstanding time since Wariner began to shut it down with about 20 meters to go.

But Wariner isn't taking anything for granted heading into Thursday's finals. "Trying to make the Olympics is not guaranteed," he said. "I've got one more race on Thursday."

Like Richards, Wariner will take it easy before Thursday.

LAGAT WINS

Bernard Lagat, a native Kenyan who eventually became an American citizen, showed why he's the reigning world champion in the 5,000 with his finishing kick to win the 5,000 finals. Lagat won in 13:27.47 and will be joined in Beijing by Matt Tegankamp (13:28.68) and Ian Dobson (13:29.76).

Eugene fans should be happy that the trials record of the late Steve Prefontaine of 13:22.08 in 1972 still stands.

CHINESE MEDIA

There are plenty of media from China here and one can be sure that they are watching and covering every move of the top American athletes here at the Trials.

The Olympics will be held next month in Beijing.

ANOTHER RECORD

Jennifer Barringer set a Hayward Field and Olympic Trials record in the semifinals of the women's 3,000 meters, finishing in 9:48.50, breaking the old Hayward Field mark of 9:49.41.

MORE QUALIFIERS

Hazel Clark won the women's 800 finals in 1:59.82 to qualify for Beijing. Joining her at the Olympics will be Alice Schmidt (2:00.46) and Nicole Teter (2:01.30).

In the women's javelin finals, the top three qualifiers were Kara Patterson (191-9), Dana Pounds (189-9) and Rachel Yurkovich (185-1).

SWEEPINMEN'S 800

"And track fans I believe all is well in Tracktown USA this evening." That's what the PA announcer said after the crowd went crazy when Oregon went 1-2-3 in the men's 800 final.

The Oregon Track Club's Nicholas Symmonds won in 1:44.10, Andrew Wheating of the University of Oregon was second in 1:45.03 and the Oregon Track Club's Christian Smith was third in 1:45.47.

BEST CROWD YET

Monday's crowd was the biggest of the trials, a Hayward Field record of 20,949, impressive considering it was really an "off" night for the event in which not many finals were held.