IAAF World Relays – Day Two Team USA Quotes
USATF Press Release
May 25, 2014
Women’s 4x200m, gold medal
Leg 1 – Shalonda Solomon
“I think this was an awesome experience and I’m so honored to be here with these other women. It’s the first meet of its kind and I think it was a great idea for them to have that and give everybody an opportunity to run their individual race within the relay. It really made it fun and team-oriented. It was great.”
Leg 2 – Tawanna Meadows
“We had to be patient and the tape is there for a reason. The mishaps with the men’s team, it put everyone in focus to want to execute and get the handoffs down together.”
Leg 3 – Bianca Knight
“I just told them that the atmosphere was going to be crazy and to make sure to stay in our lane. We’ve had a couple of miscues and a couple of our teams left too early and I think it was more of the excitement than not being prepared. I just wanted to remind them that the tape is there for a reason and pay attention to your incoming runner. That was my first 4x200m since high school. I think I was more nervous than they were but we ended up getting the job done.”
Leg 4 – Kimberlyn Duncan
“It was a great experience, especially with these ladies here. A lot of us hadn’t run 4x200m since college so to be able to get in here early enough to get handoff practices in, that was really important.”
Women’s 4×400 meter, gold medal
Leg 1 – Dee Dee Trotter
“Yesterday I think we confident although I was a little bit leery. I haven’t run many quarters this year, so I was skeptical. But I went out there and put my heart on the line and then I came back today and knew that I could do more. I went out harder today and I wanted to break the stagger on the rest of the field and I was able to do that and put us in the lead.. It was a really good race for me and I feel very good about what this means for the rest of my season.”
“The Bahamas hosted an brilliant event. This is unlike anything we’ve experienced as far as a relays or track and field meet, so to come here and to be in this environment, to be in this atmosphere and to feel nothing but love. It’s a whole different entertainment value to bring to track and field I can’t tell you how exciting it was.. What a great way to start out the outdoor season and bring this into USA’s.”
Leg 2 – Sanya Richards Ross
“Dee Dee ran a great, great leg today. I felt good, my legs were a little stiff from yesterday but I felt good. I knew Novlene (Williams-Mills, JAM) was strong, she’s run 50.0 this year. I just knew that if I could give Tasha the stick in good position that we’re evenly matched on third and fourth and that we would win it. I’m pleased with my leg and I’m pleased with my team’s performance.”
Leg 3 – Natasha Hastings
“I got the stick a little bit even with Jamaica. Joanna is a great runner but she is a ‘baby’ so I wanted to take as much pressure off of her as I could. I wanted to be smart, I wanted to get out in front without exerting too much energy, and enough to come home. I think I did a fair enough job. It certainly is a boost of confidence going into training for the rest of season.”
Anchor – Joanna Atkins
“I wanted to make sure that I executed my race and we stayed in the lead, but I was also determined that no one was going to pass me. That was a real good leg that Tasha ran to set me up to run a good anchor leg.
“It’s been a very good year for me. I’m so thankful for this opportunity to represent Team USA and bring home the gold.”
Men’s 4x400m, gold medal
Leg 1 – David Verburg
“I was happy with the record indoors but indoor is indoor. This is so different. I went down to Gainesville to train with Coach Mike Holloway because he’s one of the best 400-meter coaches in the world. I get to train with Tony McQuay and it’s been a great experience. My goal is to be the USA first leg. I showed it off at Worlds last year, got to do it again here and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity.”
Leg 2 – Tony McQuay
“Coming out here and competing on this level, you always have to bring your A game. I think today was just a statement, coming out and competing hard, that we were able to get the W. But we need to go back and continue to work hard and prepare ourselves for the next relay competition and for next year.”
Leg 3 – Christian Taylor
“(Chris Brown) ran a great race. I know because I watched the whole thing. It was a little tough, he’s got some heart and I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’m hungry for another opportunity. I’ve got a lot of heart myself and I’m very happy to be here, but I’m also a competitor. I’ve got to thank God first, my teammates for putting me in this position and Coach Clyde Hart for giving me the opportunity. I ran a good leg; that’s all I can say.”
Anchor – LaShawn Merritt
“Last year, I ran at the Chris Brown Invitational. I just wanted to come back and perform well as a team. Great crowd, great stadium. I’m not typically the one who talks about a fast track, because I believe if you run fast, then the track is fast. But that was a fast track. It had good grip, tight turns and we wanted to come out here and get the W and that’s what we did.”
Women’s 4x800m, gold medal
Leg 1 – Chanelle Price
“I kind of World Indoor race in my head before this race, truthfully. I knew I wanted to get out in front and just run against the clock. I knew those girls would chase me and I just wanted to set a tone for the team. That was my job, to start strong and make them come after me and I think I did that.”
“We knew (we got the record), we totally knew it. We said if we all ran around 2:00 each, we’ll get it. I don’t know what the splits were, I just know we got the record.”
Leg 2 – Geena Lara
“Making the World Relays team was a huge goal of mine this season. I wanted to run the 4x800m relay here. I’m happy we broke the American record and that we came away with the gold. All the girls ran really strong legs and I was just happy I kept the lead that Chanelle gave me and I’m so happy to be a part of this. It was such an incredible experience.”
Leg 3 – Ajee’ Wilson
“My coach talked to me and said that if I was going to lead, I had to run within myself. She’s going to put in a lot of effort to try and catch me and when she does, just surge again and that’s what I did. That was a good race plan and, as usual, he pulled through for me.”
Leg 4 – Brenda Martinez
“It was good. I got 1:57 like my coach told me to and I was actually able to put in a race. No one was in front of me breaking my stride, so I’m happy.”
“I wasn’t nervous but I was anxious. I just wanted to get on the track and finish. I didn’t want to focus on any other teams. I just wanted to focus on us and on my leg and just give it what I had today.”
Men’s 4x1500m, silver medal
Leg 1 – Pat Casey
The environment was awesome out there. It was stunning coming out with the curtains and seeing all the stands filled. It was super loud and a good atmosphere and it was a really fun experience. I’m really pumped about how we ran and I think overall, we did great.”
That’s where Gags wanted me. I just believed in him believing in me. I had one job and that was to go out and just stay in the race and stay tough. That’s what I did and I think it turned out great for me.
Leg 2 – David Torrence
I have a new training coach, a new strength coach and I’m pleased with out it turned out. In the future, maybe we’ll be able to stay out in front. It was a tough race but I’m happy with how it turned out.
Leg 3 – Will Leer
“Lot of inspiration coming from the women’s 4x1500m yesterday and I from the handoff, I just said to myself run steady, they’re not going to catch you. I ran through the line, maybe even passed Leo.”
“I think that everyone coming away from this event is going to come away feeling more like a team. Here going out to the track and seeing all of our teams, joke around with the 4x400m guys earlier, it’s been really special.”
Anchor – Leo Manzano
“I had no idea that we’d broken that record. I stepped off the track huffing and puffing. I’ve raced (against) these guys, I’ve grown up with these guys. To know that now we’re one of America’s best, that we have the American record, it’s incredible. There was just something very special about that race.”