Winger, Efraimson advance at Olympic Trials

The top six in each of three heats qualified, along with the next six fastest times. Efraimson’s time of 4 minutes, 14.40 seconds was the seventh-fastest overall time regardless of heat.

Efraimson was running smoothly in the first three laps of the race, packed tightly among the top five runners as a light rain fell. But as the bell sounded for the final lap and runners rounded the first turn, Efraimson and another runner tangled and Efraimson found herself sprawled on the wet track. She quickly got up but was about 25 meters behind the lead runners.

“We were really tightly grouped up. I think I clipped the back of Rachel’s (Schneider) heel. I’m not sure,” Efraimson said afterward.
She said the fall was the first she’s ever experienced in competition.

Her first thought as she fell to the ground? “Just get up and get moving,” she said.

Despite tripping, Efraimson ran the final 400 meters in under 64 seconds.

Of Friday’s race, Efraimson said her goal is simple, “Hopefully I can get to the finals and do well from there.”

Twelve runners will advance to Sunday’s finals, where the top three advance to the Rio Games.

Efraimson is fresh from winning her second title in the 1500 meters in the U.S. Junior Championships.

The difference between a junior meet and the Olympic Trials, where she is often running against women 10-15 years older than her?

“The environment,” she said. “It’s really cool because everyone here is really focused to come out on top of their heat. So it’s something I need to learn to do too.”

Efraimson, when asked if the “experience” of competing here would be reward enough from her first Olympic Trials, said, “Everyone is here to make the team.”

Making the U.S. Olympic team is something Winger knows all about.

After a throw of 201 feet and six inches in her first try Thursday, which was three inches shy of the meet record, Winger suited back up and made her way out of the stadium. After 20 minutes of competition, her day was done.

It was the easily the best throw at that point, and it would stand up to be the best throw of the 24 competitors. The mark was just three inches shy of the Olympic Trials record, set by Brittany Borman in 2012.

Maggie Malone finished second in the prelims with a mark of 198-3.

The top 12 competitors advanced to Saturday’s final. After one throw, Winger knew she would easily be in that group.

The top three throwers Saturday will qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.

Winger is the American record holder in the javelin and a six-time national champion. She won the event at the 2008 Olympic Trials and placed second in 2012.

Asked if winning the event on Saturday was important to her, Winger said, “I’ve learned the hard way that winning the Trials isn’t the most important thing. My goal is to make the Olympic team, and doing it the healthy way.”

Winger said her first throw surprised her a bit. “I had felt a little tight on the runway.”

She also conceded, “I also felt a little nervous” because it was only her second time throwing competitively this year.

Her road to this year’s Trials has not been easy. Winger had surgery on her left shoulder in the fall, followed by a period of recovery and rehab. That, she said, along with “the aches and pains of being 30 years old, and having thrown the javelin for 15 years, or half of my life. But the recovery has been good and I’ve been getting my upper body (stronger).”

Although Winger has been living and training with her husband in Colorado Springs, Colo., she said it was always a thrill to come back to the Pacific Northwest. In addition to friends and family, two of her former teachers and a coach from Skyview High School had made the trip to Eugene to watch her compete.

Moments before her competition, she ran over to the grandstands where she exchanged hugs with Ron Heidenreich, her geometry teacher, Bob Brands, her calculus teacher, and her former coach Chris Erdman.