#60 Michigan at the Olympics - Stark To Final

Inside This Issue

• Amene Loses Out On 4×4

• Kessler’s 800 Journey Ends

• Stark In, Sember Out

• Other Things

Amene Loses 4×4 Opportunity

Dubem Amene, the UM Wolverine who ran for Southfield Christian High School, ran a solid third leg on the Nigerian 4 × 400 team to help ensure their place in the final tomorrow night—or so he thought. At the end of Amene’s 45.6 leg, a South African runner fell at the exchange. Though there were some reports that Spain was at fault, Nigeria was disqualified for a lane violation and South Africa sent to the finals in their place.

Kessler’s 800 Journey Ends, For Now

Hobbs Kessler competed in the 800m semis today, where advancing was a tall order. Only the top 2 would go to the final (plus possibly 2 on time). He was facing a tough crowd, including Canada’s Marco Arop, the current world champion (1:42.85 PR); France’s Gabriel Tual, the European champion who has run 1:41.61; and Wycliffe Kinyamal, Kenya’s 1:42.08 guy.

Remember that Kessler’s best of 1:43.64 came at the Olympic Trials, but that came with 3 days of rest between his 3:31.53 in the 1500 and the start of the 800 qualifying rounds. In Paris it was a different story. He blazed a 3:29.45 in the 1500 and then got a mere 12 hours rest before he had to be on the line for the heats.

Still, Kessler put up a decent fight, hanging back at first, then moving up to 5th at the 400 (52.8). But when it came time to go, the legs weren’t there. He finished 6th in 1:46.20.

Said a source in his camp, “That 12hr flip, he never really bounced back from that.”

Stark In, Sember Out

The women’s 100 hurdle semis brought mixed results for Michigan but promised an incredible final tomorrow. Running in the first race, Lakeland alum Grace Stark ran a beautiful and powerful race, crushing the field with her No. 2 time ever, 12.39. Among those she beat—World Record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, who shockingly did not advance to the final.

In the third semi we watched Ann Arbor Huron alum Cindy Sember. She ran a solid race in tough competition, but at hurdle 8 she fell and was unable to continue. At that point she was in about 5th place, so was unlikely to make the final, as she would have had to have been in the top 2 or run one of the two fastest remaining times. The race was won by defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in 12.35, with Olympic Trials champion Masai Russell 2nd in 12.42.

Said Sember, “I’m OK. I’m really sad. I’m just frustrated because I have been training so hard, I’m ready – I’m sad. 'I feel I was coming to the hurdles very quickly, and I lost my control unfortunately. I was very ready, it’s a little hard to take in. But I'm trusting God in it.”

Other Things

Tomorrow: The only Michiganders on the line tomorrow will be Grace Stark in the 100 hurdles final (3:35 EST) and Grant Fisher in the following race, the 5000 at 3:50 EST. It will be the last day for track & field at the Stade de France, with the Olympics wrapping up the next morning with the women’s marathon.

Our Legacy Athletes: Congratulations again to Jasmine Moore, daughter of former Detroiters Earl Moore and Trinette Johnson, for adding the long jump bronze medal to the triple jump bronze she had already won. She’s the first American woman to win medals in both. And tonight we’ll see the conclusion of the heptathlon, where Anna Hall is contending for a medal. She’s the daughter of former UM 3-sport star David Hall, who showed some nice multi-event skills doing a decathlon while at Livonia Stevenson High.

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