EUGENE, Oregon – Ashland University alum Kibwe Johnson placed second in the hammer throw Wednesday night in the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, but he still doesn’t know if he will be making a trip to Rio next month.
Although the top three finishers usually qualify for the Olympics, Johnson’s throw of 246 feet, 5 inches, did not meet the Olympic standard of 252 feet, 7 inches, so the 34-year-old’s fate rests in the hands of the International Association of Athletics Federations. The IAAF has the option to invite up to three athletes when no athletes meet the Olympic standard during their country’s trials. No U.S. throwers topped the Olympic standard. The IAAF will make their final selections on July 12.
Johnson, a 2007 AU graduate, has represented the U.S. three times at the World Championships and competed in the 2012 Olympics, where he finished 9th in the hammer throw.
Also Wednesday night, former Ashland University coach and three-time Olympian A.G. Kruger placed fourth with a throw of 240-6, and 2012 AU grad Ryan Loughney threw 209-8 to finish in 20th place.
Earlier in the trials, 2015 grad Drew Windle placed 15th after winning his qualifying heat and advancing to the semifinals in the men’s 800-meter run. Windle ran a time of 1:55.75 in the semifinals. On July 1, Kurt Roberts placed 13th in the men’s shot put with a throw of 65 feet, 3 inches, missing moving on to the finals by 1 inch.
Katie Nageotte, a 2013 graduate, will compete Friday night in the women’s pole vault competition. Nageotte is tied for the 9th seed going into competition.
Carlin Isles, who played football and ran track at AU, had a fast enough time to compete in the 100-meter dash at the trials but instead will try to make the new rugby sevens team at Olympic Trials that start July 18. Rugby sevens is described by organizers as a faster version of the traditional sport, with fewer athletes on the field at a time — seven for each side instead of 15.
Earlier this month, Time magazine did a feature on Isles, who has been called the fastest man in rugby by Rugby Mag just months after he took up the sport in 2012. While at AU, Isles ran a 6.68 in the 60-meter dash and has run a 10.1 in the 100-meter dash.
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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