Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Track and Field Olympic Trials are over after eight sun-drenched days in Eugene.  The athletes treated their fans to record-breaking performances, dramatic photo finishes, and occasionally, the agony of defeat.

OPB's Andrew Theen was there all week, and he looked back on some of the week's highlights from local athletes.

For a track star there's no place like Hayward Field.  Excuse me, the fancy new scoreboard says Historic Hayward Field.

Where else in the world does a crowd clap in unison to urge on a long jumper in a preliminary round?

But after eight days filled with enthusiasm, the cheers for the men's 800 meter final rose above the rest.

Nick Symmonds: "Yeah I don't think you're going to hear Hayward Field get a lot louder than that.  I'm sure they could hear us in Springfield, probably out in Thurston too."

That's Eugene's favorite adopted son, Nick Symmonds.  Symmonds led the Oregon sweep of the men's 800 last week.

Fellow Eugene transplant Christian Smith dove at the finish line to take the third and final spot to Beijing.

But even Nick Symmonds acknowledged most of those cheers were likely for the second place finisher, lanky University of Oregon star Andrew Wheating.  Wheating described the feeling.

Andrew Wheating: "I couldn't even hear myself breathing, I couldn't hear anybody next to me, couldn't hear feet running, all i heard was screaming and shouting from the crowd. And I really think, I do honestly believe that Oregon goes 1-2-3 because of this crowd."

It's hard to think of the University of Oregon without bringing up its most famous alum, Nike founder Phil Knight.  Sitting in the stands with patriotic music blaring,  he said he couldn't  be happier with the trials.

Phil Knight: "I expected a lot, I expected it to be terrific, but it's been even better than I expected.  It's been more people here, the field is in just fabulous shape.  I think everybody, the 3,000 volunteers that brought this to life have got to be extremely proud."

The Hayward crowd was in full throat once again on the Fourth of July as the bell rang  for the 25th and final lap in the men's 10,000 meters.

That roar was reserved for another Oregon star, Galen Rupp.

Nike stalwart Alberto Salazar has coached Rupp for eight years.  Salazar had three athletes qualify for Beijing, but he said Rupp is special.

Alberto Salazar: "You know I've got Kara Goucher on the team in two events, I've got Amy Begley.  You know but I'll be honest.  There is nobody that I coach that works as hard and as diligently as Galen Rupp."

But hard work alone doesn't make you an Olympian.  Big posters and T-shirts around Eugene proclaimed "Team USA: the hardest team to make."

Former UO star and five time NCAA champion Tommy Skipper can attest to that.  The Sandy native was anointed years ago as a future Olympian, possibly a medalist in the pole vault.  But he failed to clear a bar in the qualifying round. 

Tommy Skipper: "I'm going to come back just as strong next year and the year after until I make the (expletive) Olympic team.  And I will do anything that I possibly can, and I thought I was doing that.  I will not make any changes, I will continue fighting until I make the Olympic team, and that's just it."

The Oregonian will get another chance to redeem himself on his former home track.  Hayward Field plays host to the Olympic Trials again in 2012.