Day 5: Duck Day

Berlin, Germany: Another fabulous day of track & field. Just a gorgeous day in Berlin too. We were up early and over to the track before 10a to watch University of Oregon decathlete, Ashton Eaton, compete. We stayed to watch Ashton compete in the 100m and long jump.

Daily Panorama


Ashton Eaton (Lane 2) prepares to run the 100m

   
Aston Eaton


Aston Eaton finishes second behind Trey Hardee

After the long jump, we took the subway back to the hotel. Dave had a run, I had a rest and we went to lunch/dinner before returning to the stadium.

There is a giraffe made of Legos at the LegoLand
in the Sony Center Berlin


In some sort of sick homage to Ashton Eaton, DT ordered the roast Duck for his lunch


You may be surprised to learn I ordered wiener schnitzel


Olympic Stadium Berlin


Olympic Stadium in Berlin

It was another great night of track & field. While we were at lunch, Ashton competed in the shot put - his worst event. We arrived back to the stadium to watch the high jump. Ashton cleared 2.08 meters!

Other exciting events occurred on the track tonight - men's 400m semi-finals, women's 100 hurdle final, men's 1500m final, women's 800m final, men's 1500m final and men's discus final.

Jeremy Wariner: you know he qualified for the 400m final
and you know he was looking for me in the crowd


LaShawn Merritt: you know he also qualified for the 400m final. It will be smokin'.


Bernard Lagat is congratulated by his son, Mica, after earning the bronze medal in the 1500m

German Robert Harding threw his best-ever discus throw on his final attempt to win the gold medal. The stadium simply erupted! It was a very wonderful moment. The very energetic Mr. Harding was jumping around like a happy little boy.

A very happy Harding meets the press after securing the gold for Germany

The final event was the decathlon 400m. Ashton Eaton ran in the second heat and had a very fast time. At the end of five events, Eaton is in 5th place of 38 contestants! Amazing - he will only be a senior in college! There are five more events tomorrow - hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m - and Ashton really only sucks at the discus. Should be a very exciting day tomorrow.

Ashton Eaton preparing to race the 400m in Berlin


Olympic Stadium this evening

And since it will be a very long day again, I am going to close and get some sleep! Until my next update from the track, I remain your GO DUCK correspondent.