Who is Kara Goucher?

Last Sunday (July 6, 2008), Portland's Kara Goucher has decided to run in both the 5k and the 10k at the Beijing Olympics this year. Goucher's coach, Alberto Salazar (American running legend), confirmed her decision on Sunday afternoon. Goucher won the 5k on Friday night and was second in the 10k a week earlier.

Born as Kara Grgas-Wheeler on 9 July 1978 in Queens, NY) is an American middle and long-distance runner. She grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and finished studies from the University of Colorado in 2001. Married to fellow American runner Adam Goucher, they later moved to Portland, Oregon.

Goucher battled injuries for several years after finishing college, but then came back strong in 2006. After finishing 2nd in the 5k at the USATF Outdoor Championships in 2006, she set PRs at all distances on the international circuit, running the World “A” Standard in the 1500 m, 5k, and 10k. She finished third in 3000 metres at the 2006 IAAF World Cup in a new personal best time of 8 minutes 41.42 seconds. Her 3k time led the nation and her 10k time ranks her as the 2nd fastest American woman of all-time. At the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan she won the bronze medal in the women's 10k event.
In September 2007, she won the Great North Run in 1:06:57, the fastest woman's half-marathon time of the year. She set a new American best time at the distance and beat marathon world record-holder. The half-marathon was Goucher's first competitive race longer than 10k.
Goucher opened 2008 with a win in the prestigious Millrose Games mile with a PR of 4:36:03. At the 2008 Prefontaine Classic track meet in Eugene, Oregon, USA, Goucher ran the 5k, the same race as the World Record attempt by Meseret Defar. Goucher ran well to place 3rd behind Defar and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in her second fastest ever time of 14m58.10s. Defar failed in her record-breaking attempt but won the race in 14m38.73s.
Goucher is also a member of the Nike Oregon Project. A project designed to level up the standards in American Distance running. There she trains with fellow athletes Galen Rupp, her husband Adam Goucher, Josh Rohatinsky and Amy Yoder-Begley.
Goucher raced in the USATF Championships and Olympic Trials on June 27th 2008, in the 5k and the 10k. The championships were held at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon. Goucher already had the Olympic A Standard, but achieved it again, recording 31:37.72 at 10k, finishing second behind American record-holder Shalane Flanagan's 31:34.81. In the 5k, Goucher won her semifinal heat with a time of 15:32.32, and won the final race with a time of 15:01.02. These excellent results qualified Goucher for this year's Olympics, in Bejing.
Hayward Field hosted the US Track and Field Olympic Trials in 1972, 1976, and 1980, making it the only site to host three consecutive trials. It again hosted the Trials in 2008 for the Bejing Olympics this year. On December 12, 2007, it was announced that Hayward Field would also host the 2012 Track and Field Olympic Trials for the London Olympics.