USATF Indoor Championships 2014Feb 24, 2014 by Christopher Chavez
Gabriele Grunewald Reinstated as 3K Champ
Gabriele Grunewald Reinstated as 3K Champ
Gabriele Grunewald has been reinstated as the 2014 United States women's 3,000-meter champion on Monday afternoon and will head to Sopot, Poland for the IAAF World Championships. Shannon Rowbury will be the second member on the United States squad after her runner-up finish. The announcement was made in a press release by USATF.
The decision was made after conversations took place between USATF CEO Max Siegel and the parties representing Grunewald and fourth place finisher Jordan Hasay.
Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar initially filed the protest for Hasay that led to multiple appeals and the eventual disqualification of Grunewald. Hasay was the next option to replace Grunewald on the national team, since third place finisher Sara Vaughn did not have the qualifying standard to head to Poland.
Salazar noted Hasay made the decision to drop the protest.
"My intention was what every coach wants - to advocate for my athlete,” Salazar said in the USATF release. “It was a physical race and when I saw the contact and the flag go up, I filed a protest. I appreciate Max’s involvement and wish nothing but the best for Gabe and Shannon in Sopot.”
Hasay issued the following statement on her website.
"As with all of the competitors who lined up on Saturday, I desperately wanted to make the team to represent the United States at the upcoming World Indoor Track and Field Championships. Since Saturday evening my emotions have ranged from despair to determination to go to Poland and represent my country as best I can. After much thought and consideration, however, I have decided to withdraw my protest as I do not want to make a national team under these circumstances. I wish all members of the USA team going to Poland my best and look forward to continuing to train hard and competing to represent the USA in future World Championship and Olympic Games."
The first round of the women's 3,000-meter run is scheduled for the first day of competition on March 7 at 11:25 a.m. local time. Grunewald has the 20th fastest time in the world from her 8:53 performance at the 2014 NYRR Millrose Games.
UPDATE: 7:40 p.m. CT - Grunewald released the following statement through Doyle Management Group's website:
"First of all, let me say how humbled I am by the support I have received from administrators in the sport, the media, and especially my fellow athletes. This has been a very emotional 48 hours and without your support, I don’t know how I would have made it through. I want to thank Jordan for having the class and integrity to make what I know had to be a very difficult decision. This was never an issue between myself and Jordan, it was more an issue with the process and the steps that were taken to get to where we did. I have the utmost respect for Jordan and will always regard her as a class act and a fierce and talented competitor. My team behind me have been so instrumental in getting this issue resolved, my management team and my coach never once strayed from taking the hard line and fully supporting me and I am forever grateful. Max Siegel deserves a lot of credit in this situation for stepping in and facilitating the process which led to what we all believed was the correct decision. He has expressed to me that USATF will be looking at its processes to make sure things like this don’t happen in the future. I have a restored faith in the future of the sport and that is in no small part due to Max’s actions. Lastly, I am relieved that I can now turn my focus to the task that lies ahead in Sopot. For the first time I get to represent the United States at a major championship and I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity."
Related Articles on Grunewald's DQ Controversy
The decision was made after conversations took place between USATF CEO Max Siegel and the parties representing Grunewald and fourth place finisher Jordan Hasay.
Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar initially filed the protest for Hasay that led to multiple appeals and the eventual disqualification of Grunewald. Hasay was the next option to replace Grunewald on the national team, since third place finisher Sara Vaughn did not have the qualifying standard to head to Poland.
Salazar noted Hasay made the decision to drop the protest.
"My intention was what every coach wants - to advocate for my athlete,” Salazar said in the USATF release. “It was a physical race and when I saw the contact and the flag go up, I filed a protest. I appreciate Max’s involvement and wish nothing but the best for Gabe and Shannon in Sopot.”
Hasay issued the following statement on her website.
"As with all of the competitors who lined up on Saturday, I desperately wanted to make the team to represent the United States at the upcoming World Indoor Track and Field Championships. Since Saturday evening my emotions have ranged from despair to determination to go to Poland and represent my country as best I can. After much thought and consideration, however, I have decided to withdraw my protest as I do not want to make a national team under these circumstances. I wish all members of the USA team going to Poland my best and look forward to continuing to train hard and competing to represent the USA in future World Championship and Olympic Games."
The first round of the women's 3,000-meter run is scheduled for the first day of competition on March 7 at 11:25 a.m. local time. Grunewald has the 20th fastest time in the world from her 8:53 performance at the 2014 NYRR Millrose Games.
UPDATE: 7:40 p.m. CT - Grunewald released the following statement through Doyle Management Group's website:
"First of all, let me say how humbled I am by the support I have received from administrators in the sport, the media, and especially my fellow athletes. This has been a very emotional 48 hours and without your support, I don’t know how I would have made it through. I want to thank Jordan for having the class and integrity to make what I know had to be a very difficult decision. This was never an issue between myself and Jordan, it was more an issue with the process and the steps that were taken to get to where we did. I have the utmost respect for Jordan and will always regard her as a class act and a fierce and talented competitor. My team behind me have been so instrumental in getting this issue resolved, my management team and my coach never once strayed from taking the hard line and fully supporting me and I am forever grateful. Max Siegel deserves a lot of credit in this situation for stepping in and facilitating the process which led to what we all believed was the correct decision. He has expressed to me that USATF will be looking at its processes to make sure things like this don’t happen in the future. I have a restored faith in the future of the sport and that is in no small part due to Max’s actions. Lastly, I am relieved that I can now turn my focus to the task that lies ahead in Sopot. For the first time I get to represent the United States at a major championship and I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity."
Related Articles on Grunewald's DQ Controversy
Report: Grunewald DQ'ed Post-Appeals
Will Leer calls Grunewald DQ a "disgrace"
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