The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorns win gold at World Indoor Championships
03.20.2016 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Carter, Okolo, Spencer post wins for Team USA
IAAF World Indoor Championships Homepage | Medal Count
PORTLAND, Oregon – Team USA put together the most dominant performance in history at the IAAF World Indoor Championships with a total of 23 medals, 13 of them gold. Texas Track & Field contributed in a big way to that impressive showing with two gold performances and one silver.
Current Longhorn Courtney Okolo received a special invitation from USA Track & Field to run on the women's 4x400 meter relay. She ran the third leg and handed the baton to former teammate Ashley Spencer for the anchor and they helped Team USA win gold with a time of 3:26.38.
The 4x400 victory was one of the most lop-sided in the entire meet as Poland finished second and crossed in 3:31.15. Jamaica, expected to be USA's top competition, saw its opening leg fall and current Longhorn Chrisann Gordon was unable to run the second leg as slated for her native country.
Texas got another gold medal on Saturday night from alum and thrower Michelle Carter. She set a new American record with a throw of 20.21 meters (66-3.75) on her final attempt. The win marked her first world championship title indoors or out as she builds momentum into the outdoor season and looking for success at the Olympic Games in Rio this summer.
Carter needed that American record throw to win as well.
She led after three throws with a mark of 19.31 meters. During the sixth and final round, Hungary's Anita Marton surpassed Carter with a throw measuring at 19.33 meters, setting a new Hungarian national record. Carter then had to watch Olympic champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand take her final attempt, coming up short. Then Carter, heaved the shot out to her new American record to come from behind on the final throw of the competition.
"Today meant a lot to me. I've been working really, really hard and struggling with some things over the years. I was able to put together some pieces today that let me know that my hard work was paying off. I'll just continue to keep working hard and get ready to make the team in July," Carter said on a post-meet press conference.
Spencer also competed for Team USA in the 400 meters and came away with silver. She finished second on Saturday night in the final, crossing the finish line in 51.72 seconds. It marks her first individual medal at a world championship meet.
A handful of other former Longhorns represented their native countries in Portland as well.
Petter Olson was in action for Sweden in the heptathlon. He scored a total of 5,697 points over the seven events and two days of competition to finish in 10th place.
Former high jumper Jamal Wilson made the team for The Bahamas and also has cleared the Olympic Standard outdoors to be eligible for Rio as well. He finished 11th in the men's high jump on Friday night at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. Wilson cleared the opening height of 2.20 meters (7-2.50) on his first attempt but struggled to get over the next bar.
The dominance of Team USA was one of the ages. The men's and women's teams combined to win 23 medals, surpassing the previous record of 19 also held by Team USA. The 13 gold medals also were a record. Team USA's medal count was almost even more dominant with Americans finishing fourth in eight events. The next closest country in the medal count was Ethiopia with five. Ethiopia also was the only other nation to win multiple gold medals, grabbing two.
Players Mentioned
