Overcoming hurdles on and off track

Decathlete Abdur-Rahim keeps faith, but '08 Olympics out of reach

EUGENE, Ore. - Exhausted and disappointed, Mustafa Abdur-Rahim barely managed to lean across the line in the 1,500 meters, finishing fourth in a personal-best 4 minutes 21.34 seconds in the final decathlon event at Hayward Field. But he did not have the triumphant finish at the US Olympic track and field trials he long imagined.

After two tough days of competition, the Brookline-raised Abdur-Rahim finished ninth overall (7,757 points) in the decathlon. Favorite Bryan Clay won with a personal-record score of 8,832 points. It was the best performance by an American in 16 years and broke Dan O'Brien's Olympic trials record (8,726 in 1996).

"It didn't happen, but I always try to end my day strong," said Abdur-Rahim. "Ultimately, I know there's so much left for me. So I'm disappointed with the way it all shook out. It'll happen soon. It just didn't happen when I wanted it to."

In many ways, the 25-year-old Abdur-Rahim is like most low-profile athletes at the trials. Without big sponsors, he competes at the elite level, hoping for a breakthrough at a major event that will make all the years of hard work and sacrifice worth it. But in one significant way, Abdur-Rahim was not like the other athletes running, jumping, and throwing in Eugene. He is a devout Muslim who trains through Ramadan fasting and sometimes prays trackside. His religion puts representing the US as an athlete into a bigger perspective.

"I love America when I think about the opportunities and freedoms I have here," said Abdur-Rahim. "It's the best country in the world. I just get upset by the different discrimination that takes place and the different stereotypes that get pinned on people like myself.

"Every time I travel internationally, no matter what, there's no question I get stopped at security coming into my country. It upsets at me at times because I think, 'Man, I just came from a track meet where I was donning the US gear. Now, I've got to get treated like I'm nobody and I just took off my uniform 24 hours ago.' This is an opportunity to shed a different light on it and put it out there for everyone to see."

Even if all had gone extraordinarily well during the two days of competition at the Olympic trials with personal bests in event after event, Abdur-Rahim had only an outside shot at making the team. He finished sixth at the 2004 Olympic trials with 7,844 points, and hoped to improve on that performance this year. Burned out, he took a year off before having a "rough time" at the 2007 US Outdoor Championships, finishing eighth.

"Track and field is a very self-revealing sport," said Abdur-Rahim. "You don't have anybody to hide behind except yourself. If you feel inadequate about yourself, then it will show in your performances. It's easy to get distracted because of that. You doubt yourself a lot, how committed you are or how good you actually are. No one intentionally goes down that route mentally. I had a lot of that to deal with last year. I still deal with. Everybody does. You can take advantage of that doubt a lot better when you get more experience with it. In some ways, that can make you more resilient. This year, I think I'm a lot more prepared for it. You have to be, especially in the decathlon. You have 10 tries to get it right or mess up. As a decathlete, you really have to manage your emotions, your highs and your lows."

There was plenty of introspection after Day 1 at Hayward Field did not go well. Abdur-Rahim "didn't feel right and never got going" in the first five events (100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters). Frustrated he could not give fans his best, he wondered how he would regroup for Day 2.

Knowing the final day of competition started with one of his better events - the 110-meter hurdles - Abdur-Rahim was optimistic about racking up points. But he finished eighth in the hurdles in 14.38 seconds after stumbling over the eighth hurdle. He was stronger in the discus, finishing third with a throw of 155 feet 10 inches. He then survived the pole vault, but came in 16th at 13-9 1/4. Abdur-Rahim must make decisions about his future as a decathlete. He still has the same passion for the sport that he discovered in Jamaica, when his family moved there for several years. He sustained that passion at Brookline High and Dartmouth, then found himself "burned out" after his college career. He took a year off and earned a master's degree in engineering management from Dartmouth.

But something was missing. He felt restless. Abdur-Rahim decided to recommit to the decathlon, move to Alamosa, Colo., to train at altitude, and focus on the trials.

"I'm in great shape still, and I might want to keep doing it and still represent my country as a Muslim-American," said Abdur-Rahim. "I can push it on, if I want. I definitely need to find a good financial situation, so that I can compete. We all know that there's not a huge amount of support in track and field, unless you're No. 1 or No. 2. I could see myself continuing, but I'll wait to make that decision until I reevaluate after this year."

Like many low-profile track and field athletes for whom making the trials is a significant accomplishment, Abdur-Rahim must figure out whether it's time for a new path or if it's too soon to leave the decathlon behind for good.

Bernard Lagat took home the men's 5,000-meter title with a time of 13:27.47. Matt Tegenkamp (13:29.68) finished second and Ian Dobson secured the final spot in 13:29.76. Adam Goucher stepped off the track and did not finish, a calculated move to conserve energy for the 10,000. Brookline's Jonathon Riley finished last (13th) in 13:57.58.

"You've got to do the smart thing," said Goucher. "When I came through, I realized I was 4 1/2 [or] 5 seconds down [from the time I needed] . . . The bottom line is it doesn't do me any good to crank out an effort, then not get the standard."

The Hayward Field crowd got what it wanted with a sweep by local runners in the men's 800 meters. Nicholas Symmonds (Oregon Track Club) won in 1:44.10. Oregon's Andrew Wheating, who came off the final turn in sixth place, was spurred on by the crowd at his home track and finished second in 1:45.03. Christian Smith (Oregon Track Club) wrapped up the final spot in 1:45.47.

The race was not without drama. Smith and fourth-place finisher Khadevis Robinson (1:45.53) dived for the finish line, vying for the last Olympic spot. After the race, Lopez Lomong (fifth in 1:45.58) claimed Robinson had held him back. Lomong then rushed off to file a protest.

Hazel Clark won the women's 800 meters in 1:59.82. Alice Schmidt was second in 2:00.46 and Kameisha Bennett third in 2:01.20. Because Bennett has the Olympic "A" qualifying standard, fourth-place finisher Nicole Teter was also placed on the Olympic team. Teter had entered the event as a favorite.

Shira Springer can be reached at springer@globe.com.