Aug. 27, 2004

Bailey and Trammell Olympic Gallery

ATHENS, Greece – With USC looking for a record number of medals at the Athens Olympic Games on Saturday as Shannon Johnson plays in the gold medal game for the USA basketball team and Otis Harris runs a leg of the USA’s 4x400m relay in the finals – USC got a nice push toward that goal on Friday night when Aleen Bailey won a gold medal with Jamaica’s 4x100m relay and USC graduate Terrence Trammell won his second straight silver Olympic medal in the 110m hurdles. The two medals are the fourth and fifth medals for USC-affiliated athletes at these games (two gold, two silver, one bronze). “it’s a bittersweet night tonight,” said USC Head Coach Curtis Frye, who is also working as an assistant coach with the USA women’s team. He is talking about the USA women’s 4x100m relay that had problems with their second exchange and did not finish the race. “It is great for Aleen to win a gold medal for her country, but bittersweet doesn’t capture the way I feel right now because of the USA 4x100m relay. The joy I have for Aleen and Terrence tonight is matched by the pain I have for the USA relay. “Aleen ran a great leg for Jamaica and they set their country’s record,” continued Frye. “Terrence ran awesome. WE are very proud of him. He is always a champion on championship day and today he didn’t let anyone down again. Tomorrow night Otis Harris will run a leg of the USA’s 4x400m relay. All three USA relay’s must learn a lesson from tonight – no one is safe until the stick goes around each time and they cross the finish line. I wish them all the luck in the world. It’s gonna be an exciting finale.” Harris and gold medalist Jeremy Warnier will run as two fresh legs of the USA’s 4x400m relay on Saturday night after the USA advanced to the finals on Friday night with the fastest time, clocking a 2:59.30. Bailey, who won three NCAA titles at USC, ran the third leg of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay that won the gold medal, setting a national record at 41.73. “What an honor to run for my country and set a national record. I am just so thrilled right now for Jamaica,” said Bailey, who is set to graduate from USC in Dec. of 2004. Trammell ran second to Xiang Liu who tied the world record with China at 12.91. Trammell ran a 13.18 to finish second. Absent from the race, after his crash in the second round was four-time world champion and USC volunteer coach Allen Johnson who was forced to watch the race from the sidelines. “The race didn’t go quite as planned, but that’s hurdles. As far as my race went I did the best I could do and that was silver,” said Trammell, who trained under Frye until the Fall of 2003 when he moved home to Atlanta. “I’m not disappointed. There’s only two other people in the world who have a medal (from this race).” “I felt pretty good through the first part of the race,” added Trammell. “At number six my back leg dragged a little bit and I spent the rest of the race trying to get back up.”