Oregon Public Broadcasting

He competed for his native Kenya at the past two Olympics. But Monday night in Eugene, Bernard Lagat competes for a spot on the U.S. Olympic squad bound for Beijing.  Correspondent Tom Banse explains the change in allegiances was nurtured in the Northwest.

Washington State University recruited Bernard Lagat for its track team.  He’s the youngest in a string of Cougar standouts from Kenya that go back to the 1970’s.

Lagat stayed in the U.S. after graduation and became a citizen. He also relocated to Tucson, Arizona.

Bernard Lagat: “I wanted to train all year round.  Because you know when I was in Pullman, really, it’s nice training in the summer.  But in the wintertime, I was having a hard time training to the level that I want. I was not really having the quality time to train because of snow, too cold.”

Around the time Lagat graduated in 2000, WSU decided to stop recruiting runners in Africa and focus on homegrown talent.

Olympic success keeps right on coming.  2007 Cougar grad Diana Pickler made the Olympic team over the weekend in the grueling 7-event heptathlon.

Online:

U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials 2008 – Eugene, OR