Aug. 22, 2004

COLUMBIA, Mo. - On Wednesday, Tiger Track & Field Volunteer Coach Derrick Peterson will start competition in the 800-meter run at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Peterson qualified for the Olympics by placing third at July's USATF Olympic Trials in Sacramento, running his personal-best time of 1:45.08. The Jonesboro, Ga., native was an eight-time Big 12 Champion and the 1999 NCAA Indoor Champion in the 800-meters for the Tigers. Peterson claimed that the theme of this season was "redemption". In 2000, Peterson was favored to win at the USATF Olympic Trials and at least easily advance to the Olympic Games. However, that plan did not pan out like expected. Peterson placed fifth in his semifinal heat, getting edged out by the final advancer in the round by one-hundredth of a second. "After not making the team in 2000, the next four years have definitely been, in a sense, a labor of love leading up to 2004," Peterson said in an interview before the Olympic Trials. "It's been something I've been excited about since the day after I stepped off the track four years ago." At this year's Olympic Trials, Peterson made sure to get the job done, but, just in Derrick Peterson fashion, he made it exciting. In the first of three rounds, Peterson won his heat by a half-second in a time of 1:47.83, coming back from sixth in the final 100 meters to do so, advancing to the semifinal. Peterson jumped off the starting line in the semifinal in the lead for the first 300 meters but dropped back to fourth before taking second in the heat in a time of 1:47.87, securing a spot in his first Olympic Trial final. In the finals, Peterson was in third place in the first half-lap, traveling to fifth by the end of the first 400 meters. In the final 120 meters, Peterson was back in sixth place. Once again, Peterson used a big kick to excel him past Jesse O'Connell and 2004 World Indoor Champion, David Krummenacker to reach the third place spot and kept closing in on the top two, Nike's Khadevis Robinson and the winner, Texas Tech's Jonathan Johnson. While a Tiger, Peterson won all eight possible Big 12 titles in the 800-meters. Sweeping every indoor and outdoor championship from 1997 to 2000. In 1999, Peterson set a new collegiate record in the indoor 800 meters when winning the NCAA Indoor crown. Peterson completed his collegiate career as a six-time All-American. Peterson will run in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday evening. On Thursday will be the semifinal, if he advances from the round before. The ultimate goal however is to be in medal contention by making Saturday's finals. NBC will air tape-delayed coverage of the 800-meters on a tape-delay basis throughout the week. For more coverage, visit mutigers.com, and don't forget about Tiger sophomore Hans Uldal, who starts in the Olympic decathlon on Monday.