Oregon Public Broadcasting

Fourth place is usually the cruelest spot to finish at the Olympic Trials. Only the top three get a ticket to Beijing in track and field.

But fourth was good enough for one Eugene woman Monday night.

That’s because the third place finisher hasn’t ever run the super-fast qualifying time needed for Beijing.

Nicole Teter has, so she made the U-S team in the women’s 800 meters.Nicole Teter: “Here, I’ve had a lot of hurdles to jump to get here.  Falling – not thinking I was even in the finals – to getting fourth and making the team by default because she (Kameisha Bennett) didn’t run the standard. You know what, it doesn’t matter how I got here.  I’m excited to be on the Olympic team.”

Teter’s achievement brings to eleven the number of track and field athletes with Northwest ties headed for Beijing. And the US Olympic Trials are only half over.