Olympic hopefuls face stress of track and field trials

World-record holders and wannabes alike will face the same pressure-packed assignment at the upcoming U.S. Olympic track and field trials: perform or stay home.Only the top three finishers in each event at the trials will qualify for the Beijing Olympics -- regardless of how well or poorly they did in previous meets. This all-or-nothing approach differs from many nations, which pick their Olympic teams based on historic performance and medal potential."The Olympic trials are probably the most stressful competition any American athlete will participate in during their Olympic year, sometimes more stressful than the Olympics themselves," said Adam Nelson, a shot put competitor from Charlottesville, Va., who took silver at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games.Nelson will be among the 1,000 athletes competing at the trials, the largest national championship track meet in the world. The trials begin Saturday and run through July 6 at historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He said the depth of talent in the U.S. eliminates fairer ways of selecting team members."It's a stressful experience, but one where there is really no way around it," Nelson said.Pole vaulter Brad Walker, who set an American record of 19 feet, 9 3/4 inches at the Nike Prefontaine Classic earlier this month, needs to finish in the top three at trials to qualify for his first Olympics. He doesn't like the system, as it doesn't allow for sickness or other reasons for why an athlete might not perform at their best."When the rest of the world gets to peak for the Olympics and we have to peak for the Olympic trials, it puts the U.S. in a bit of a bad situation," Walker said. "I don't see an easy solution, but I don't think we always send the best team we can."Entering his fourth Olympic trials at age 33, Nelson said the pressure doesn't get any easier, particularly as the body ages. To extend an athletic career, Nelson said, it requires the maturity to take a break from training and lessen the chance of injury."The mind always thinks your body can do it, but your body really tells you the truth," he said.Shannon Rowbury, the fastest American 1,500-meter runner this year, will attempt to make her first Olympic team. She missed several months last year recovering from a stress fracture in her hip, but rebounded and is third-fastest woman in the world so far in 2008."I guess the hardest thing was finding that motivation, day in day out, when you don't have any races on the horizon," she said.Injuries, Nelson said, often lead to lack of motivation and lack of ability to perform, a potentially devastating combination for an athlete's finances.Most elite track and field athletes rely on sponsors as the main source of their revenue. But that sponsorship revenue dries up in a hurry for athletes who don't qualify for the Olympics, track's biggest stage. "It's a 'what have you done for me lately sort of business,'" said Jenn Stuczynski, a pole vaulter about to enter her first Olympic trials. Stuczynski is the American record holder, clearing 16 feet, 3/4 inch earlier this year. Nelson said he tries not to think about money too much; his performance suffers when he treats it like a profession instead of a passion. He said right now, he can't complain."I throw a steel ball for a living and get paid very well for it," he said.Nelson, Walker, Stuczynski and Rowbury all have legitimate shots at winning medals in Beijing -- but only if they make the U.S. team. Stuczynski said it is easy to become intimidated, when your worth as an athlete depends on whether she qualifies for the Olympics.She said her coach tries to keep her from thinking about that too much."He says, 'You go out there and jump and if you jump the way I showed you, you'll be fine,'" she said.(E-mail Daniel Collins at sintern(at)shns.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)