In what has been called one of the most dramatic races in U.S. Olympic Trials history, Christian Smith qualified for his first Olympic Games with a third-place finish in the men’s 800 meters in front of his home crowd at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. A native of Garfield, Kan., Smith dove across the finish line just ahead of 2004 Olympian Khadevis Robinson in grabbing the final men’s 800m roster spot for the Beijing Olympics in posting a time of 1:45:47. "Usually people tend to move out to protect their outside lane, so I knew I might be able to come through the inside. The whole race I ran from the inside. I saw Khadevis and I knew he was the guy I had to get. I just took the lean and dove. I don't think a lean would be enough." Smith’s performance at the Trials bettered the Olympic “A” qualifying standard of 1:46.00, which he needed to accomplish, along with finishing in the top three of the final, to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team. Smith’s stellar accomplishment followed a burst appendix in 2007, and a series of injuries during his 2008 indoor campaign. At Kansas State, Smith was the NCAA champion in the men's mile at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, and was also a 1,500m All-American in 2006, a four-time Indoor All-American (in 2003, 2004, 2005, & 2006), collegiate record holder in the indoor 1000m, and he also set the indoor 1000m, outdoor 800m and 1500m school records while at Kansas State.
Event: 800m
Height: 6-2
Weight: 170
PR: 1:44.86 (2006)
Born: 10/31/1983
Current Residence: Eugene, Ore.
Hometown:
High School: Pawnee Heights (Kans.) HS ‘02
College: Kansas State ‘06
Coach: Frank Gagliano/Mike Smith
Agent: Dan Lilot
