EUGENE, Ore. -- Sixteen years ago, when Jeff Hartwig did this for the first time, he was a wide-eyed young man happy merely to be in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
Now, in his fifth appearance at this meet, the pole vaulter from St. Louis felt remarkably similar sensations as the 2008 trials began Friday night.
"Four years ago, I could never have imagined I would be competing here," Hartwig said. "So it is a little reminiscent of the way it was back in 1992, but I felt a lot more anxiety back then."
Who would figure on still being an active vaulter at 40, as Hartwig is?
And who would figure that, at 40, he already has done better than he had in the last two Olympic trials, which he entered as the U.S. record-holder but failed to clear a height in the qualifying round either time.
"It was a big relief to clear a height on my opening jump," Hartwig said.
That one jump, at 18 feet, one-half inch, was all Hartwig needed to move into Sunday's final.
Hartwig said he tried not to let his 2000 and 2004 flops be a negative in Friday's qualifying.
"I looked at it as those were just two more experiences to draw on," Hartwig said.
Hartwig has competed in only one Olympics, finishing 11th in 1996.
"I don't think it is as remarkable that I am doing this at 40 as it is that I am competing in my fifth Olympic trials," he said.
"I'm in a unique situation because I have been able to compete full time all those years because I wasn't injured."
Until this year, Hartwig had the three highest jumps in U.S. history, topped by a mark of 19-9 1/4 from 2000.
In early June, current world champion Brad Walker broke that record with a vault of 19-9 3/4 .
Walker also made the final Friday.
USA Track and Field's new qualifying system created races within the race in the opening day's only final, the women's 10,000.
The four women who already had met the Olympic 'A' standard qualifying time, 31 minutes 45 seconds, had an advantage over everyone else.
A runner without the standard who finished in the top three would not make the team -- unless she did it in the trials.
There was a stirring race for first, in which U.S. record-holder Shalane Flanagan (31:34.81) out-kicked world bronze medalist Kara Goucher (31:37.72), both of whom already had the 'A' standard.
And there was an equally stirring run for third by Amy Begley of Kendallville, Ind., who had not previously run fast enough until Friday.
