YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Fourth-Place Medal

    Why Alysia Montano wears a flower in her hair during every race

    By Jeff Eisenberg | Fourth-Place Medal – Wed, Aug 8, 2012

    Alysia Montano won her 800 meters heat Wednesday in the fastest time of the day (AP)

    Even though she grew up playing football, shooting hoops and running races against all the boys in her neighborhood, U.S. 800-meter champion Alysia Montano never wanted to be thought of as one of them.

    As a result, she started wearing a flower behind her right ear to remind the boys they were getting beat by a girl.

    The flower remains Montano's trademark even though her opponents are now world-class female middle-distance runners. The Southern California native donned a red flower to match her red Team USA jersey Wednesday in London when she breezed to a victory in her heat during the first round of qualifying in the women's 800 meters.

    "The flower to me means strength with femininity," Montano said in June after winning the 800 at the U.S. Olympic trials. "I think that a lot of people say things like you run like a girl. That doesn't mean you have to run soft or you have to run dainty. It means that you're strong."

    [ Video: Fastest field ever ready for women's 200m final ]

    The greatest test of Montano's strength came four years ago when an ill-timed foot injury at the U.S. Olympic trials cost her an opportunity to go to Beijing. She entered the trials as the favorite in the 800 meters but faded to ninth in her quarterfinal and left the track at Hayward Field in a wheelchair as a result of the injury.

    Montano has blossomed since that setback, capturing three straight U.S. championships in the 800 meters in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and finishing fourth at the world championships last year. Those results make her perhaps the U.S.'s most realistic medal contender in the 800 since Kim Gallagher won silver and bronze in 1984 and '88.

    At the U.S. trials in Eugene in June, Montano handed out flowers to fans in the stands after she won her race. Expect Montano to be similarly generous in London if her flower power propels her onto the medal podium.
    Related Olympics coverage on Yahoo! Sports:

    More Olympics coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
    • Video: Gymnastics' biggest winners and losers in 2012
    • How U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach influenced controversial call
    • Photos: Inspirational Olympic celebrations

    Loading...

    News for You »

    • Falling toilet seats: Rare but growing risk for boys

      By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Ouch: Boys know that toilet seats are an occupational hazard of potty training, but a new study suggests the number of genital injuries caused by falling toilet toppers is growing. Researchers found the number of emergency room visits for toilet-related injuries to the penis, while still rare, increased by about 100 visits each year between 2002 and 2010. Usually, the injuries happen when boys are learning how to urinate into the toilet while standing up and the seat falls unexpectedly - although a few adults did get snagged by the seat, too. ...

    • Greg Louganis To Tie The Knot This Fall

      Olympian Greg Louganis is engaged.

    • Pilot showcases stunning photos taken from plane’s cockpit

      Dubai-based pilot Karim Nafatni has posted several pictures that provide a stunning view from inside a commercial cockpit at 37,000 feet. Nafatni told the website PetaPixel that he began bringing his Nikon D300s aboard flights when he worked as first officer to capture images from inside his own unique version of an “office.” Nafatni's website [...]

    • FBI: Passenger claims he poisoned NJ-bound flight

      NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — FBI agents are going to meet an incoming flight at a New Jersey airport after reports that a passenger claimed he'd poisoned everybody on board.

    • Bear mauls Alaska man who gave it barbecue meat

      ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A black bear mauled a man at a campground in Alaska, but the animal won't likely threaten other people, the state Department of Fish and Game said.

    • Motorcyclist charged with driving 150 mph in NH

      NEW HAMPTON, N.H. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist has been charged with topping speeds of 150 mph on a New Hampshire interstate highway.

    • McDonald's Worker Says She Was Required to Receive Pay on Fee-Laden Debit Card

      Pa. McDonald's Worker Files Class Action Suit for Receiving Wages Through Debit Cards

    • Airborne laser reveals city under Cambodian earth

      SYDNEY (AP) — Airborne laser technology has uncovered a network of roadways and canals, illustrating a bustling ancient city linking Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temples complex.

    Show More
    Loading...

    Follow Yahoo! News