Nedeau was happy to compete

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Former Kennebunk High School star Erik Nedeau had one last chance at Olympic glory Friday in the semifinals of the 1,500 meter run at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.

The 32-year-old Nedeau, who competed in the 1992 and 1996 trials, was a late entrant to the 1,500 field. He had not achieved the automatic qualifying time before the trials, but received a telephone call Tuesday informing him that he would be included in the field.

Nedeau placed eighth in his semifinal in 3 minutes, 44.41 seconds. The top six runners from each heat advanced to Sunday’s final. Nedeau came through Thursday’s quarterfinal round after finishing seventh (3:42.90) in his heat.

Now the track and cross country coach at Amherst College in Massachusetts, Nedeau relished another chance to compete at the trials. He narrowly missed qualifying for the 2000 trials.

“It was nice to get in there, being the old guy,” he said.

Nedeau is known as a gritty competitor, and showed that familiar toughness Friday. But he regretted moving to the outside lane for the last 100 meters of the race, as it may have cost him the few fractions of a second he needed to advance.

“Maybe if I had stayed inside [I would have made it], I don’t know. But [moving outside] was kind of costly. I thought I had it,” Nedeau said.