U.S. trials ready to resume

EUGENE, Ore. - Sanya Richards had extensive plans over the two-day break at the U.S. track trials - watch movies at the hotel, get plenty of massages and possibly take a brisk walk.

She had no time for sightseeing, fancy dinners or a night on the town.

After all, the 400-meter star still has work to do to secure her trip to Beijing. So do other big-name athletes like Allyson Felix and Jeremy Wariner, as the second half of the trials starts up today. There are up to 72 Olympic spots up for grabs over the final four days.

Tyson Gay (100 meters) and Bernard Lagat (5,000) are already in, but Felix has some work to do. She's one of the U.S. team's stars, but failed to qualify in the 100.

"I'm definitely disappointed," she said of her fifth-place finish.

She still has her best event, the 200, where she's a two-time world champion and won a silver medal in Athens in 2004.

"I can't get too down," Felix said.

The 200 quarterfinals are Saturday and the finals are Sunday.

Meanwhile, Wariner ran the fastest time in the prelims of the 400 and will battle with LaShawn Merritt for supremacy tonight. They'll be running side-by-side in the finals.

"No matter what lane you're in, if you run your race you'll be all right," Merritt said.

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius slowed on the final straight in his first able-bodied race in nearly a year, finishing fourth and well outside the Olympic qualifying time during a meet in Milan, Italy.

The South African finished in 47.78 seconds at a 400-meter race Wednesday at the Milan Notturna meet. He needs a 45.55 to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Pistorius' lifetime best is 46.36. He resumed training six weeks ago when sports' highest court ruled he was eligible to run in Beijing.