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|  Olympic Games 2004: Broe: From Broken Foot to Front of World's Best Scott Sullivan November 2004 Michigan Runner
Both - briefly - saw Broe's back. El Guerrouj (13:14.39) went on to outkick Bekele (13:14.59) for the
victory. Broe, still tired from his 13:20.29 qualifying effort three days
earlier, faded to 11th, crossing in 13:33.06. "I got my face on TV for a couple minutes, anyway," Broe laughed
afterward. "Trouble was, I'd given it everything I had in the semifinals. "We went out slow in the finals," he added. "I knew I didn't have strength
to stay with the top guys when they got moving. "I hung in there, though. I can walk away with my head held high, I
think." Broe's Athens effort was no small feat for an athlete forced by a broken
foot bone into a nine-month training layoff, resuming only in early April. By July 16, Broe - the defending U.S. 5,000-meter champion and 3,000-
meter indoor record holder - was fit enough to capture the U.S. 5,000
Trials in Sacramento with a 13:27.36. But the Peoria, Ill., native - who
missed qualifying for the 2000 Games in Sydney by .09 seconds in the
steeplechase - wanted more. Or, since we are talking about times, less. Broe went to Europe seeking a 13:21.5 A qualifying standard. Previous
efforts efforts in Palo Alto and Rome had rendered 13:35 times.. He had
set his career best, 13:24.13, in 2001. On July 30 at London's Crystal Palace, Broe delivered a personal-
record 13:18.61. "Muscle memory helped," said Broe, who has trained
since 2001 under University of Michigan coach Ron Warhurst. "I have
always had speed. What I'm trying to build now is strength. "It's a feat for
a 13:18 guy to make the Olympic finals, while there were 13:05 guys
watching. Still, my goal a few years ago was to finish among the top six
at the Olympics. "I'd like to go back in 2008 - ideally stronger from a full year of healthy
training - and see what I'm able to do," he said. MR
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