Moments after Bernard Lagat qualified to become the oldest U.S. Olympic runner of all time (sorry, Meb Keflezighi), he writhed on the Hayward Field track he has laid spikes on for nearly two decades.
His hands moved from atop his bald head in astonishment to outstretched, splattered on the track and finally to his mouth. His eyelids winced closed, Lagat kissed the sky and woke. The first thing he saw when he opened those eyes was a TV camera.
Lagat stuck out his tongue. Then he yelled in puffs, between hard breaths.