RIO DE JANEIRO — One of the lasting images from last month’s U.S. track and field team trials is of bitter disappointment: Brenda Martinez, a half lap from qualifying for her first Olympic Games in the 800 meters, tangling up with a teammate and stumbling, eventually falling out of contention.
It was a moment Martinez has carried with her since as motivation — and it’s working.
Three days after the 800-meter setback, Martinez began her push for the 1,500 meters and encountered a similar obstacle. She sat in sixth place in the final with one lap to go, only to edge ahead of teammate Amanda Eccleston at the finish line, eventually earning a third-place finish and a spot in the Rio Games by just three-tenths of a second.