If USD is going to brand itself extraordinary, they better be able to back it up.
That's where Derek Miles comes in.
The current USD track and field coach kept USD true to its word when he became the school's only two-time Olympian this past summer.
Four years ago, Miles got his first shot at the Olympics. He took in the experience and let the whole situation soak in during his time at the Athens games. He finished seventh in the pole vault competition.
To many people, the seventh-best pole vaulter in the world is nothing to be disappointed about, but Miles knew he could do better. But he didn't know if he would get another chance to prove it at the Olympics.
Miles was right. He wasn't jumping like he was when he made the Olympics in 2004, he was jumping better. He was jumping so well, he jumped a 19 feet three inches at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
The height was the best at the Olympic Trials and earned Miles a spot in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He already had his Olympic experience, so this Olympics would be his time to get a medal.
"This time around it was more what do I need to do today to jump as high as I can and win a medal, as opposed to what can I do today to take in the whole Olympic village," Miles said. "Every day I did want I wanted to in order to maximize my potential to win a medal."
But there was one obstacle which was completely unplanned. A few days before Miles would compete in the preliminary round in the pole vault, he suffered from a bout of food poisoning. He was unable to eat much or train for the next couple of days, which drained his energy level at the worst possible time.
Miles' coach Lucky Huber did as much as he could to help Miles recover and went to a pharmacist in Vermillion, who then communicated with Miles' doctor in Beijing, in order to get him the right medicine. He got on the right medicine and took ice baths in order to try and get better.
Huber said Miles just had to fight through it.
"We've all been sick and it just wasn't the best time for it," Huber said. "You get through a little bit and as soon as you can, you get hydrated, eat and get your energy level up."
Miles said there was a large number of athletes who had issues with the food in Beijing. He said part of the problem was traveling to an area of the world many aren't familiar
Listen to the full interviewTo listen to Justin Rust's full interview with Olympian Derek Miles, click here. |
"You go to a culture that has some different processing than you are used to then that's just the way it goes," Miles said. "You try and stay away from the things that are an issue, but in the long run you really just don't know what they are. It's tough and its just the price of travel."
Miles and close friend and fellow U.S. pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig said they drank some milk which made both men sick. Hartwig had a small amount with his coffee and Miles used it with his cereal, and both athletes got sick later in the day.
Miles started to recover in time for the preliminary rounds. His strategy for the prelim round was to keep his body hydrated again and not to take too many jumps in that round so he would be rested for the finals.
The strategy would work as Miles made the finals with a height of 18 feet 6 inches. He was the only American to make it to the pole vault finals.
In the finals, things got interesting. Miles made the height of 18 feet 7 inches on his second attempt. Huber asked Miles how he was doing and he said he was running out of gas, so Huber said to pass 18 feet 9 inches and jump at 19 feet because it would medal for sure.
"We made a very calculated decision on him being fatigued and he usually isn't someone who gets fatigued," Huber said.
He was right. 19 feet did medal, but it wasn't Miles. He wasn't able to clear the height and was eliminated from the finals. Deny Yurchenko of Ukraine won the bronze medal because he cleared 18fee 7 inches on his first attempt, barely edging Miles.
Miles said even after looking back at the situation, he would make the same decision to skip 18 feet 9 inches and jump at 19 feet.
"At the Olympics, people jump well and you just have to assume a higher height is going to medal," Miles said. "I'd been jumping 19 feet regularly at past competitions, and at the Grand Prix Finals in Germany a week later I did the exact same progression and won the meet."
Miles said he just didn't have a good vaulting day.
"It was tough because I had one of my worst pole vaulting days during the Olympics," Miles said. "It's disappointing because I proved I could jump that height in later competitions and showed I could've won a medal at the Olympics."
Huber said he is still very proud of Miles.
"He had a tremendous effort and handling himself very well when he lost," Huber said. "There are a few of us who would be in the corner feeling sorry for ourselves, but he's up and fired up and enjoying life and that is typical Derek."
Huber has been Miles' coach since he was a Coyote. Huber went to Athens in 2004 and made the trip to Beijing this summer.
Even though Huber doesn't put himself up there with the world's best coaches, Miles said he wouldn't be were he is at today without Huber's help.
Miles said he won't commit to the 2012 Olympics in London yet and is just going to take it one year at a time right now.
"You never say never, but I am not committing mentally or physically to it," Miles said. "I will go hard again this upcoming year and if things go well, then I will commit to another year. As long as I can compete well, I will stay in this sport that I love."
Reach reporter Justin Rust at Justin.Rust@usd.edu.
Be the first to comment on this article!