Tarmoh Declines Runoff With Felix, Opts Off Olympic Team

EUGENE, Ore. ‰ÛÒ Jeneba Tarmoh has
withdrawn herself from consideration for one of three Olympic Team
positions in the women‰Ûªs 100 meters.

In an email forwarded to USATF
President and Chairman Stephanie Hightower at 9:37 a.m. Pacific Time by
her agent, Kimberly Holland, Tarmoh said,‰ÛÏI Jeneba Tarmoh have decided
to decline my 3rd place position in the 100m dash to Allyson Felix. I
understand that with this decision I am no longer running the 100m dash
in the Olympic Games and will be an alternate for the event. As an
alternate I understand that I will be asked to run if another 100m
runner decides not to for personal reasons, and/or on the
4x100m relay.‰Û

At the U.S. Olympic Team Trails ‰ÛÒ
Track & Field, Tarmoh and Felix on June 23 finished in a dead heat
for the third and final Olympic Team 100m position, in 11.07 seconds,
behind winner Carmelita Jeter and second-place Tianna Madison. In a
Sunday afternoon meeting with their coach, managers and USATF officials,
the athletes agreed to break the tie via a run-off, which was to be
held Monday afternoon in Eugene.

‰ÛÏWe are disappointed that Jeneba has
changed her mind regarding her position on the Olympic Team,‰Û Hightower
said. ‰ÛÏWe all worked hard to reach a consensus on the tiebreaker, but
we know that Allyson, Carmelita and Tianna will represent Team USA
well.‰Û