On the Fourth of July, Jorge Torres has reason to celebrate
July 4, 2008

EUGENE, Oregon - EUGENE, Ore. - As fireworks lit the sky, Jorge Torres stood on the victory stand after finishing third at 10,000 meters. The celebration wasn't just for him, but it was nonetheless a fitting tribute to the years of hard work toward his goal of becoming an Olympian.

"I'm a first generation American," said the 27-year-old Torres, whose parents came to the United States from Mexico not long before he and his twin brother, Edwardo, were born. "My parents came here with a dream to become American citizens and live the American dream. It is just a great opportunity to represent the United States of America."

Torres, the 2006 USA Champion at 10,000m and a 2003 World Championships finalist at 5000m, acknowledged that his career has had its ups and downs, but said everything came together at the right time in 2008. "Steve Jones (the former marathon World Record-holder and 1984 Olympian at 10,000m) came into my life as a coach at a great time. The year you want to put it together is an Olympic year."

As for the race itself, "My whole strategy was to win it, and if I was close enough to win it I would make the team," Torres said. When eventual winner Abdi Abdirahman took the pace out early, Galen Rupp and Torres went with him. By Mile 4, they were three seconds ahead of the chase pack, which included Ed Moran. Torres would finish third in 27:46.33, good enough to capture a spot on the Olympic team and realize his dream.

Moran would finish fourth, in 27:52.10. "In 2003, someone asked me about my goals and I said I wanted to make the Olympic Trials," said a disappointed but philosophical Moran, the 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist at 5000 meters. "Now in 2008 I finished fourth. So it's hard to be too upset."

Perhaps the only person on the track as happy as Jorge was Edwardo, who finished 11th in the race but was beaming about his brother's success. "I kept looking up at the scoreboard to see where he was," said Edwardo. "I couldn't wait to finish the race so I could congratulate him." The brothers embraced at the finish line, with identical smiles on their faces.