July 31, 2008

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View video of UC alum Mary Wineberg as she prepares to fly to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics to compete in the 400-meter run. Interviewed by Tom Gelehrter for GoBearcats.com. Check out more Bearcats videos on the GoBearcats.com Podcast.

by John Bach

UC's Mary Wineberg and David Payne often spend time together as they compete in running events internationally.

A pair of former Bearcat sprinters are headed to Beijing in August to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games.

UC alums Mary Wineberg, Ed ’02, and David Payne, att 04, both qualified to compete in front of the world next month after each finished in the top three in the nation for their events during U.S. Olympic Trials last week.

Wineberg, a 400-meter specialist, finished second only to the world’s No. 1 ranked Sanya Richards. Wineberg (formerly Danner) will likely also run on the U.S. 4X400 relay team in Beijing, which she helped win gold at worlds in 2007.

Wineberg and Payne have traded their red and black for red, white and blue.

"It feels amazing,” said Wineberg after the race. “I am 28 years old and this is my first Olympics, but hopefully not my last. I am so happy and blessed to be here. It's been a long four years of trying to make myself known and I am just so happy to do what I did today. The Lord allowed me to get this far and this is truly a blessing. I just try and improve every race. I am going to try and medal at the Olympic games."

The Olympic trials were also good to David Payne, who, like Wineberg, medaled last year at the world outdoor championships in Osaka, Japan. Finishing third at U.S. Trials with a time of 13.25, Payne took the final spot among America’s 110-meter hurdlers.

Video of Wineberg at 2008 Olympic Trials

Video of Payne at 2008 Olympic Trials

Read more in our 2007 profile of both athletes

 Read more in our Web exclusives archive