Hampton University's McCorory aims for podium at world championships after running personal best at nationals

HAMPTON, Virginia --  From Richmond to Rome, from Des Moines to Daegu, Olympic gold medalist Francena McCorory has run hundreds of races. Never had she blazed 400 meters like this.

At the USA outdoor track championships Saturday in Iowa, McCorory ran a personal best of 50.01 seconds to qualify for her second world championships. But it wasn't good enough.

It wasn't good enough to beat Natasha Hastings, and it certainly wasn't good enough to satisfy her coach.

"She should have won that race," said Maurice Pierce, McCorory's coach since her college days at Hampton University.

Pierce contends and McCorory confesses that she ran the first 200 meters "too relaxed," allowing Hastings to build a margin that withstood McCorory's strong finish.

"I thought I had it in me," McCorory said of her career best. "It's been my goal for awhile to run under 49 seconds, and 50.01 is pretty darn close."



Natasha Hastings. Francena McCorory. Ashley Spencer -- that's your World Championship team.

Hastings' 49.94 is the second fastest time in the world. She was in complete control the whole time, but McCorory was charging hard in the final 50m. She's now #3 in the world.  Entering the U.S. Championships, McCorory was #2 in the world and Hastings was #4. The third spot was up for grabs and the two-time NCAA 400m champ came up big. Fighting all the way to the line, Illinois' Ashley Spencer went from fifth to third in the final few steps and will continue her season in Moscow.

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