Wheating On The Hunt For Second Olympic Berth

Now 24, he’s matured since Beijing.

Four years ago, before the U.S Olympic Trials, track fans weren’t too familiar with the name Andrew Wheating. At that time, he was a just a University of Oregon sophomore and there wasn’t much fanfare written about him before the 800m race.

But all that changed when Wheating took second in the final and represented the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Now 24, Wheating is looking to make his second Olympic team.

“It’d be great to make this team with full legitimacy,’’ said Wheating. “It would be a chance to go back to the Olympics for business and not get caught up in the pleasure aspect of it.”

He remains undecided as to whether or not he will run the 800m or the 1500m.

One of Wheating’s heroes is the American running legend, Steve Prefontaine.

“He was always about pushing the pace and using his guts to push the pace,’’ Wheating noted. “I use my guts for the last 200 meters.”

For More: Boston.com