Bronxville's Mary Cain Falls Short In Olympic Bid

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. -- Just two years ago, Bronxville's Mary Cain seemed like a lock to make the United States Olympic team and perhaps even win a medal at this year's Summer Games.

Bronxville's Mary Cain failed to make the U.S. team after a disappointing finish in the finals of the 1,500 at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials Sunday in Eugene, Ore.
Photo Credit: *File*

Tom Renner

07/13/2016 5:30 a.m.

Now, the former teenage sensation won't even heading to Rio next month.

Cain finished a distant 11th, out of 12, in Sunday's final of the 1,500 meters of the U.S. Track and Field trials in Eugene, Ore. Cain finished in 4:13.45, well behind Jenny Simpson's winning time of 4:04.74. Shannon Rowbury and Brenda Martinez earned the other bids for the U.S. in the 1,500 meters.

Cain seemed to be destined for greatness just a few years ago. In 2013, she set a national high school record with a time of 4:04.62 in the 1,500 at a meet in May. She set a junior record in the indoor mile in 2014.

Cain, who turned pro in 2013 when she was just 17 years old, spent the 2014-15 academic year attending the University of Portland and training with the Nike Oregon Project and coach Alberto Salazar. Cain left the Project last fall as she failed to live up to expectations and returned to train in Bronxville.

At the trials, Cain moved on through two qualifying races but hardly distinguished herself. She finished eighth in her first race (out of nine runners) but still managed to advance to the semifinals. In that race, she finished fourth to earn a berth in the final.

After an encouraging start to her career, Cain's future as one of the rising stars in U.S. distance running is now muddled. She will not be competing for the U.S. next month, and it's anybody's guess if she can return to her previous fitness level and make a run at the U.S. team in another four years.

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