If the dream didn't die on the University of Oregon track in Eugene Saturday night, it was likely put on a long hold.
Eric Holt, who'd looked so strong Friday night in advancing to the men's 1,500-meter semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Trials, seemed to be in a good position to qualify for Monday's final until fading badly in the last quarter of the fourth and final lap of what was, virtually from the get-go, a very physical heat.
Holt's trademark kick, which had helped him gain respect as a legitimate contender to capture one of the three top spots in the finals to make the U.S. Olympic team, abandoned him in the home stretch.
Whether it was fatigue from his strong (fifth-place-overall) 3:35.86effort during the opening round and/or energy depletion from the race's jostling, bumping and shoving, or for some other reason(s), Holt didn't look like the same runner he had the previous evening.
With five runners qualifying from each of the two heats, plus the two athletes with the next fastest times, Holt found himself 11th in the first heat, crossing the finish in 3:39.11, a more than three-second lag from his opening performance on the same Hayward Field track.
Holt couldn't be immediately reached by phone following the race.
But John Trautmann, a former U.S. Olympian, who's head coach of the Empire Elite Track Club for which Holt runs, described his 29-year-old runner as "pretty okay" with what occurred and looking forward to competing in the men's 800 run, an event for whch both he and Empire teammate Ben Allen have qualified.
The opening round of the 800 is Thursday, giving Holt, who's viewed as a much stronger 1,500 runner, a good recovery break.
If Trautman had a do-over button for the 1,500, he would have had Holt take the lead and, thus, avoid most, if not all, the physical contact in which he was involved.
Even without him leading, Trautmann would have liked to have seen Holt be more "efficient," hugging the rail to avoid running extra steps ever lap.
As it was, Holt was never really wide, but was, for the most part, on the outside of lane one/inside of lane two, meaning he exceeded 1,500 meters.
Still, the 29-year-old former Carmel High and Binghamton University runner, whose story of perseverence had gained him a national following in recent days, was in fourth place for part of the final lap.
For a man who earlier in the month clocked 3:34.05 to take silver, finishing just .04 behind Britain's Jake Wighman, the2022 men's world 1,500-meter championship, at the New York City Grand Prix, the race left much to be desired.
Holt's Grand Prix time would have placed him No. 1 in both heats Saturday.
Saturday's best time was posted in the second of the two heats with Yared Nuguse running 3:34..09. The second fastest time also came out of that heat, 3:34.16, by Hobbs Kessler, a 21-year-old Holt had beaten (Kessler was third) at the Grand Prix.
Trautmann, who mentioned Holt not feeling well before the race but also appeared to dismiss that as part of the reason for his finish, did note that Holt had been involved in a very fast, opening-round heat.
Cole Hocker, who was on the 2021 1,500-meter U.S. Olympic squad, finishing sixth at those Games, had won that heat in 3:34.54 but slowed to 3:37.89 Saturday in winning Holt's opening heat.
That might have been the result of the quick return to the track, although Trautmann said Hocker was used to "day-to-day" competition more than Holt.
From the coach's perspective, the larger issue with Holt was probably the energy he expended not just with extra distance each lap but more from getting bumped and shoved and bumping and shoving back.
The race had a bit of a roller derby quality to it.
"It was a pretty physical," Trautmann said. "Every time he passed me, he was stumbling. I thought he was going to go down at one ponit. .... It just seemed ike he was in the brunt of all the physicality."
"It didn't happen for us today," Trautmann added. "But Eric is actually handling it very well and he's very excited for the 800."
Odds are the 800 won't be as physical and will be more of an all-out speed race, rather than one with each runner making multiple moves before a final push to the line.
Time-wise, Holt wasn't considered a huge long shot in the 1,500. But he will be regarded as that in the 800.
Holt, who came in with the fifth fastest time in the 1,500 among all the day-one entrants, has the 19th fastest in the 800. Allen, one of three Empire Elite runners (the other was Jack Salisbury) to compete in the 1,500, will race as the 23rd fastest i the 800.
So, just making the 800 final could be a stretch for Holt, who has spoken about wanting to do more 800s, including in major European races.
Still Trautmann isn't writing him off.
While there will be "a lot of good 800 runners" vying for Paris, Trautmann indicated the only one who might be considered close to being a "super standout" and good bet to make the Olympic team is top-seed Bryce Hoppel.
That could leave open the possibility of seeming long shots getting in.
Empire Elite runner at Trials:Eric Holt of Carmel nears Olympic dream with comeback fueled by midnight runs
"We're just taking one round at a time in the 800. ... I think it woiuld be great if (Eric's) able to make finals. (And,) if you make the finals, you have a shot," said Trautmann, who remarked, given the race's relative short distance, Holt will probably be able to make only "one big move."
He suggested that ideally might come with 150 meters remaining.
"Half of it (winning) is belief in yourself," Trautmann said.
Of the prospect of Holt rebounding and surprising people in the 800, Trautmann quipped, "Maybe the universe is just building a bigger story."
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track &field, field hockey, skiing, basketballgirls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy
