Felix, Tarmoh await answers in Olympic mess

Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh were still waiting Sunday to learn which of them would run for the United States in the women's 100 meters at the London Olympics after a dead heat a day earlier. Felix, the 200-meter Olympic runner-up in 2004 and 2008, and Tarmoh, a 22-year-old who at first appeared to have made her first Olympic team, were still in limbo a day after running at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials. USA Track and Field officials were still considering what to do to decide who would qualify for London and who would not after meet officials consulted a photo finish and ruled both women crossed the finish line together for third. There was no timetable given by USA Track and Field for when a decision might come or how it might be reached. Both women would have a berth booked for London, as the fourth-place finisher would be part of the relay pool. But whichever woman fails to qualify in the 100 would lose the chance at a 100-200 double in London. Only the top three finishers in any final qualify for the US squad at the London Games, with reigning world champion Carmelita Jeter winning in 10.92 seconds, Tianna Madison second in 10.96 and Felix and Tarmoh third in 11.07. The scoreboard at Hayward Field posted Tarmoh in third seconds after the race, with detailed results showing her exact time at 11.068 and Felix at 11.069 "To edge someone of that caliber always feels good," Tarmoh said as she enjoyed what she thought was an Olympic-qualifying effort. Felix, by the same token, was dejected at coming up short in the 100 by so small a margin even though she said only days earlier that her main priority was next week's 200 and the 100 was "icing on the cake" to help her 200 bid. "Just disappointed. I worked really hard and it just didn't come together," Felix said. "I just tried to get out and give it my all. Disappointment. That's the only thing you feel. I tried to lean as hard as I could." Pondering what she thought was a loss by .001 of a second, Felix felt haunted by the failure, unaware of the change to come. "You think of things you could have done different," she said. "Everyone steps up their game at the championships. You have to do it too. I'm happy for my teammate who came in third, but it hurts."