Related articles:

Flying to Beijing: Victory for Abdi

Other articles by Shannon Conner:

Marriage proposal starts couple on journeyOpinion by Shannon Conner : Parents, media get raw deal from AIATucsonan leads American relay to finalsOn the fast track: Lagat wins againFirst throw sends Camarena to Olympics Flying to Beijing: Victory for Abdi One-throw day in qualifying gives Camarena big boost for today's final Olympic dream ends suddenly for Glenn Athletes taking advantage of rest days No free pass? No sweat

General
SMALL WORLD
TEACHERS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR General
GROUNDS CONTROL
LANDCAPE FOREMAN & LABORERS Education
Rio Salado College
Online Instructors Trades/Construction
Mechanical Systems, Inc.
Plumbing Suprintendent Health Care
CATALINA POINTE ARTHRITIS RHEUMATOLOGY
LPN/MA Retail
TOTAL WINE & MORE
WINE TEAM MEMBERS, CASHIER & STOCK MEMEBERS Finance and Accounting
Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services
Accounts Payable/Payroll Manager

EUGENE, Ore. — Today is a "big day" for Tucsonan Abdi Abdirahman.

He calls Independence Day special and a celebration of his citizenship, which he earned eight years ago.

Abdirahman, a 31-year-old Tucson High School, Pima College and Arizona alum, also won the United States' 10-kilometer road race last Fourth of July in Atlanta.

"The Black Cactus," as he calls himself, carries that good karma with him today into another 10K — this time a 6.2-mile race on the track at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.

He enters the race as the nation's top qualifier and owner of the second-best 10,000 time in American history, 27 minutes 16.99 seconds, run at the Prefontaine Classic in May.

A top-three finish means Abdirahman qualifies for the Beijing Games next month. It would be his third Olympics.

He placed third in the 10,000 at the 2000 trials, second in the 2004 trials and says now is his time. "My confidence is high," he said. "I'm in better shape. The main point is to make the team, but winning is a plus. You want to win."

Abdirahman ran in the Olympic marathon trials last November. But a recurring hip injury felled him late in the race.

He says people often ask him about why he lives and trains in Tucson. Here are three reasons why a world-class runner exists here:

Location, location, location: "A lot of people think I'm crazy for staying in Tucson. The heat is OK for me. I'm a Tucsonan, and you get used to it — running in the morning or at night. And if I need to leave, Flagstaff is one of the best altitude training places in the world, and it's just over three hours from my house."

His coach, Dave Murray: Abdirahman's coach since he was an Arizona Wildcat, Murray is here. "This is where I grew up. I spent most of my life here. Coach Murray is part of that. We talk every day. We work together to pursue this dream. If it's not broke, we don't try to fix it."

Old Pueblo faves: "My favorite run is Saguaro National Park West. There's a 13-mile loop from my house, and when you run that fast it makes you tough. Hills, heat, everything. … My restaurants are all here. I love Sushi Hama, North, all the Fox restaurants, everything around the university. This is my place."