Training for the Olympic trials

The Olympic games are the highest level of competition for a track athlete, and the path to the 2012 London Olympics is grueling. The first step to making the team is performing well at the upcoming Olympic Trials in July. Only the top 3 athletes in each event will proceed. The journey is even more challenging—but also more meaningful—with the players’ unique obstacles. ❧ This documentary profiles three track and field athletes—and Olympic hopefuls: Bryshon Nellum, Reggie Wyatt, and Brysun Stately. Nellum, a senior 400 meter runner at USC, enters his first track season at USC since completing surgeries for removing bullets from his leg. After entering USC as the fastest runner in the country, two gang members shot Nellum in his legs. This is his first season since the incident that he feels completely healthy again. Wyatt is a junior 400 meter hurdler at USC, and among the top runners in the country, but struggles with the recent loss of both of his grandparents. Stately, a 2009 USC graduate, has already made the Olympic trials in 2008, but did not make the team. She strives to make her second attempt a success. ❧ The purpose of this story is to show the intense work, sacrifices, heartbreaks, and rewards-- both personal and professional—involved in training for the Olympic trials. To provide full context for the three athletes’ journey, their story is supplemented by expert interviews, including the Coach of USC track and field team, professional masseuse Bill Theriault, and a 2008 Olympic qualifier.奥运会是田径运动员的顶级竞技舞台，而通往2012年伦敦奥运会的征程却异常艰辛。想要跻身奥运代表队，第一步便是在7月即将举行的奥运选拔赛中斩获佳绩——每个项目仅前三名选手能够获得晋级资格。运动员们各有独特的人生困境，这让这条追梦之路更具挑战，却也更富意义。 ❧ 本片聚焦三位田径运动员——同时也是奥运追梦人：布莱申·内勒姆（Bryshon Nellum）、雷吉·怀亚特（Reggie Wyatt）与布莱森·斯特利（Brysun Stately）。内勒姆是南加州大学（University of Southern California，简称USC）的大四400米跑运动员，这是他完成腿部取弹手术后首次以健康状态出战南加大的田径赛季。此前他以全美最快短跑选手的身份考入南加大，却曾遭两名帮派成员枪击腿部。本次赛季是事件发生后，他首次彻底恢复健康的赛季。怀亚特是南加大的大三400米跨栏运动员，位列全美顶尖选手之列，却正深陷祖父母双双离世的悲痛之中。斯特利是2009届南加大毕业生，曾入围2008年奥运选拔赛，却未能入选奥运代表队，如今她正力争在第二次尝试中圆梦。 ❧ 本片旨在展现为奥运选拔赛备战过程中所付出的艰辛努力、牺牲、心碎时刻，以及个人与职业层面的双重回报。为完整呈现三位运动员的追梦历程，本片辅以多位专家的访谈内容，其中包括南加大田径队主教练、职业按摩师比尔·特里奥（Bill Theriault），以及2008年奥运资格赛选手。