Isaksen, Spearmon just miss Olympic medals

No. 8

Two former Fayetteville residents barely missed winning medals at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Former Razorback Wallace Spearmon finished fourth in the 200 meters, while Margaux Isaksen was fourth in the modern pentathlon. Isaksen, who was born in Fayetteville and now trains in Colorado Springs, Colo., managed a fourth-place finish despite struggling earlier in the year with mononucleosis.

The modern pentathlon consists of a series of events, including running, swimming, horseback riding, and target shooting.

“I wasn’t able to train for four months and running is my best event,” Isaksen told the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Gazette. “I was so close to a medal. You can also say, what if? I was really hoping I could bring back a medal back for the U.S., but I had to settle for fourth this time.”

Isaksen, 20, will likely be ranked as one of the favorites for the 2016 Olympics.

Spearmon, 28, finished fourth in the 200 meters while crossing the finish line in a season-best time of 19.90 seconds. He finished third at the 2008 Summer Olympics, but was later disqualified for stepping out of his lane.

— RICK FIRES

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