 Huling running steeplechase at the 2016 Olympic Trials | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Daniel Huling | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1983-07-16)July 16, 1983 (age 42) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 3000 m steeplechase | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Miami RedHawks | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personalbest | 8:13.29 min | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Daniel "Dan" Huling (born July 16, 1983) is an American distancerunner who specializes in the3000-meter steeplechase. He holds a personal record of 8:13.29 minutes for the event, set in 2010. He has represented the United States at theWorld Championships in Athletics four times (2009 to 2015).
He was the American steeplechase champion at theUSA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2010. He also ran at the2010 IAAF Continental Cup. Collegiately, he competed for theMiami RedHawks.
Born inNorth Kingstown, Rhode Island to Kenneth and Laurie Huling. He attendedGeneva High School there and after an initial interest intennis, he ran in state meets intrack and field andcross country running.[1][2][3] After graduating he enrolled atMiami University in Ohio to study marketing.[4]
Huling competed for the school'sMiami RedHawks from 2002 to 2006. He set a series of school records on the indoor track, included the1500 meters,mile run,3000 meters and the5000 meters. His collegiate best of 8:27.41 minutes for the steeplechase was also a school record. InMid-American Conference competitions he was a three-time champion in the steeplechase and also won conference titles in cross country, the 5000 m and the10,000 meters. His best placings at NCAA-level were sixth in the 5000 m in 2006 and 26th at theNCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship in 2005. He earnedAll-American honours for those two performances.[5]
After finishing his studies, he turned professional and began working with coach and former steeplechase athleteRobert Gary.[2] Huling elevated himself near the top of the national scene with a third-place finish in the steeplechase at the2006 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, recording a best of 8:27.41 minutes, but missed most of the following season due to injury.[3] He slowly returned to form in 2008, ranking 13th in the 3000 m at theUSA Indoor Track and Field Championships then fifth at the2008 United States Olympic Trials. By the end of the season he had fully recovered from the injury and recorded a new personal record of 8:20.84 minutes at theHerculis meeting in Monaco.[6]
Huling placed fifth in the 3000 m at the 2009 USA Indoors and continued to rise in the national rankings with a runner-up finish in the steeplechase at the2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships behindJoshua McAdams. This earned him a place on the national team for the2009 World Championships in Athletics, where he competed in the qualifying rounds only.[3] The end of the track saw him set a new best of 8:14.69 minutes at theMemorial Van Damme inBrussels and secure a steeplechase win for his nation at theDécaNation.[6] After a personal best of 13:24.72 to win the 5000 m at theMt. SAC Relays,[7] he placed fourth at theadidas Grand Prix inNew York City – his debut on the newIAAF Diamond League circuit.[6] His first national steeplechase title followed at the2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[8] A new personal best of 8:13.29 minutes came at theAthletissima meeting and he competed internationally twice that year: taking eight at the2010 IAAF Continental Cup and second at the Decánation.[6][9]
Huling was runner-up at the2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and competed at the2011 World Championships in Athletics, but was eliminated in qualifying, some twenty seconds off his best. The next year he dropped further down the national placings, coming seventh at the2012 United States Olympic Trials. He returned to the national runner-up spot at the2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing behindEvan Jager, and again competed in the qualifying of the2013 World Championships in Athletics.[3] The consistency of Huling's times improved in the2014 season as he dipped under eight minutes and twenty seconds on four occasions – these included another second place at the2014 USA Outdoor Championships behind Jager and a fourth-place finish at the Memorival Van Damme.[6] He had his third straight national top-three finish at the2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, again behind Jager and alsoDonald Cabral on this occasion.[10]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 32nd | 8:46.79 |
| DécaNation | Paris, France | 1st | 8:47,14 | |
| 2010 | IAAF Continental Cup | Split, Croatia | 8th | 8:27.59 |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 24th | 8:34.70 |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 34th | 8:37.80 |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 5th | 8:14.39 |
