Even by his own estimation, Kenneth Rooks, the Olympic silver medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, has had “a roller coaster season,” and that sentence alone is part of the new challenge he faces: Everywhere he goes, he’s identified as the Olympic silver medalist.

“Once I won the silver medal, everyone expected me to do well in every single race,” he says. “It has affected my ability to perform … I don’t want to avoid being a silver medalist; I want to embrace it, and I do; it’s just the pressure that comes with it ... I’ve dealt with it well at times and sometimes not.”

He had two poor indoor races (19th and 14th places). He ran well in an outdoor steeplechase race in Los Angeles, running away with the win and recording his second-fastest time ever (8:14.25). He had a disappointi

See Full Page