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Dafne Schippers gets sprint double at Euros

By WTOP Staff

RAF CASERT
AP Sports Writer

ZURICH (AP) — Suddenly, Europe again has a star sprinter who can compete with the best of the Americans and Jamaicans.

Her name is Dafne Schippers. The 22-year-old is from the Netherlands and on a cold, wet and windy Friday night she ran the fastest 200 meters this year by far to clinch a sprint double at the European Championships.

The thing is — she is a top heptathlete with world championship bronze to show for it, now trying out a summer of sprinting because a training camp in Florida showed she had amazing speed this year.

“Bizarre,” was the recurring word in an interview with the Associated Press after her second sprint gold. “There is no way I could have thought this possible a few weeks ago. Now it is slowly starting to dawn on me.”

Schippers blew away all opposition once she hit the home straight and won in 22.03 seconds running into a slight headwind and on a wet Letzigrund track. Britain’s Jodie Williams took silver ahead of France’s Myriam Soumare.

Schippers put up one finger in the air as she crossed the line before clenching both fists in celebration. Headstrong right up to the medal podium when she finally broke down with tears hearing the Wilhelmus anthem. “Two gold medals, it feels so good,” she said.

The choice for the future now becomes daunting. Stay with heptathlon, a multi-event competition with limited appeal beyond cognoscenti, or go for high-octane sprinting which takes center stage at world championships and Olympics.

Over a week in Zurich, her steadfast determination to stick with heptathlon has started wavering as she started tasting the adulation sprinting brings.

“My family says the whole of the Netherlands is about to explode,” she said. “Now I first have to let it all sink in,” she said.

There is a lot to learn though. Her start lacks zip. It had little impact on the 200, but over 100 it leaves her with a lot of work to do. Against top class global opposition, it would be fatal.

“It has got to get a lot better in the 100. It works in training but in competition it has to get a lot better.” Over the 100, she is only the 13th strongest performer, largely because of it. At her age though, there is a lot of future ahead of her.

“But first I have to enjoy this week,” she said. She can still get a triple by winning the relay with the Dutch team on Sunday.

With her double, she already is evoking memories of her Dutch compatriot Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won a sprint triple in 1950, two years after winning four gold at the London Olympics.

In the 1,500, Sifan Hassan, a transferee from Ethiopia, added a second gold on the night for the Dutch, sweeping past Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi in the finishing straight. Hassan also goes for a double, competing in the 5,000 on Saturday.

In the men’s 400, Martyn Rooney led a British one-two across the linve with teenager Matthew Hudson-Smith taking silver. It was another double in the 800, a Polish one at that, where Adam Kszczot won ahead of Artur Kuciapski. And Adam Gemili won the men’s 200 for a second British gold.

France also got two gold — and a world record. Yohann Diniz fought through stomach pains throughout the race and still set a world record in the 50-kilometer walk to win the European title for a third time.

With Schippers sprinting, the heptathlon was wide open, and Antoinette Nana Djimou profited to take gold ahead of Dutch backup Nadine Broersen.

In the men’s high jump, the cold and wet conditions made an attempt on the world record irrealistic but world champion Bogdan Bondarenko still won with a jump of 2.35 ahead of fellow Ukrainian Andriy Protsenko and Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov.

The biggest cheer of the night was for Kariem Hussein, who gave the host nation its first gold of the competition by winning the 400 hurdles.

___

Raf Casert can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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