Krummenacker injured his right hamstring in a workout Monday and canceled his flight from Tucson on Tuesday because he was so sore he could hardly get out of bed.

But his manager convinced him to make the trip to get some specialized treatment, and after some intense massage therapy and a trip to a specialist, Krummenacker felt good enough to cruise to a second-place finish in his 800-meter qualifying heat Thursday night.

"It really is kind of a miracle," Krummenacker said.

He said the tightness in the hamstring first showed up in a workout last Thursday, then was much worse Monday. Krummenacker had a breakthrough season in 2002 with a U.S. title, then grand prix victories in Paris and Rome. His No. 3 ranking was the best by an American since Mark Everett (news - web sites) was third in 1994.

With his world indoor title this year, Krummenacker became the first U.S. runner to win a gold medal in the 800 at a major international championship since Dave Wottle at the 1972 Olympics. The world outdoor title was Krummenacker's next goal, and he thought his whole season had evaporated.

"I sent e-mails to a lot of people on Tuesday telling him the world championships were out," he said.

He said he felt a little tightness in his hamstring after 200 meters, but after that was fine and now he's optimistic that his season of great promise is back on track.