Summer 2003 | The Olympian

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Important Phone & Internet Numbers

Do you have a change of address or know a fellow Olympian that has moved? Giv e us a call.

USOC OLYMPIC ALUMNI RELATIONS and U.S Olympians (800) 717-7555

On the Co ver: Fax: (719) 866-4917

United States Olympic Committee Tele: (719) 632-5551 e-mail

OLYMPIC ALUMNI RELATIONS Manager - Cindy.Stinger@usoc .org

INTERNET ADDRESSES :

U.S. Olympic Committee http :// www.usolympicteam.com

Team US Anet http: // teamusanet.monster.com

Lance Armstrong, Sarah Hughes and Women's Bobsled Team Selected for 2002 USOC Annual Honors:

Lance Armstrong won his fo urth consecuti ve Tour de F ra nce in 2002 and i s the fir st Am erican to accomplish this fe at.

Sarah Hugh es , Ol ympic gold medali st in ladie s ' figur e skating at th e 2002 Wint er Olympi c Games.

T he team of Jill Bakken and Van etta Flow ers won the first- ever Olympi c gold medal in the sport of wom en's bob sled at th e 2002 Gam es

LETTER FROM JOHN NABER

U. S. Ol y mpia ns Presi d e nt

A man was down on his luck , and so he prayed to God that he might be allowed to win the lottery. When his numbers did not come up that week, he decided to pray again, and then again , and then again . Finally, after years of disappointment , his life came to an end , and at the Pearly Gates he confronted St. Peter ,,,-----... "You say that God answers prayers! I prayed time and time again , and He never let me win the Lottery!"

St. Peter calmly replied , "Do God a favor .. . and buy a ticket."

Everyone wants something they do not have , but the Olympian method is to get off one 's duff and go work for it.

This "Diamo n ds in, Diamonds out" mentality (a better phrasing than "Garbage in , Garbage out") is rewarded time after time, to the point that most Olympians don't look at hard work as a punishment or inconvenience but rather as an investment in our dreams. That's why Olympians make such good employees , partners and friends We may not be perfect, but we usually try very hard to become so!

Following a successful early-season footb a ll game against a conference rival , Lou Holtz (the coach at Notre Dame) was asked by his team if they could take the following Monday off before they began their week of preparation for the upcoming game against Michigan.

"Certainly," the coach replied , "as long as you make sure that Michigan takes next Monday off."

The challenge of Olympian effort is that one can never tell exactly how much work will be necessary in order to be better than the competition We don't know how hard the "other guy" is working at the same time.

_ QfficiaLNewsletter of the U S Qlympian s (~, __J ( l -y- r r 1- rJ - I~ 1- r I 0'f9 J _J _j _J _J I _J _J_J_J • _J Table
Letter from John N aber.... ..... ... ..... . ... .. ..... .. .. ... ... .. .. ... . ....... .... ....... 2 A Tribute to Mike Moran ............. .... .. .. .... . .. .. .... ... . .... .. .. .... .... ........ 3 Harrison Dillard .4 Fanning the Flame 7 Hawaii Swimming Hall ofFame .... .... .. . ................ ...... ... ..... .. ... .... 8 OORF.. . .. .... .. ..... .. . . . .. . . .... . . . . ............... . ....... . . .. .. .. . . .. . .. . . . . ... 10 Oly mpians Heroes Poster 11 Regina Jacobs 12 People & Places , 14 Athens Travel. ...... ..... ... ... ...... .................... .. ...... .. ... . ................... 19 Book Re views 20 Alumni News 22 DBM 31 Photography: Getty Images , A l!Sport USA, USOC Library
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Summer 2003 2

America's gold-medal-winning gymnast, Peter Vidmar, tells us in his book, "Risk, Originality and Virtuosity," that he set for himself a goal of always being the first athlete in the gym each day and the last one to leave.

There are so many ways to be a winner in life but almost all of them require the "up- front" investment of time, energy or money. This risk can best be managed with a keen understanding of what is required and then, as most Olympians know, give a little more. After all, what is "taking the afternoon off" worth years later when you find yourself standing on the sidelines during the Olympic awards ceremony for your event?

With that in mind, I'd like to ask each of you a rhetorical question, "when was the last time it mattered to those around you that you were an Olympian?"

When was the last time you went out to dinner with another Olympian or were asked to articulate the Olympic philosophy or ideals or shared the Olympic message with an audience or encouraged an Olympic hopeful?

Some Olympians regularly take the time to volunteer for a variety of Olympic-related events (a sponsor's charity promotion, an elementary school "Olympic Day," sending a letter to the editor concerning the USOC), while others are hiding in the wings, embarrassed to speak out, not caring any longer, or even willfully closing the book on their chapter of Olympic history. Most are willing, quietly, but waiting for an invitation to become more involved.

If there is one thing that I have learned about life, it's that we get out of it in direct measure of what we put into it. That means that if we don't like what's going on in our world, we have a responsibility to do something about it or we lose the right to criticize.

Which is my transition to a slightly different topic the current turmoil at the USOC.

You may have read a statement jointly prepared by the USOC, the chairman of the AAC, Rachel Godino Mayer, and myself. This was done in the hope that, while the restructuring of the USOC continues, some positive light might be returned to the efforts of our current athletes and their need for emotional and financial support. I have received some criticism for the statement's apparent disregard for the problems within the USOC, but I am eager to stand by those remarks and the spirit in which they were intended.

The recent scandals and management turnover has also resulted in a couple of "task forces" reviewing how the USOC governs itself and how the "stake holders" might influence policy in the future.

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continued on page 9 Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians 3 Summer 2003

Id's

The Shaker High School track and field team in the Cleveland suburbs has a bright new freshman prospect. She runs the dashes and the sprint relays and is learning to be a hurdler

Of course, it remains to be seen how far Nailah Dillard will go in the sport but one thing is already certain - her lineage is of gold-medal qu ality.

"Keeping up with my grandchildren is what keeps me busie st these days, " says Harrison Dillard.

Then again, if only the three Dillard grandkids - grandson Said, 15 ; and granddaughters Nailah , 14, and Izmailia, 5 - find a way to keep up with grandpa, something few of his contemporaries ever did , you know they will wind up far ahead of the game.

Harrison Dillard's place in the lore of Olympic track and field is secure - the Ohioan is the only man to take gold medals in the Games' two shorte st and most explosive individual races.

After racing off with the 100-meter gold at the 1948 London Games , Dillard returned to the Games to win the 110-meter high hurdles - his real specialty - at Helsinki in 1952 .

Not only that , he collected two more go lds as a member of winning 4x100-meter relay teams. The Barney Ewell -Lorenzo Wright-Dillard-Mel Patton one-lap te am won in 40.8 in '48 ; the Dean Smith-Dillard-Lindy Remigino-Andy Stanfield unit clocked a 40.1 in '52.

The Harrison Dillard Story is one of the greatest in the annals of his sport. After showing promise as a freshman at Baldwin-

Wallace College in Berea, Ohio , he went off to World War II.

Through the worst of it, he managed to retain some of his conditioning As the story goes , General George S Patton Jr.himself an Olympian and 1912 Modern Pentathlete - saw him excelling in an Armed Services meet shortly after war's end and declared "Private , you are the be st goddam athlete in the whole army."

Dillard returned to Baldwin-Wallace to resume his track and field career and to launch one of the sport's most incredible runs of succe ss.

At one point , he reeled off an amazing 82 consecutive victories , sweeping every conceivable honor in his path - Nationa l AAU, NCAA, Drake Relays, Millrose Games titles, an d more and more , along w ith record clockin gs for every hi gh and low hurdles distance in the books

But that amazing streak - later to be surpas se d by intermediate hurdles star Edwin Moses and others - came to a shock ending at the 1948 National AAU Championships in Mi lwaukee. He

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Summer 2003 4
Harrison Dillard, the king of the high hurdles , failed to qualify in that event for the 1948 Olympics but won the 100-meter dash instead. Four years later, in Helsinki , he finally earned his high hurdles gold medal.
I\

actually lost a big race - to Northwestern University 's Bill Porter

So the USA Olympic Trials became a return engagement, and one that veered far away from the expected script. Porter won again. That upset-filled afternoon of July 10, 1948 at Northwestem's own Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Dillard began clipping and then clobbering hurdles before coming to a complete stop at barrier eight (often.) (One good theory: trained for speed, he likel y came up on the hurdles at a velocity he could not handle .)

"Before the 1948 Trials, I thought I'd be crushed if I didn't make the team," he said, all these years later.

But the potentially devastating blow of not qualifying in the high hurdles was sidestepped by his running the 100-meter dash as the best kind of travel insurance.

Dillard actually locked up his ticket to London by running third in the 100-meter final, back of Barney Ewell and Mel Patton , the day before the high hurdles final.

Still , few expected him to win the 100 final in London - especially against spri:m.t-specialty teammates Ewell and Patton and such international challengers as Lloyd LaBeach (Panama) and ,...---...... Alistair McCorquodale and Emanuel McDonald Bailey representing host Britain.

While few others shared this view before the London Games , Dillard and Baldwin-Wallace coach Eddie Finnigan saw every possibility of Dillard racing home first.

"I thought I could win, I was confident, " he remembers. "Coach Finnigan a lways told me 'if you don't think you're going to win, you won't."

After a fa lse start, Dillard broke out on top and was never passed. But Ewell's late charge convinced him otherwise and the Penn State grad actually did a little victory dance before the photo-camera sorted out the official order of finish. It was so close that the six runners crossed the line just 3/1 0ths of a second apart. In order, it was Dillard (10.3, equaling the Olympic record set by Eddie Tolan in 1932 and tied by Jesse Owens in 1936); Ewell, LaBeach and McCorquodale (all 10.4); Patton (10 5) and Bailey (10.6.) They've been calling him "Bones" since his childhood days in Cleveland.

"It started when I was 8 or 9," he said . "By the time I was 10, I was still only 52 pounds."

After a modest growth spurt, he shot up to 5-foot-10 at age 15, ~ and has stayed at that height. His best competition weight was about 152 pounds.

By July 31, 1948, though - day of the London 100 final - he'd

slimmed down to 148 It wasn't a case of British post-war food rationing. "It was just hard work, I'd never worked harder in my life ," he said. After letting the hurdles event escape his grasp, he wasn't about to let the 100 slip away, too - and it didn't. Four years later, Olympic "justice" was at last done. The most dominating high hurdler the world had ever seen, and world record-setter at 13.6, finally won the Olympic high hurdles. There were no slip-ups at the 1952 Trials, held in Los Angeles. Dillard (14.0) won the 110 highs over USC grads Jack Davis (14.1) and Art Barnard (14.2 ). And there were no slipups at the Helsinki Games , a Games marked by the historybreaching debut of the Soviet Union on the modem Olympic stage . Dillard won in 13.7 over Davis (also 13 .7 as both took 2/10 off the Olympic record set by Porter in '48) with Barnard (14.1) third.

Dillard's magnificent racing career endured to 1956. But when he placed seventh (14.5) in the eight-man final at the '56 Trials,

again held in Los Angeles - a race that saw Davis, Lee Calhoun and Joel Shankle snare the three tickets to the Melbourne Games - he realized it was time to hang up his beloved spikes.

"That was it," he said. "I never ran another race. It was over." It might not have been over at all for him then, at age 33, if he'd seen a way to make a living from the sport - the opporhmity so many world-class athletes these days enjoy. Instead, it was time to face the real world

For many years - through his retirement in 1993 - Dillard worked for the Cleveland Board of Education, the last 12 as its chief business executive, supervising everything in such realms as purchasing, buildings, grounds, maintenance and equipment

Official Newsletter of the U.S . Olympians
·..'' I I , / d, • o1{ \ ..,.
Olymp ic Games , July 3 1 , 1948 - Standing at the podium after winning the 100-meters are : Harrison Dillard , gold; H. Norwood Ewell, silver and Lloyd LaBeach , bronze
------~5-summer 2003

for a system that at one time included 120 schools

Along the way, he also took on such added assignments as "running coach" for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees. Now, he's not about to take direct credit for this - but the last time he went to Yankee camp was 1998 and that was the year the Bronx Bombers ran away from the rest of the American League - by an eye-opening 22-game margin - and wound up winning 114 games and the World Series title.

Yankee principal owner George M. Steinbrenner III - a former USOC vice president - also happens to be an old Cleveland friend and hurdling rival.

"I probably raced against George three or four times," said Dillard. "He was a pretty good hurdler, too, but he just didn't have the speed." (Henry G. Steinbrenner, George's father, was the 1927 Penn Relays high hurdle champion and IC4A low hurdles champion for MIT )

The one thing Dillard continually stresses in his coaching assignments is the vital importance of flexibility.

Torchbearer, Harrison Dillard, carries the Olympic Flame during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay.

Blazing speed as well as great flexibility were the hallmarks of Dillard's own career, enabling him to overcome his relative lack of height, at 5-10. Another secret of Dillard's success was his ability to bring his trail leg around, and snap it down, faster than any rival.

From 1982 to 1996, Dillard served as spokesman for the Mobil Grand Prix, the international circuit that breathed new life and generated vast interest in the sport.

"It did a lot to promote track in the USA," he says, with pride. The Grand Prix also helped usher in the professional era of track and field, for those competing at the highest levels.

If anything like that had been available when he was competing, he'd likely have been a superstar zillionaire. But he doesn't begrudge today's pro track athletes a thing.

"Personally, I think it's a very good thing," he says. "It lengthens careers and provides all kinds of new opportunities "

He thinks the coming of professional athletes to the Olympic ,,.-,.,_ Games is a good thing, too.

"It improves the level of performance in every sport and that's what the Olympics should be, the best athletes competing against the best athletes."

The 110-meter high hurdles is an event the U.S. has dominated since the first modem Games in 1896 . Thomas Curtis (timed in 17.6) won in Athens in '96, and such notables as Alvin Kraenzlin, Forrest Smithson, Fred Kelly, George Saling, Spec Towns, and Bill Porter preceded Dillard to the top rung of the victory platform; Lee Calhoun, Hayes Jones, Willie Davenport, Rod Milburn, Roger Kingdom and Allen Johnson have followed, Calhoun and Kingdom twice each. Bottom line: over the 104-year stretch of 24 Games, the USA has collected 18 golds. (Canada, with two firsts; South Africa, France, East Germany and Cuba, one each, are the only other nations to have winners.)

It was the sight of Jesse Owens returning to Cleveland for a hero's welcome after his four-gold medal performance at Berlin in 1936 that served as much of Dillard's early inspiration.

"I was 13 years old and it's something I can never forget," he said 'The parade swung through the East Side of Cleveland and I was there, with a bunch of my friends, waiting to see Jesse come by, and then he did, in this big open car. "He spotted us on the sidewalk, winked at us, and said 'kids, how are you doing?'

"Well that was the ultimate for me, coming from Jesse Owens himself. He and Joe Louis were our greatest heroes."

As events transpired, Dillard followed Owens' footsteps to East Technical High School, to the Olympic Games, to the ranks of the four-time gold medal winners, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Harrison and Joy Dillard - who first met in Jamaica, where famed Jamaican athlete Herb McKenley introduced themhave celebrated 47 happy anniversaries. Their only child, daughter Terri, is the mom of the full-of-promise threesome, Said, Nailah and Izmailia.

Baldwin-Wallace College's indoor track arena is named for Dillard So is a major Cleveland bikeway.

Harrison Dillard will be 80 on July 8, 2003. Like Jesse Owens, his own great exemplar, he is an athletic hero for all the ages.

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
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,,,--.,_

,a;anning t

The United States Olympic Committee and the Colorado Springs Girl Scouts of the USA /Wagon Wheel Council celebrated the 17th Annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day "Fanning the Flame" program on Wednesday, February 5, 2003 at the U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "Succeed in Sports, Lead in Life" was this year's program theme. The day calls attention to the positive influence of sports and fitness participation and advances the struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) was established by a congressional resolution in 1986 to celebrate the achievements of girls and women in sports The first NGWSD was organized to remember and honor 1984 silver medal Olympic volleyball player, Flo Hyman , who died of Marfan's Syndrome during a volleyball game in 1986. The national celebration is recognized in all 50 states with community-based events, awards and other activities taking place

This year's USOC program featured the presentation of the 2002 Flo Hyman Youth Award to a local female athlete; a motivational talk by guest speaker Diane French , a 1980 volleyball

rogra ~a,!@5%

Olympian and teammate of Flo Hyman, a "Live Chat" and Q & A session with Jeni Armbruster (Paralympian, 1992, '96, '00) current Goal Ball World Champion/Paralympic bronze medalist and her dog Nytra. Joining Jeni was Lisa Banta (Paralympian, 2000) a track and field bronze medalist. In addition, participants learned about two of the most demanding Olympic sports ever, Taekwondo and Fencing. Participants experienced a hands-on interactive with Taekwondo 2000 Olympian, Barbara Kunkel, and Olympic fencing with current Olympic Training Center resident Modem Pentathlon athletes Mickey Kelly, Lara Hammerick, and Anita Allen.

The USOC's objective in conducting a National Girls & Women in Sports Day program is to empower girls by helping them visualize opportunities for the future and to develop strategies for their success.

Diane French talk s about her teammate and friend Flo Hyman Photos by : Tom Kimmell
Official lllewsletter oLthe U.. S. O lympia ns
omi nees ________. 7 ,__..summer...2.003_
2002 Fl o Hyman You th Award N

The Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame inducted 49 charter members at its first induction ceremony held at the Elks Club in Wa ikiki on November 23 , 2002. Induction was made into the categories of swimming, diving , water polo , master's swimming , channel swimming, and coach/ contributors ; 33 of the charter members were inducted po sthumously.

Hall of Fame medallions were posthumously awarded to the following inductees :

Duke Kahanamoku (swimming , 1912, '20, '24, '32), Bill Harris (swimming , 1920), J.K Gilman (water polo, 1920), George Kane (water polo , 1920), Fred Kahele (swimming, 1920) , Pua Kealoha (swimming, 1920), Warren Kealoha (swimming, 1920, '24) Harold Kruger (swimming, 1920/w ater polo , 1924) , Ludy Langer (swimming, 1920) , Helen Moses Cassidy (sw imming, 1920) , Aileen Riggin Soule (diving , 1920 , '24) , George "Dad" Center (1920 Assistant Coach) , Sam Kahanamoku (swimming , 1924) , Bill Kirschman (swimming , 1924), Henry Luning (swimming, 1924), Charles Pung (swimming, 1924), Mariechen Wehselau (swimming, 1924), Mrs . Ellen Fullard Leo (1924 USOC Executive), Clarence "Buster" Crabbe (swimming , 1928 , '32), Mannella Kalili

~ty Nine Charter Members Inducted Into the

(swimming, 1932), Maio/a Ka/iii (swimming 1932), "Halo" Takashi Hirose (swimming, 1940) , Thelma Kalama Aiu (swimming, 1948), Allen Stack (swimming, 1948 , '52) , Richard Cleveland (swimming , 1952) , Coach Soichi Sakamoto, Coach Charles "Sparky" Kawamoto, Coach Yo shito Sagawa, Dr Richard You, William "Opelu" Pai , Jimmy Tanaka , Jose Balmores , and Bunmei Nakama.

Swimmers at the cere mony inducted into the Hall of Fame were Bill Smith (swimming, 1948) , Ford Konno (swimming, 1952, '56) Fujike Katsutani (swimming, 1940) , Chieko "Chic" Miyamoto (swimming), Bill Woolsey (swimming, 1952 , '56), Lillian "Pokey" Watson Richardson (swimming , 1964, '68), and Evelyn Kawamoto Konno (swimmin g, 1952) . Swimming inductee Kiyoshi "Keo" Nakama (swimming) was unable to attend , so his daughter, Jaime , accepted hi s med allion on his behalf.

Keala O'Sullivan Watson (diving, 1968) accepted her medallion for induction in the di ving category.

Coaches Leigh Josephson and Ken Smith were inducted in the water polo category and accepted their awards . Jim Welch and

Official Newsletter of the. U.S. Olympians
Inductees (leh to right) Pua Kealoha, Duke Kahanamoku, Warren Kealoha, Richard Cleveland and Eileen Riggin Soule
Summer_2003 8 _

Dr. Harold Sexton were inducted in the Masters sw immi ng catego1y. Jim was at the ceremony to accept his medallion ; however, Harold was not able to attend , so his wife , Audrey, accepted his award on his behalf.

Dr. Harry Huffaker and Kiyoshi "Keo" Nakama were inducted into the Channel Swimming category Harry accepted his award at the ceremony. Keo , also earlier inducted in the Swimming category, was the only double inductee in the Charter Member Class of 2002. In Keo's absence, his daughter, Jaime , accepted his award . Al Minn and Mirian Larrieu were inducted in the Coach/Contributor category.

The First Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet was a wonderful success with many of the inductees and their families coming from other states and countries to attend The event had been sold out for months and provided an opportunity for friends and competitors to reunite

after being apart for many years. The Hall of Fame is searching for a permanent "home" for exhibits and a museum In the meantime, the organizers are busily gearing up to select and induct its second Class in 2003

If you will be in Honolulu on November 15, 2003, please plan to attend the 2nd Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. For more information on the banquet or the Hall of Fame , please write to Sonny Tanabe (swimming, 1956) at 2199 Aha Niu Place, Honolulu, Hawaii , 96821.

co nti nued from p age 3

Before a federally mandated, independent commission (seeking suggestions for the reorganization of the USOC) Jeff Blatnick, Alumni VP and 1980-84 Olympian , testified to the fact that Amer ic a's Olympians are probably the ideal voice of reason and perspective to ensure that USOC remains faithfu l to the Movement's stated ideals. While the Alumni , do not yet have a vote on the USOC board, we are trying hard to provide input and ideas as the process moves forward.

Alumn i Chapters around the country are still active ly involving their members in local events and occasionally national programs as well. The Olympians for Olympians Relief Fund is

still looking for more Olympians to help. An d, we have the money to do it, too!

Older Olympians still greet each other with familiar hugs , mourn with each other when teammates are ill, and always meet the members of each new class with a warm sm ile and an outstretched hand.

You are a part ofus , whether you want to be or not. What we can accomplish as a group is entire ly up to yo u!

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Inductees (left to right) Evelyn Kawamoto Konno , Allen Stack, Ford Konno, Clarence "Buster" Crabbe and The lma Kalama Aiu
9 Summer 2003
(

)ly 111nia_.Q~ fo r )h 11 )i ans I~elief Fun d

Board of Directors

Jeff Blatnick, Chair of the Board

Cindy Stinger, Treasurer

Cathy Marino-Bradford

Dorothy Langkop

A Letter from

{/#1~

Bob Rock, President

Lucinda Adams Gov. Judy Martz

WillycWhite

Caroline Holmes, Secretary

Russ Hodge

John Naber

Bill Toomey

Chairman, Olympians for Olympians Relief Fund (OORF) 6% <e2t.@JY.@t

Dear Fellow Olympians:

I'm writing to share with you the results of the Board of Directors election. The election concluded in late March with the following individuals named to the OORF Board.

Cathy Marino-Bradford (canoe/kayak, 1988, '92)

Russ Hodge (athletics, 1964)

Gov. Judy Martz (speedskating, 1964)

Congratulations!! We all look forward to working with you.

Bob Rock, President, OORF has created an Advisory Committee to help the Board from time to time on different issues. It is our collective hope that all candidates not elected will participate on this Committee.

The OORF will continue the mission of helping Olympians in distress. We encourage all Olympians to pass the word, "we are here to help!" The OORF feels there is room to expand our mission. Cindy Stinger, our superb USOC staff contact, is in the process of printing a brochure that can be used to help spread the word and promote the OORF. This is vital for our future.

If you or any Olympic athlete you know has fallen on hard times, please notify Cindy at the USOC Olympic Alumni office. The toll free telephone number is 800-717-7555.

I look forward to working with all of you.

My Best,

Jeff Blatnick

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
1 Olympic Plaza Colorado Springs, CO 80909 719-866-4979
Summer 2003 10

Olympian

Twenty inspirational Olympians are lending a hand to the Olympians for Olympians Relief Fund (OORF), the new charitable fund established by the United States Olympians Alumni

organization to benefit Olympians in need OORF will receive a portion from each sale of the upcoming "Olympian Heroes™" Series produced by three-time Olympian Willie Banks' marketing firm, HSJ, Inc.

Included in this program are Olympians Jeff Blatnick (Wrestling), Mike Eruzione (Ice Hockey), Mitch Gaylord (Gymnastics), Bruce Jenner (Athletics), Rafer Johnson (Athletics), Karch Kiraly (Volleyball), Dr. Sammy Lee (Diving) , Greg Louganis (Diving), Bob Mathias (Athletics) , Cliff Meidl (Kayaking), Shannon Miller (Gymnastics), Billy Mills (Athletics), John Naber (Swimming), Derek Parra (Speed Skating), Mike Powell (Athletics) , Kim Rhode (Shooting), Mark Spitz (Swimming), Dwight Stones (Athletics) , Jenny Thompson (Swimming) and Peter Vidmar (Gymnastics).

Although the new HSJ , Inc license includes trading cards and postcards , the "crown jewel" of this new marketing program is the limited edition collectors' series of 2004 signed, uncut 18" x 24" sheets that are now selling for the retail price of $995 per sheet. To learn more about this exciting new collectors' program, please visit www.olympianheroes.com

Banks is excited about the new limited edition and its Olympian focus. "This is what the Olympic Movement is all about. I wanted to do something that communicated the exciteW ment and the nobility of our fellow Olympians. Hopefully, there will be more sets so I can feature many more of our great Olympian role models who embody this spirit! II

As a special courtesy to all of his fellow Olympians, Banks has decided to offer any Olympian the limited edition sheets at the amount of $745.00, more than 25% off of the retail price This includes a beautiful Plexiglas frame that captures both sides of this beautiful limited edition sheet that Olympian Hero Peter Vidmar has described as "a work of art".

To order please go to : www.olympianheroes.com or call (866) 3761125. Willie Banks is available at the email address of bankshw@hotmail.com.

BRU C'E JENNER 'TRAC <;. & tlfLD
Official Newsletter af the U.S. Olymp ian s
Olympian Heroes (le ft to right) John N aber, Sammy Lee, Cliff Meidl, Mitch Gaylord and Rafer Johnso n
KARCH K I RA'LY V O tt('t' ll,Al I CE H-O CUY 11 Summer 2003

When you have already set a world indoor record, several American records, and made four Olympic teams you wonder what a 39-year-old athlete can next achieve. If your name is Regina Jacobs , the answer is plenty

After a stellar 2003 indoor season that saw her vanquish just about everything in sight, Jacobs is looking for further goals , including the 2004 Olympics. If she can make a fifth Olympic team, she will equal the feat of Francie Larrieu-Smith, a track and field Hall of Farner.

If she qualifies for the 2004 Olympics , Jacobs also will be 41 years old , an advanced age for an elite runner and one that puts her in the "Masters" category of track and field. There have been athletes who have won Olympic medals at an older age (Matt McGrath of the USA was 45 when he won a silver medal in the 1924 hammer throw) but no woman in the world has ever medaled in a track and field event past the age of 37.

Nothing, however, should be surprising for Jacobs Besides her four Olympic teams, she set a world indoor 1500 record in 2003 , has been on four World Outdoor and four World Indoor Championship teams, and three World Cup squads.

If the indoor season of 2003 is any indication, then Jacobs' 2004 Olympic aspirations aren't wishful thinking. Her crown-

ing moment came on February 1st in Boston when she set a world indoor record of 3 :59.98 , making her the first woman to break four minutes for the 1500 indoors.

"I had 16 weeks of the best training I've ever had," she said after the race. "I knew it was possible , but you have to get up and hope the track gods are with you."

She later raised her national championships total to 21 when she won the 1,500 and 3,000 at the USA Indoor Championships. That qualified her for the World Indoor Championships at Birmingham , England. She decided to concentrate on the 1500, a wise decision since she won in 4:01.67, a championship record

"It doesn't get any better than this," Jacobs said at the meet. "Despite being an old lady now, my heart is still strong and that keeps my body strong."

The start of her career goes back four decades to 1977 while attending Argyll Episcopal Academy in North Hollywood, California . She was seventh at the 1979 USA Junior Championships, then in 1980 while still in high school, was fifth in her 800 heat at the Olympic Trials. She graduated from high school in 1981 and enrolled at Stanford , where she continued to develop. While still at Stanford, she was 10th in her 1500

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Summer 2003 12

heat at the 1984 Olympic Trials and in 1985 was second at the NCAA Cross Country Championships , a sign of her versatility as a distance runner.

She broke onto the international scene in 1987 when she won the USA 1500 title and placed seventh in her heat at the World Outdoor Championships.

Her experience at two previous Olympic Trials paid off at the 1988 Trials when she was second in th e 1500 in a personal record of 4 :00.46, a record that stood until 1999. She was 11th in her heat at the Olympics but wound up with her first world ranking, 10th in the 1500 meters .

In 1992, she won the Olympic Trials 1500 and was 12th in the 1500 semifinals at Barcelona. She repeated her triumph in the

Jacobs, running

make

OT 1500 in 1996 and moved to 10th in the Atlanta Olympics 1500 final.

In 2000 , things really looked promising when she won a fantastic 1500 and 5000 meters double at the Olympic Trials, lowering her American record in the latter event. She planned to concentrate on the 1500 at Sydney, but joy turned to sadness when she cou ld not compete because of a respiratory ailment.

After her 198 7 World Outdoor Championships debut, she did not again appear on the World Outdoor Championships scene until 1997 when she was second in the 1500. She repeated that finish in 1999. She had qualified for the 1995 meet but withdrew because of plantar fascitis.

She was more successful at the World Indoor Championships She first appeared there in 1995 when she won the 1500 gold medal. Jacobs was second in the 1500 in 199 7 and was third in the 3000 in 1999 . Then came 2001 when she switched back to the 1500 and won the gold medal.

Nothing, however, should be surprising for Jacobs. Besides her four Olympic teams, she set a world indoor 1500 record in 2003, has been on four World Outdoor and four World Indoor Championship teams, and three World Cup squads.

She has been nationally ranked in the 1500 15 times, six of them top ranked. In world rankings , she has achieved that distinction five times in the 1500 and was as high as second in 1997

Despite her amazing achievements and her share of ups and downs, she has always bounced back.

Some of her disappointments have come from physical woes such as those encountered at the 1995 Outdoor Worlds and the 2000 Olympics She feels a medical breakthrough came in 1993 when it was discovered that she had severe low levels of iron in her body.

The holder of five American records, three indoors, her range of events have been extraordinary, winning national titles in events from the 800 to cross country. Jacobs' accomplishments are only rivaled by Larrieu-Smith's four-decade, five-Olympicteams career.

With the 2004 Olympics rapidly approac hing , it appears Jacobs is capable of challenging Larrieu-Smith's record Jacobs is certainly hitting her peak at the right time Whatever the outcome , she has already molded a career that makes her one of the greatest women track and field athletes in U.S. history.

Regina to her fifth Olympic Teom.
Official Newsletter of the U. S. Olympian s
-~] 3 Summer 2003

Peopl laces

United States Olympic Committee and Bank of America Honor

Olympic Greats with The Titan Games

''Night of (I Champions''

An outstanding array of U.S. Olympians were honored when the United State s Olympic Committee kicked off the 2003 Tit an Games on February 13 , 2003 at the San Jose State University Events Center. The VIP gala honored heavyweight world champion and 1984 Olympic bronze medalist Evander Holyfield (bo x ing , 1984) , wrestling legend Dan Gable (wrestling, 1972), six-time Olympian Peter Westbrook (fencing , 1976, '80 , '84, '88, '92, '96) , four -time Olympian Mike Swain (judo , 1980 , '84 , '88 , '92) , 2000 Olympic gold m edalist Steven Lopez (taekwondo, 2000), two-time Olympian Lynnette Love (taekwondo, 19 88 , '92), three-time Olympian Ed Burke (athletics, 1964 , '68 , '84) , weightlifting's three-time Olympian Tommy Kono (weightlifting , 1952 , '56 , '60) and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Tara Nott (weightlifting, 2000).

1972 Team Handball Reunion

Joel Voelkert , Denni s Berkholtz, Kevin Serrapede, Roger Baker, Vincent DiCalogero, Rick Abrahamson; seated Coach Peter

.

Members of the 1972 Men's Olympic Handball team gathered for a 30 -year reunion at the Coral Reef Beach Resort. Preparing for their Olympic Games , these handball players had more international competition over a three-year period than any other single USA team, including a three -w eek Eastern European tour six weeks before the opening of the Olympic Games Members of the team included: Rick Abrahamson (1972, '76) , Fletcher Abram (1972), Roger Baker (1972, '76) , Dennis Berkholtz (1972) , Larry Caton (1972), Vincent DiCalogero (1972 , '76), Elmer Edes (1972) , Thomas Hardiman (1972), Matt Matthews (1972), Sandor Rivnyak (1972, '76), James Rogers (1972 , '76), Brad Schlesinger (1972) , Kevin Serrapede (1972 '76) , Robert Sparks (1972 , '76), Joel Voelkert (1972) , Harry Winkler (1972 , '76). Staff Personnel: Peter Buehning (1976) (Coach), William Kruse (1972 delegation) (Head Manager) and Lawrence Montgomery ( 1972 delegation) (Assistant Manager).

Official Newsletter af the U.S. Olympians
Summer 200 3 _].A
Team Handball 's Sushi Masters , Young and Old Alike , De scend Upon Reno, Nevada, April 11 - 13, 2003, "Team, Family, Tribe "
r,n
l tr,m mnnh a!'La-
Pictured from L to R are: Robert Sparks, Brad Schlesinger, Buehning

U.S. Paralympics: Ripp Wins Boston Marathon

It was an American revolution this Patriot's Day as U.S. athletes claimed the top two spots in the women's wheelchair race during the 107th running of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21, 2003. Christina Ripp, last year's runner-up, held off a last minute charge by defending New York and Los Angeles marathon champion, Cheri Blauwet, to win her first Boston Marathon title in 1 hour, 54 minutes, 47 seconds. Blauwet finished 10 seconds back in 1:54 :57, while defending Boston champion, Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, was third in 1:56:54.

OfficiaLNewsletter af the U.S. Olympians
Chri stina Ripp Ch e ri Blau we t and Chris tina Ripp
Olympism Lives!
l_5 Summer 2003
Lau rel Brassey Iversen (volleyball, 1980, '88) share s the Spirit of Olympism during Olympic Day at Koloa Early School , Koloa, Kauai , Hawaii on April 29 , 2003 .

People : Places A Passion for Wrestling Still Driving Gable

Dan Gable didn't even come close to retiring when he left his head coaching job at the University of Iowa in 1997. Instead, he's been busy as the unofficial ambassador of wrestling, along with his various U.S. coaching assignments and his job as the assistant athletic director at the University of Iowa. He recently began serving as the interim wrestling coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Dan Gable, 1972 Olympic Gold medalist.. .1971 World Champion ... two-time NCAA Champion ... head coach at the University of Iowa for 21 years, winning 15 NCAA titles served as head coach of the 1980, 1984, 1988 and 2000 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling teams ... head coach of the 2003 U.S. Freestyle World Cup team. Gable is widely recognized as one of the greatest coaches in sport history with tremendous success at the college and Olympic levels.

Athlete Joint Statement

The elected leaders of the organizations representing America's active Olympic , Paralympic and Pan American athletes, as well as the thousands of Olympic alumni in the United States, issued a statement in light of recent events surrounding the United States Olympic Committee For more information, log on www.usocpressbox.org

118 USA Baseball Alums on MLB 2003 Opening Day Rosters

As the new Major League Baseball season gets under way all across the nation, USA Baseball has compiled a complete list of all former USA Baseball players that will open the season on a big league roster. There are 118 players that have previously donned the Red , White and Blue uniform , including 34 Olympians such as Nomar Garciaparra (1992), Jason Giambi (1992) , Troy Glaus (1996), and Robin Ventura (1988). Eleven members from the gold medal winning 2000 Sydney team on MLB rosters include Brent Abernathy, Roy Oswalt, Doug Mientkiewicz, Sean Burroughs and gold medal wim1ing pitcher Ben Sheets. Check the list to find out which uniform your favorite Team USA player is wearing now!

OfficiaLNewsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Summer 2003 16
2000 Olympic Ba seball: Team USA, Gold

Los Angeles -6

Kevin Brown, Darren Dreifort, Shawn Green, Mike Kinkade, Dave Roberts, Paul Shuey

Milwaukee -6

Royce Clayton, Jeffrey Hammonds, Geoff Jenkins, Shane Nance, Ben Sheets, Jon Vander Wal

Chicago-5

Mark Bellhorn, Tom Goodwin, Cory Patterson, Mark Prior, Mike Reminger

Cincinnati -5

Aaron Boone, Danny Graves, Austin Kearns, Barry Larkin, Paul Wilson

Colorado -5

Scott Elarton, Todd Helton, Jason Jennings, Charles Johnson, Preston Wilson

St. Louis -5

J.D. Drew, Joe Girardi, Dustin Hermanson, Tino Martinez, Matt Morris

San Diego -5

Sean Burroughs, Ryan Klesko, Mark Kotsay, Xavier Nady, Phil Nevin

Montreal -4

Michael Barrett, Rocky Biddle, Scott Stewart, Brad Willerson

Atlanta -3

Darren Bragg, Paul Byrd, John Smoltz

Florida -3

Braden Looper, Brad Penny, Justin Wayne

San Francisco - 3

Kurt Ainsworth, Barry Bonds, Jose Cruz, Jr.

Arizona -2

Steve Finley, Matt Williams

Houston -2

Roy Oswalt, Gregg Zaun

New York -2

Jeromy Burnitz, Mo Vaughn

Philadelphia -2

Pat Burrell, Randy Wolf

Pittsburgh -2

Kris Benson, Jeff D'Amico

Minnesota -7

Michael Cuddyer, Mike Fetters, Chris Gomez, Jacque Jones, Matt LeCroy, Doug Mientkiewicz, J.C. Romero

Seattle - 7

Willie Bloomquist, Pat Borders, Ben Davis, Ryan Franklin, John Olerud, Gil Meche, Dan Wilson

Tampa Bay -5

Brent Abernathy, Carl Crawford, Travis Lee, Jim Parque, Bobby Seay

Texas -5

Todd Greene, Rusty Greer, Jay Powell, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira

Anaheim -4

Troy Glaus, Adam Kennedy, Aaron Sele, Scott Spiezio

Boston -4

Casey Fossum, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Todd Walker

Cleveland -4

Josh Bard, Casey Blake, Milton Bradley, Ben Broussard

Detroit -4

Matt Anderson, Jeremy Bonderman, Eric Munson, Craig Paquette

New York -4

Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Robin Ventura, Jeff Weaver

Chicago -3

Billy Koch, Paul Konerko, Frank Thomas

Kansas City -3

Chris George, Albie Lopez, Michael Tucker

Oakland -3

Mark Johnson, Mark Mulder, Adam Piatt

Toronto -3

Doug Creek, Ken Huckaby, Orlando Hudson

Baltimore -2

Rick Helling, B.J. Surhoff

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
___ l Z summer 2003

Peopl Places Cleveland Clinic Strikes Gold With Silver Medalist

Matt Ghaffari, two-time Olympic team member ('92 & '96) and 1996 Olympic silver medalist in wrestling, is now the Director of National Facilitated Services at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. Ghaffari, the father of four , holds three American records , and on Mayl8th he will be holding an executive MBA degree from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management.

The Greco-Roman wrestler will promote The Cleveland Clinic's executive and sports health programs , as well as the Clinic's medical concierge service His first initiative is Sports Page Plus which is an exclusive service for all U. S. Olympians , coaches, elite sports figures and their families Being an Olympian, he wants to make this service available to you now. The Sports Page Plus offers immediate access to all of the specialties of The Cleveland Clinic for you or the people in your life.

The C leveland Clinic's exclusive Sports Page Plus service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Simply call 1/877-468 -3265 and le ave your name, phone number and medical issue on the voice -mail system This will automatically page a member of our Sports Health Medical Concierge team who will promptly return your ca ll. All information and visits are kept strictly confidential.

The Sports Health Medical Concierge team member can schedule medical appointments , confirm or reschedule airline reservations, arrange private airport pickup or drop off, make hotel or housing arrangements , arrange for leisure activities for families, and arrange for interpreter services.

The Cleveland Clinic understands the importance of giving high-caliber competing and non-competing athletes the special services they need. Each year, Cleveland Clinic Sports Health specialists treat athletes from all across the United States who trave l to the Clinic's campus for its world-class sports medicine and rehabilitation services. Not only is The C leveland Clinic respected for its orthopaedic care but it is also known for exce ll ence in many other specialties, especially the heart center, which is ranked the best in the nation by U. S News & World Report.

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Summer 2003 18

IT 1S NOT TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT A TRIP TO ATHENS

The USOC has partnered with Jet Set Sports and its sister company, CoSport, proud sponsors of the 2004 U.S . Olympic Team, official supporter-level sponsors of the 2004 Olympic Games. As authorized providers of Olympic packages in the U.S , they would like to offer to Alumni and Olympians an exclusive opportunity to purchase Olympic trip packages consisting of hotels and tickets to Athens at discounted rates.

Be there to support the U. S. Olympic Team as the Olympic Games return to their ancient birthplace! Packages are affordable so let CoSport, a leader in Olympic hospitality management, take care of your every need.

To take advantage of this offer please log on to TeamUSAnet, the USOC's virtual Athlete Services Center, to view the packages that include hotels and tickets. (usolympicteam.com/teamusanet) This discount is only open to Olympians, so you will need to utilize a special link from TeamUSAnet to receive the discount pricing.

If you need to register for TeamUSAnet, now wo uld be a great time to do so. We will be placing additional deals and offers exclusively for you from our sponsor family. Also, we now have message boards and other tools to help Alumni stay connected! We only have 280 Alumni registered for the site. We'd like to have more of you so that our Alumni community thrives! To register for TeamUSAnet, go to usolympicteam.com/teamusanet for our registration page.

Colorado Olympians

U.S. OLYMPIAN CHAPTERS

Did you know that the US. Olympians have regional chapters throughout the country? Look/or updates on chapter happenings in fature issues of The Olympian! Ify ou would like to find out what is happening in y our area, contact:

President: Hank Kashiwa (skiing, 1972) (970) 846-5570

Florida Olympians

President: Jim Millns (figure skating, 1976) (813) 979-5608

Georgia Olympians

President: Rocky Lane (boxing, 19 5 6) (770) 963-5903

Hawaii Olympians

President: Chris Woo (swimming, 1976) (808) 597-8197

Indiana Olympians

President: Ollan Cassell (athletics, 1964) (317) 466-0444

Midwest Olympians

President: Willye White (athletics , 1956, '60 , '64, '68, '72) (773) 651-8267

National Capital Area Olympians

President: lair Lynch (gymnastics, 1992, '96) (202) 462-1092

New England Area Olympians

President: Tina Noyes (figure skating, 1964, '68) (781) 862-5575

Northern Cal ifornia Olympians

President: Anne Warner Cribbs (swimming, 1960) (650) 856-3200

Oregon Olympians

President: Clem Eischen (athletics, 1948) (503) 492-2232

Southern California Olympians

President: Charles G. Bittick (waterpolo, 1960) (714) 974-4114

Southwest Olympians

President: Earl Young (athletics , 1960) (214) 219-1439

Tri-States Olympians

President: Otis Davis (athletics, 1960) (201) 392-8448

Utah Olympians

President: Henry Marsh (athletics , 1976, '80, '84, '88) (801) 560-8698

Washington State Olympians

President: Caroline Holmes (gymnastics, 1968) (206) 246-2934

No chapter in your area? Interested in starting a chapter? Contact the Olympic Alumni Relations office for details at (800) 717-7555.

00 0 0
2004
ATHENS
Official Newsletter of the U.S. O lymp ians
jet set sports
_] _ 9 Summer 2003

@?~. The Don Bragg Story

"Boy, did I want to come in first in something. 11

That 10-word sentence captures the essence of Don "Tarzan" Bragg.

He probably uttered those words a few thousand times , to his family, to his neighborhood pals , to everybody within earshot through his growing-up years in Penns Grove , New Jersey.

In his newly published biography, "A Chance to Dare : The Don Bragg St01y," written with Patricia Doherty, Bragg calls Penns Grove - in the wooded marshes near the Delaware River lowlands , west of New Jersey's Pine Barrens , "a great place to grow up if you wanted to live like Huck Finn ."

And he did just that.

At age 8, he saw his first Tarzan movie , and in virtually no time flat became obsessed with the idea that he, too , would someday play the famous Johnny Weissmuller role.

From swinging through the local backyard vines on his personal "Tarzan" set, he pro-

gressed to pole vaulting for Penns Grove High School and Villanova University and , as the incredible Don Bragg Story evolved, the 1960 USA Olympic Team.

He describes his gold -medal vault at Rome Olympic Stadium this way: "It was the hardest I'd ever pulled on the swing up. I half expected the pole to break but it held Then , over the top, pushing off the pole, bearing down with all the strength I had in my arms. Next, disengaging , swinging my arms away from the crossbar with the grace of a maestro conducting his orchestra I landed hard and nearly slid out of the pit.

"The roar from the crowd confirmed what I already knew: the jump was perfect. 11

Don Bragg never did get to play the role of "Tarzan" in the movies but his life has never been short of compelling adventures.

Here's an Olympian's Olympian who's virtually done it all: world traveler, emissary of his nation, businessman, innovator, champion and record-breaker (in the sport of power-lifting as well as pole vaulting) and family man.

Through his glory-filled competition days, Bragg was known as an athlete who pulled no punches. And he pulls no punches in his biography, either - one more reason for followers of the Olympic scene to discover "the story behind the story" of gold medalist Don Bragg.

("A Chance to Dare: The Don Bragg St01y, " 261 pages, paperback, is availableji-om Virtual Bookworm com Publishing, Inc., PO Box 9949, Coll ege Station , Texas 77842.)

Official Newsletter af the U.S. Olympians rpj/ ~~tu
Summer 2003 2 0

Aimed a,t Young People, Book Shares Inspirational Story of Athlete

Tonie Campbell wasn't always destined for athletic greatness. He wasn't always the swift, three-time Olympian that could effortlessly float over hurdles. If one were to play word association when they saw Campbell as a young adult, "Olympian" and "World Champion" wouldn't exactly roll off their tongue. Rather, words like "awkward," "goofy" even. Yet, those childhood memories are what stirred the former World Champion and 1988 Olympic bronze medallist (ll0-meter high hurdles) to try his hand at writing. Those memories led to the creation and now, the release of his first book, The Highest Stand.

Campbell's spokesman in this fictional track and field tale is his main character, Dede Bartholomew Savage III, a kid who has been bullied since the day he put on his first pair of glasses. Let Dede tell you, "I wore glasses the size of CDs, my pants were as tight as my socks, and back then, I couldn't think of one thing that I was even decent at. Most kids in my neighborhood made it their personal duty to remind me that I was a fullfledged nerd. I'll admit, they were right." Yet, this book is not about Dede feeling sorry for himself. Moreover, this is a story about standing up to bullies, chasing down dreams and overcoming hurdles. This is a book about a young man who discovers track and field with the hope that his legs can eventually shut the mouths of the loudest bullies.

The Highest Stand was written for young readers between the ages of 8-14. Campbell's work is the sixth such sports book that has been released in the last twelve months by Scobre Press Corporation, an upstart publishing house in San Diego. The Highest Stand continues and furthers Scobre's mission to become the nation's premier publisher of young adult sports books. Scobre's innovative line of books, which includes a title The Road to the Majors that has already sold over 100,000 copies, are designed to increase literacy and foster young people's dreams. In this day and age when athletes provide more

THE HIGHEST STAND

fodder as convicts than heroes , hasn't the time arrived for a feel good story?

Hence, Tonie Campbell and The Highest Stand.

The Highest Stand is available nationally at all major booksellers and online at www.bamesandnoble com and www.amazon.com.

Official Newsletter af the U.S . Olymp ians.
21 Summer 2003

Alumni News

Bernard E. Berlinger (athletics, 1928) a record-setting decathlon champion at the University of Pennsylvania who earned the prestigious Sullivan Award in 1931 as the nation's best all-around athlete, died on Monday, January 6, 2003 of heart failure at his home in Carversville, Pennsylvania. He was 94. Mr. Berlinger was often called a one-man track team during an athletic career marked by prowess in three sports, scores of championship citations, and a trip to the Olympic Games. He competed in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam and later set so many track and field records that his coach once compared him to Olympian Jim Thorpe. "He never lifted a weight and his practices were not nearly as rigorous as they are today," Mr. Berlinger's son, Barney Jr., said. "He got a rush out of competition. Anything he did, he had to be number one."

Bernard recently celebrated 66 years of marriage to his wife, Marguerite Wagner Berlinger. In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Berlinger is survived by a daughter, Linda Burke, along with seven grandchildren.

W.T. "Billy" Brown (athletics, 1936) founding Chairman of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and one of Louisiana's most heralded athletes and business leaders, died Sunday, December 29, 2002 in Baton Rouge at the age of 84. Death came from natural causes. Brown, a native of Baker, burst onto the athletic scene as a youngster at Baker High School in the mid-l 930s. His track and field exploits earned him a place on the 1936 Olympic Games team where at the time he was one of the youngest competitors in the modern Olympic Games. Dubbed the "Baker Bullet" by Louisiana sportswriters, he was roundly characterized as Louisiana's most outstanding prep athlete his senior year at Baker High School.

Brown's high school accomplishments garnered him national recognition as the 1936 National AAU Junior and Senior HopStep-and-Jump Champion. He repeated as the 1937 Senior Champion and was named to the 1937 National AAU All American High School Track and Field team. Brown went on to a sterling collegiate career at LSU. He set three Southeastern Conference records and won seven SEC titles to lead the Tigers to three consecutive conference championships. Brown graduated from LSU, entered the Navy and served in the Pacific. After the war he joined Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation and retired as Vice President in 1983.

Nicholas Costes (athletics, 1956) of Troy, Alabama, died Saturday, March 15, 2003 from complications of cancer. He was born in Farrell, Pennsylvania on August 3, 1926 to the late George and Eva Costes. He received his Masters degree in education from Boston University and went on to become professor of kinesiology at Troy State University. He was a pioneer in the field of long-distance running with numerous honors including representing the United States in the marathon in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and membership in the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame. He is survived by his daughter, Pam Harris and son-in-law John Harris of Nicholasville, Kentucky and two grandchildren, Lauren and Ryan Harris.

Harry Forbes, a longtime newspaperman, USOC staffer and official in U.S. Olympic boxing and synchronized swimming, died of pneumonia at age 89. He died Sunday, January 19, 2003 at Kindred Hospital, San Antonio, Texas. Forbes was chairman of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Committee and team manager for the 1972 Munich Games . He joined the staff of the U.S. Olympic Committee when he moved from New York to Colorado Springs for two years after his retirement in 1979

Official Newsletter aLthe ~U.S. Olympians
Summer 2003 22
Left to right: Harry Forbes , Kim Gallagher and Robert Helmick

,,--.....

from the Dallas Daily News in New York. In recent years, Forbes was active in synchronized swimming along with his wife, Margaret Swan Forbes, 83, a pioneering coach and official for the sport. He served on the Synchro Board of Governors for several years and was the announcer at many events. A third-generation newspaperman, Forbes graduated from Colgate University in 1935 and joined the Daily News where he was a sportswriter and outdoor columnist before enlisting in the Army in 1941. He served on active duty for 5 ½ years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in the reserves in 1973. After the war, Forbes joined the editorial promotion department of the Daily News where he was responsible for the Golden Gloves, Silver Skates, Harvest Moon Ball and other special events sponsored by the newspaper. He was active in the New York metropolitan and national Amateur Athletic Union and was inducted into the AAU Volunteer Hall of Fame in 1993.

Dennis Harry Fosdick the head men's and women's water polo coach at Occidental College and long-time USA Water Polo volunteer passed away on Saturday, February 1, 2003 at the UCLA Medical Center. He was 63 years old. A native of San Diego, "Foz" was born on February 4, 1939. His family moved to Palo Alto in 1948. He followed graduation from Palo Alto High School by earning bachelor and master's degrees from San Jose State University. "Foz" moved to Texas in the early 1970s where he coached swimming and water polo, eventually landing a job as head coach at Texas A&M where he compiled a water polo record of 189-32-1 with national championship appearances in 1975 and 1977. Fosdick started the university's women's program in the mid- l 970s and enjoyed similar success. While at Texas A&M, he started the Texas State Water Polo Tournament for high school teams. Fosdick refereed and organized all of the championships through 1979, while also promoting clinics at the College Station campus that helped

high school water polo flourish in Texas. The Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association named its MVP prize the "Dennis Fosdick MVP Trophy" last year in recognition of his pioneer legacy. Fosdick moved back to California in 1980 to work with the men's national program and to take the position of head swim coach/assistant water polo coach at Long Beach City College. He was the U.S. team leader for the 1981 World Junior Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games, and the 1988 Olympic Games.

Kim Gallagher (athletics, 1984, '88) a slim but strong runner who overcame endless illnesses to win a silver medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and a bronze in the 1988 Seoul Olympics died on Monday, November 21, 2002 in a Philadelphia Hospital. She was 38 and lived in Oreland, Pennsylvania. The cause of death was a stroke, her husband John Corcoran said. She learned she had colon cancer after the 1988 Olympics and stomach cancer in 1995. In remission from colon cancer, she resumed running and last competed in uhe 1992 United States Olympic trials. She won both Olympic medals in the 800 meters. Gallagher was the only American, female or male, to win an individual track medal in Seoul at a distance longer than 400 meters. Her 1988 Olympic time of 1 minute 56.91 seconds still ranks as the third fastest by an American woman in the 800 meters behind Jearl Miles-Clark (1 :56.40) and Mary Decker Slaney (1 :56.90). Her athletic success was remarkable considering her health. Six months before the 1984 Olympics, she had surgery for multiple ovarian cysts caused by an estrogen imbalance. The condition reappeared until it was finally relieved by hormone treatment. Years later, when colon cancer was diagnosed, Gallagher rejected her doctor's recommendations of surgery and chemotherapy treating it with vitamins, diet and rest. The cancer went into remission then reappeared in 1994. A year later, she said: "I'm fine, I'm

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
2 3 Summer 2003
Left to right: Mike Larrabee , Ben Pluckn ett and Frederick " Fritz" Pollard , Jr

healthy, I'm strong. But I really can't work a full day. I get tired ." Kimberly Ann Gallagher was born June 11, 1964 in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania near Phil a delphia. She is survived by her husband; her 13-year-old-daughter, Jessica Smith; her mother, Barbara of Philadelphia ; and her father, John of Benson , Arizona.

Robert Helmick the former United States Olympic Committee presid ent pa ss ed away on April 15 , 2003 after suffering cardi ac failure at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines , Iowa . He was 66 . Mr. Helmick dedic ated more than 30 years of volunteer service in support of athletes at every level of sport. He served as President of the United States Olympic Committee from 1985-1991 and was USOC president from 1981-1984. On the international level, Mr. Helmick was president of FINAthe international federation for aquatic sports - from 1984-1988 and chairman of the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee from 1972-19 76. "The United States Olympic Committee family is stunned and saddened by the sudden passing of Bob Helmick ," said Acting USOC President Bill Martin "He will be remembered as a man of tremendous vision who dedicated his long service to the USOC and the International Olympic Committee in support of athletes. Bob Helmick will be missed, and the USOC family extends its heartfelt condolences to his family." Mr. Helmick is survived by his wife, Georgia, sons John Helmick and Bob Helmick, and daughters Stephanie Ormsby and Suzanne Book.

Mike Larrabee (athletics , 1964) who defied critics by winning an Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter dash at the unlikely age of 31 , died April 22 , 2003 at his Santa Maria home. He was 69 An avid skier and mountaineer, Larrabee was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago but remained active until recently. Larrabee was a Los Angeles high school teacher when

he traveled to Tokyo in 1964 and ran the greatest race of his life. In sixth place with 200 meters to go in the Olympic fin al, he passed his competitors and hit the finish line in 45 . 1 seconds. The time was two-tenths of a second off the world record he had equaled in the U.S. Olympic trials. "I kept a copy of one story written about me that said I was too old ," Larrabee said at a news conference following his victory. "It's still on my wall. I think I'll take it down now." Larrabee won another gold medal in the 400 relay. He ran the second leg in 44.8 seconds, as the U.S . foursome set a world record of3:00.7. Larrabee is survived by his wife of 47 y ears , Margaret; a daughter, Lis a Larrabee Duncan of Ojai ; a son , Michael Denson Larrabee of Santa Maria, and three grandchildren.

Lou Laurie (boxing, 1936) the bronze medal that Lou Laurie took home from the Berlin Olympics in 1936 was on display at the fo1mer flyweight bo x er's funeral. The medal was shown along with his red , white and blue "U.S.A." robe and other mementos. Laurie, 85 , died on December 26 , 2002 at Beachwood Nursing and He alth Care Center, Cleveland , Ohio He was one of five athletes from Cleveland's East Technical High School to compete in the 1936 Olympics . Teammate Jesse Owens (athletics, 1936) won four gold medals in track events. Dave Albritton (athletics, 1936) won the silver in the high jump, and Jack Wilson (boxing , 1936) did the same in the bantamweight boxing. Ted Kara (boxing, 1936) also performed well by reaching the quarterfinals in featherweight boxing Laurie , who at 18 was the youngest member of the U.S . Boxing Team at Berlin , gave professional boxing exhibitions in Europe. He came home and began a career as a professional boxer but quit after eight fights. He returned to Europe and reentered the ring briefly while serving in the Army during World War II. After the war, Laurie worked as a machinist. He was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Hall of Fame in 1984 Four

Official Newsletter of the U.S. OJympians
Top row (/eh to right) : Coach Hoover Wright, Sarah Hughes and Marion Jones
Summer 2003 24
Bottom row : Deena Drossin and Joetta Clark-Diggs

years later, the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates gave him a sim ilar honor. Survivors include one son , Joseph.

Ben Plucknett (athletics, 1980) a king-sized Midwesterner who broke the world record in the discus throw twice within seven weeks in 1981 only to have both records thrown out because of a positive drug test ,. died at his farmhouse on November 22, 2002 in Essex, Missouri. He was 48. Doctors said Plucknett had suffered a brain aneurysm. At 6 feet 7 inch es and 305 pound s, often wearing a reddish brown beard , Plucknett looked fierce. Actually, he said, he was the opposite. In 1981, he told The New York Times, "I'm a nice guy, Gentle Ben. Part of my troubl e in throwing is that I'm gentle. I'm not aggress iv e enough in the ring." Walte r Harrison Plucknett was born on April 13, 1954 in Beatrice, Nebraska and was raised th ere. After graduation from the University of Missouri , he moved to San Jose, California in 1977 to train with the nation's best discus throwers. He is survived by his mother, Mary Rose Plucknett of Boise , Idaho ; a sister, Dr. an DeRoin of Boi se, and a broth er, John , of Ogallaga, Nebraska

Frederick "Fritz" Pollard, Jr. (athletics, 1936) a winner of the bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdle s in the 1936 Ol ympics in Berlin died on February 15, 2003 in Washington, D.C. He had Alzheimer's disea se. Pollard was born in Springfield, Mass ac husetts. His father, Fritz Pollard , Sr., was the first black coach in the National Footb a ll League. The younger Pollard grew up in Chicago, where he was the city, state and national inter scho lastic champion in the hurdl es as a high sc hool senior. He attended the U niversity ofN01ih Dakota where he was an all -conference selection in football three times and competed in boxing and track In 1939 , he was one of the sc hool's first African-American graduates. In the 1936 Games , he was leading in the 110-meter hurdles but tripped over the next to th e

last hurdle. He still finished third. After serv ing in the Anny durin g World War II , he taught physic a l education in Chicago. He later worke d as human relations commissioner under Mayor Richard J. Daley. During the Kennedy administration, he wo rked for the State Department, coordinating goodw ill visits abroad by U.S. athletes.

Rudy Sabio who died on February 4 , 2003 served as the m anager of many U.S. Weightlifting International teams on their trips abroad, most notably at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. "Of all the people I have met in my life, Rudy Sabio stand s out as one of the mo st fasc inatin g and inspiring. Hi s energy and passion for life le d him into many endeavors. His integrity, his exacting standards for performance and his discipline assured success in all of those endeavors as well as his emerge nc e as a lea der," said Artie Drech s ler. With the pass ing of Rudy Sabio, th e sport of weightlifting, amateur sport and New York City hav e lost one the their greatest friends. To say he will be missed is a grave understatem ent. But hi s memory and his shining example will live on in the mind s and heart s of all who knew him. Farewell Rudy, you have earned your rest. It is now for us , who were fortunate enough to have known yo u , to carry on yo ur ideals. Inspired by your example of truth , dedication and integrity, we will do our level best.

Rusty Wailes (rowing, 1956 , '60) a two-time gold-medal winner, Rusty Wailes of Woodinville, Washington, a rower who never gave up, died dipping hi s oar. He had a heart attack while rowing with friend s on Lake Washington on October 11 , 2002. He was 66. Longtime friend , John Sayre of Anacortes, who rowed with Mr. Wailes in a lo ve ly lak e in the foothills out si de Rome in the 1960 Olympics recalled the four-oared , shell -without-coxswain event. With 500 meters to go, they were far behind the Russians who w ere in first place. Th e thinking was

Official l\lewsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Top row ( le ft to right ): Willie Davenport, Mark Everett, Gwen Torrence and John Naber
25 _Summer 2 003
Bottom row : Mark Reynold s

that all they had to do was hang on for the silver. They cursed and decided that was unacceptable. "Winning the silver is like taking an aspirin . We didn't come all this way to win a silver," he recalled. It was enough to kick the squad into hyper drive, which is pretty much the way Rusty approached life ," Sayre said . Though hi s father and old er brother attended and rowed for the Univer sity of Washington, Rusty yearned to go east. He won an academic scholarship to attend Yale University, where he studied engineering. According to his wife, Lenore "Lynne" "Ru sty didn't get into a shell or touch an oar until he joined the crew at Yale ," she said. "And of course , he loved it ," just as his father and brother before him. He went with seven other students to row for the United States in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne , Australia, and they won the gold medal in an eightoared race.

Henry M Weiss thel984 Olympic Yachting Venue Harbor Master died December 7, 2002 at his convalescent hom e in Long Beach, California. Henry, son of Sidney Weiss and Maad Strump , was born in Boston , Massachusetts where he spent his fo1mative years. At the outbreak of World War II , Henry enlisted in the Seabees where he was later transferred to the U.S. Navy where he served in the South Pacific on the supply ship "Clinton" until the end of the war in 1945. Henry served on the Board of Directors of the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. Henry's hobbies included: cruising the Southern California coastal waters with his family in their sailboat , playing bridge , traveling with his family, dancing, listening to music and attending the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra perfonnances. Henry is survived by his wife Bernice , son, John , and daughter-in-law, Alaine.

Coach Hoover Wright (athletics, 1972) world-renowned coach for track and field at Prairie View A&M University for over 40

years , passed away on Friday, March 7, 2003 at hi s home in Cypress , Texas. Coach Wrig ht served as the Assistant Coach of the United States Men's Track & Field Team - USA vs Russia1971, Assistant Coach of the 1972 United States Olympic Team in Munich , Germany, and w as nominated and selected as the first Assistant Coach for the 1975 U.S. Pan American Team He was the A ssistant Coach and Assistant Manager of the U.S. Team - World University Games in Bucharest , Romania in 1981, and Assistant Coach for the USA Team vs West Germany, Russia, and East Gennany in 1982. Coac h Wright's record of success created a demand for him to share hi s winning formulas at various coaching clinics around the nation, including clinics sponsored by the NAIA and NCAA Track Coac hes Association. He leaves to cherish his memory a loving wife of 49 years, the former Eloise McCreary and four children , Romona , Sondra, Hoover, Jr., Shawneequee and eight grandchildren.

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USA Track & Field named two-time U.S. 10,000m champion Deena Drossin (athletics , 2000) the 2002 Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year Also named were training partners and sprinters extraordinaire Marion Jones (ath letics , 2000) and Tim Montgomery (athletics, 2000) also recip ient s of the 2002 Jesse Owens Awards.

Sarah Hughes (figure skating, 2002) Olympic champion, won the Sulliva n Award as the nation's top amateur athlete , the second straight year a figure skater has taken the prestigious honor Last season's winner was Michelle Kwan (figure skating , 1998, '02).

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Top row (left to r ight): David Robin son , Earl Bell , Tom Dolan and Rulon Gardn e r
Summer 2003 2 6
Bottom row : Rowdy Gaine s

Marion Jones (athletics, 2000) has been nominated for Sportswoman of the Year Award as part of the 2003 Laureus World Sports Awards.

On Feb. 7th, five Olympic team members were inducted into the Millrose Games Hall of Fame for their performances in that prestigious meet.Those honored were: Joetta Clark-Diggs - A seven-time Millrose Games winner, she was also a member of four Olympic teams (1988, 1992, 1996, 2000). The late Willie Davenport - An Olympian at both the Summer and Winter Olympics, Davenport was a hurdler on the 1964, 1968 (gold medalist), 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympic teams and was on the 1980 Winter Olympic team as a bobsledder. He was a five-time Millrose Games champion. Mark Everett - A 10time Millrose Games winner, Everett competed in three Olympics (1988 , 1992, 2000). Marty Liquori - A 1968 Olympian, Liquori won the Millrose Games' famed Wanamaker Mile three-straight times. Gwen Torrence - A winner of seven Millrose Games sprint titles, Torrence, a three-time Olympian and a 1992 champion.

Mark Reynolds (yachting, 1980, '88, '92 , '00) a native San Diegan was honored with a portrait hung in the San Diego Hall of Champions sports museum during the 57th Salute to the Champions Banquet at the Sports Arena. Reynolds won his second gold medal in the Star class during the 2000 Olympics at Sydney, Australia, making him the only skipper to have won two gold medals in the 92-year-old class that has been patiy to all but one Olympics since 1932. Reynolds is also one of two Americans to skipper boats in four different Olympics. He is the on ly skipper to have won go ld medals in the Star class (1992 and 2000 in Spain), and the only American to have won three Olympic medals in sailing (silver in 1988 in South

Korea). "It means a lot to me to be going into the Hall of Champions," Reynolds said upon his return from sailing in an Olympic Classes Regatta in Florida. "I remember going into the Breitbard building in Balboa Park as a young boy and looking at the greats from San Diego Believe me, I never dreamed I'd be one of them."

John Naber (swimming, 1976) was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by Pepperdine University when he addressed their commencement exercises on April 26 , 2003 in Malibu, California.

David Robinson (basketball, 19 88, '92 , '96) announced earlier this year that the 2002-03 NBA season would be his last, the USA's only three-time men's basketball Olympian and one of the NBA's 50 all-time greatest players is calling it quits The San Antonio Spurs honored Robinson's incredible contribution to the sport of basketball at "David Robinson Tribute Night" following the Spurs' March 25th game against Milwaukee.

Jim Scherr (wrestling, 1988) USOC Chief of Sport and Acting CEO, was inducted into the South Dakota Sp01ts Hall of Fame. A 1988 Olympian in freestyle wrestling , Scherr was born in Eureka, South Dakota and is a 1980 graduate of Mobridge High School. While at Mobridge , he bad an 86-20-2 record and was a 1980 state champ at 167 pounds helping the Tigers earn their first state title.

Pole-vaulter Earl Bell (athletics 1976, '84 , 188), middle distance runner Steve Scott (athletics, 1980, '84 , '88), sprinter Gwen Torrence (athletics, 1988, '92, '96) , and race walker Larry Young (athletics 1968, '72) are the 2002 inductees into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame . The Hall of Fame C lass

Official Newsletter af the U.S. Olympians
__ 27_ Summer 2003
Top row (left to right): Mark Grimmette, Anna Kozlova and Patricia Head Summitt Bottom row : Marla Runyan

of2002 was inducted December 6th at the Je ss e Owens H a ll of Fame Awards Banquet presented by the Document CompanyXerox.

Allen James (athletics, 1992 , '96) recently accepted a new position within the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . This position involves a cross-state move from his office in Saratoga Springs , where he served as Director of Community Relations for the Saratoga Region to Niagara Falls . His new title is Director of Marketing and Special Events for the Niagara Region of State Parks, where his office will be located in the nation's first state park , The Niagara Reservation (some call it Niagara Falls State Park) is less than 100 yards from the Falls. The Web Site for the park is: www.niagarafallsstatepark.com.

Tom Dolan (swimming, 1996, '00) winner of two gold medals in Olympic swimming, officially announced his retirement from competitive swimming. "Swimming ha s been a huge part of my life for over twenty years, and I am thankful for the many opportunities it has provided me," said Tom Dolan. "That being said, my asthma and acid reflux are medical conditions that I have been managing for a long time, and I just can't ignore my body telling me that it's time to move out of the pool. This doesn't mean that I am not going to be involved in swimming; I am excited at exploring many opportunities that will keep me involved with the sport that I love. Most importantly though, I plan to transfer my dedication toward winning gold medals to working within the medical and business worlds, to find a cure for asthma and acid reflux- --that's a victory I would take any day."

Rowdy Gaines (swimming , 1980 , '84) a legendary swilmner is leaving his job at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame to return to his first love - swimming. Gaines will become USA Swimming's Chief Fundraising and Almmti Development Officer on July 1 USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming and is headquartered in Colorado Springs , Colorado. The former Aubm11 University star and 1988 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee has served as Education Outreach Director for the ASHOF for six years . The program bas brought around 90,000 schoolchildren to the Hall of Fame for educational and motivational programs called Gaines , Page 3D and lD . Gaines won the gold medal in the 1984 Games in the 100-meter freestyle, the medley relay and freestyle relay. "I'm an Olympian for life," said Gaines "There's no such thing as a former Olympian. I want to get swilnmers to think that way " During Gaines' swimming career, he set eight world records, won 17 U.S National championships and eight NCAA titles. The Winter Haven , Florida native was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. In 1994, he set six records at the World Masters Championships in Honolulu.

Rulon Gardner (wrestling, 2000) Greco -Roman wrestling gold medalist became the l ,000th athlete to register for TeamUSAnet, a web site created exclusively for Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. Produced by the United States Olympic Committee Athlete Programs Division and powered by MONSTER.com, TeamUSAnet (www.usolympicteam.com/teamusanet) is a virtual Athlete Services Center for America's elite athletes

As part of the Verizon Win@School program USA Luge 2003 National Team and 2002 Olympic team athletes Mark

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Summer 2003 2 8
Left to right: Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm and Mari Holden & Dean Golich

Grimmette (luge, 1994, '98, '02) a two-time Olympic medalist and Courtney Zablocki (luge, 2002) will visit with Burlington , Ve rmont students at Milton Elementary School and Edmunds Middle School to deliver motivational messages about their Olympic and World Cup experiences. The Verizon Win @ School program made stops at Gaudet and Narragansett Pier Middle Schools in Providence , Rhode Island. USA Luge 2003 National Team athletes Jonathan Myles and Ashley Hayden (luge, 2002) delivered motivational messages about their Olympic and World Cup experiences.

Bud Keene , a member of the 2002 Olympic snowboard coaching staff and assistant freestyle coach this past season , has been named freestyle head coach.

Anna Kozlova (synchronized swimming, EUN 1992; USA 2000) and Alison Bartosik (synchronized swimming) earned their tickets to Athens by winning the 2003 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Synchronized Swimming Duet to become the first two athletes named to the 2004 U S Olympic Team.

Kim Oden (vo lle yball , 1988, '92) is currently pursuing a masters degree in Counseling Psychology. She is a guidance counselor at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California.

In the best finish for a U.S . runner since 1993, Marla Runyan (athletics, 2000) was fifth in 2 hours , 30 minutes , 28 seconds in the women's race at the 10 7th Boston Marathon Runyan , who is legally blind followed a cyclist who provided her with times at the checkpoints and guided her to her water bottles.

Patricia Head Summitt (basketball , 1976 , coach 1980 , '84) became the first woman to coach 800 basketball victories as her Tennessee Lady Vols downed De Paul 76-57 in Knoxville,

Tem1essee on Tuesday, January 14 , 2003. Summitt joins three men's coaches , retired Dean Smith at North Carolina, the late Adolph Rupp at Kentucky, and Jim Phelan still at Mount St. Mary's, Maryland - as NCAA Division I coaches with 800 v ictories. "We never discussed (800 wins) with the p layers," Summitt said. "We just kept our focus on the game "

Stacey Blumer (skiing, 1998) married Troy Evans on Saturday, April 19 , 2003 in Napa , California at a bed and breakfast ca ll ed Churchill Manor. Troy is a financial advisor with American Express and an athlete - he has competed in a couple of Ironman triathlons and , in the words of one of Stacey's old roommates, "they are perfect for eac h other if for nothing else but to breed sup er-hybrid ath leti c children." Other Olympians present for the ceremony included Lindsay Burns (rowing, 1992, '96) and Ray O'Campo (Philipines , luge , 1988). Stacey and Troy wi ll be enjoying their honeymoon in the Mediterranean cruising along the French Riviera

Nomar Garciaparra (baseball, 1992) and Mia Hamm (soccer, 1996, '00) are engaged to be married. Garciaparra, a two-time American League batting champion, proposed to Hamm , the top scorer in the history of the U.S. women's national team, during the Thanksgiving celebration. Garciaparra played on the 1992 U S. Olympic baseball team that finished fourth in Barcelona Hamm won the gold medal in 1996 and the silver in 2000 for the U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer team.

Mari Holden (cycling , 2000) and Dean Golich are pleased to announce their marriage February 1, 2003 in Aspen, Colorado.

Official Newsletter of the U~S. Olympians
Le ft to r ight : Stacey Blumer & Troy Evan s and Marc Pelchat
2 9 Summer 2003

Tricia Marie Stennes (speedskating, 1988 , '92) married Mark Werda on September 28, 2002. They will continue to live in Marquette, Michigan where they met while attending Northern Michigan University. Tricia moved to Marquette from St. Paul, Minnesota at age 16 to train in her sport.

David DeGraaf (team handball , 1996) and his wife Michelle are happy to announce the birth of their second son, Carter Warren, born on March 14, 2003 at 12: 17 p.m. Carter weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 19 ½ inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. "Life as we knew it has changed again and we are thankful for our new blessing," said Dave when interviewed.

Mary McCagg (rowing, 1992, '96) announced the birth of her daughter Piper Elizabeth who was born on April 11, 2003. Piper weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Mary and Piper are both home and doing very well.

Marc Pelchat (speedskating, 1998, '02) and his wife, Kate, are pleased to announce the birth of Molly Grace born on February 11 , 2003 at 7:53 p.m. The same day Marc skated the 500 meters in Salt Lake City one year earlier. Molly Grace weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 ¾ inches long.

Antonio Pettigrew (athletics, 1992,'02) Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist and current USA Track & Field Athletes Advisory Committee vice chair and his wife, Cassandra, welcomed Antonio Duane Pettigrew, Jr. into the world on April 27, 2003 . Antonio Jr. weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds, 6 ounces and is the couple's first chi ld .

Darcie (Dohnal) Sharapova (speedskating, 1992) and Anton Sharapova announce the arrival of their second child, Nadia, who was born on July 7, 2002. Mom proudly states that, "she is a beautiful , beaming, healthy girl."

Sandra Whyte Sweeney (ice hockey, 1998, '02) Olympic gold medalist and her husband, John, celebrated th e birth of their son, James Edward Sweeney James Edward was born on April 21 , 2003 and weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces.

OLYMPIC ALUMNI NEWS

I have some news to share with or announce to my fellow Olympian Alumni: Please email or fax your latest achievement, promotion, significant life event, marriage, birth, etc, to the Olympic Alumni Relations Office, c/o Cynthia E. Stinger, Manager, fax: 719-866-4917 or email:cindy.stinger@usoc.org

Official Newsletter of the U.S. Olympians
Summer 2003 30
Top row (/eh to right) : Darcie (Dohnal) Sharapova, Antonio Pettigrew and David DeGraaf with sons Justin & Carter Warren. Bottom row: James Edward son of Sandra Whyte Sweeney

DBM You've been a competitor all your life. Whether you are still competing or retired from competition, how do you transfer the skills you learned as an athlete to a winning career in business? Answer: you get some good advice. DBM, the world leader in career transition services, and a partner to the USOC, offers a wide range of services to retired U.S. Olympic athletes. We can help you sort among careers. We can help you with your resume. We can provide a combination of resources and personalized advice that no one else can. Ready to keep competing, keep winning? Put DBM on your team today Call the USOC Athlete Programs Division at 1 800.933.4473, ext. 1 for more information.

Official Newsletter af the U.S. Olympians_
~ iimii'ii E J•...,.. DBM : Official Career Transition Services Supplier to the USOC 31 Summer 2003

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE 2001 - 2004

ACTING USOC PRESIDENT

William C. Martin

USOC VICE PRESIDENT

Herman R. Frazier

USOC VICE PRESIDENT

Paul E. George

USOC VICE PRESIDENT

William (Bill) J. Stapleton

USOC VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER

Frank Marshall

ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/CHIEF OF SPORT PERFORMANCE

Jim Scherr

U.S . OLYMPIAN OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

John Naber (swimming, 1976)

VICE PRESIDENTS

Jeff Blatnick (wrestling, 1980 , '84)

Cathy Ferguson (swimming , 1964)

Willie Banks (athletics , 1980,'84,'88)

Anne Warner Cribbs (swimming, 1960)

Connie Paraskevin-Young (speedskating, 1980, '84/ cycling , 1988, ' 92, '96)

Theresa Andrews (swimming, 1984)

HONORARY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dorothy Langkop (speedskating, 1932)

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Bill Toomey (athletics, 1968)

EDITORIAL STAFF

SENIOR EDITOR

Cynthia E. Stinger (team handball, 1984, '88, '92)

MANAGING EDITOR

Linda J. Nevarez

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Denise O'Shea

51045 OLYMPIC ALUMNI RELATIONS

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTE E 1 OLYMPIC PLAZA

COLORADO SPRINGS , COLORADO 80909-5760

DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 5064

Official Newsletter oHhe U.S. Olympians
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

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