Spring 2010 | The Olympian

Page 1

Spring Issue 2010

A LETTER FROM WILLIE BANKS

U.S. Olympians President

Dear U S Olympians Association Members :

We stand for so mething!

Dick Fosbury, Gary Hall, Sr. and I visited the nation's capital last week on behalf of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympian's Association Working with Desiree Filippone and Karen Irish of the USOC's Government Relations Office , we visited several congressional offices to thank them for the support they have given the USOC over the years , particularly the Olympic Scholars hip Program that fund s scholarships for athletes livin g at the Olympic Training Centers while trying to complete their college credits toward a degree. Additionally, we promoted the World Fit program and asked Congress to support the program with a Congressional Resolution. During thi s tour I had what some might call an "aha moment". It finally struck me what the real responsibility of our organization is ... to protect the value, wo1th and image of the Olympic Movement.

To some Olympians this was obvious. In fact, I had mentioned this before in the respon se to issues raised last year surrounding the Chicago 2016 di sa ppointment. But it wasn't until I visited Washington and began to promote Olympism that it finally hit me that it was my duty to "affirmatively" protect , promote and increa se the value of " being an Olympian". Any Olympian that believes they have no affirmative duty to support the movement really doe sn't understand that their reputa tion is on the line every time a negative comment tarnishes the good name of the rings. In the age of Wikipedia , an Olympian can't escape the fact that they ARE an Olympian. If the "Olympic brand" is tarnished, we all are tarnished. When you introduce yourself as an Olympian, you expect people to acknowledge your accomplishments with awe and respect. What would ha ppen if we al low the Movement to s putter or become cheap? Most people associated with the Movement can walk away without any repercussions. But not an Olympian. You are an Olympian for life and you will always be perceived based on the value of the Olympic brand. Just like the inscription on the back of the keychain you should have received last month, "O nce an Olympian Always an Olympian, Never Former Never Past".

So, whether we like it or not , we are the guardians of what is good in thi s Movement. As such, we mu st be prepared to challenge any person or organization that might brin g s hame on the Rings. We need to promote the Ideals of the movement so that new generations will know how s pecial Olympians are.

Fortunately, we have programs like the World Fit progra m that gives Olympians the opportunity to visit middle schools with a message of fitness and Ol y mpism

Over the next few weeks 20 schools in six states will be participating in this U.S. Olympian created program Thousands of kids will be logging hundreds of thousands of mile s for their school in competition with other schools around the country. In the future, as part of your obligation as an Olympian, I hope that you, too , will heed the call to adopt a middle school in your community and encourage kids to stay fit and learn about the Olympic Ideals. Visit www.worldfit.com for more information on our program

L TO R: WILLIE BANKS, DONNA DE VARONA, ELIZABETH SEARS SMITH, DEPUTY ' ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY CABINET SECRETARY, Finally, it is not often that a person can get inspiration GARY HALL, SR , DR. SHALE L. WONG, O FFICE OF from the obvious but it happened to me. It is sometimes difficult to see the deep meaning in things that you do. THE FIRST LADY, DICK FOSBURY

But, I know from my experience in Washington that I will forever be more vigilant about the way the Olympic brand is perceived .

9 www.teamusa.org

2010 U.S. OLUMPIC TERM

Gold Medallists

BOBSLED & SKELETON

MEN'S FOUR-MAN BOBSLED

Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) , Steve Mesler (Buffalo, N. Y.) , Curt Tomasevicz (Shelby, Neb.) , Justin Olsen (San Antonio, Texas)

SKI -ALPINE

MEN'S ALPINE SKIING SUPER COMBINED

Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.)

WOMEN'S ALPINE SKIING DOWNHILL

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.)

SNOWBOARD

MEN'S SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE

Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.)

MEN'S SNOWBOARDCROSS

Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, Maine)

Evan Lysacek
U:;:mQ-u_JL...iJ MPIC WINTER GAMES e VANCOUVER. CANADA e FEBRUARY 12-28

2010 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM

SKI - FREESTYLE

WOMEN'S FREESTYLE SKIING MOGULS

Hannah Kearney (Norwi ch, Vt )

SKI - NORDIC COMBINED

NORDIC COMBINED INDIVIDUAL LH/1 0KM

Bill Demong (Vermontville, N. Y.)

FIGURE SKAT ING

MEN'S FIGURE SKATING

Evan Lysacek (Naperville , Ill.)

SPEEDSKATING - LONG TRACK

MEN'S LONG TRACK SPEEDSKATING 1000M

Shani Davis (Chicago, Ill.)

Shani Davis
2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES e VANCOUVER . CANADA * • * • * amazing awaits
Lindsey Von

2 a 1 a U.S. OL~MPIC TEAM

Silver Medallists

FIGURE SKATING

ICE DANCING

Meryl Davis (West Bloomfield, Mich.), Charlie White (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

ICE HOCKEY

WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY

USA

Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.), Karen Thatcher (Blaine, Wash.), Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N .D.), Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.), Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.), Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn ), Natalie Darwitz (Eagan, Minn.), Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.), Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej (Eagle River, Wis.), Angela Ruggiero (Simi Valley, Calif.), Caitlin Cahow (Branford, Conn.), Molly Engstrom (Siren, Wis.), Lisa Chesson (Plainfield, Ill.), Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), Kerry Weiland (Palme r, Alaska), Molly Schaus (Natick, Mass.), Brianne McLaughlin (Sheffield Village, Ohio), Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.)

Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane, ,.dd Lodwick, Brett Camerota

MEN'S ICE HOCKEY

USA

Zach Parise (Prior Lake, Minn./New Jersey Devils), Ryan Malone (Pittsburgh, Pa./Tampa Bay Lightning), Jamie Langenbrunner (Cloquet, Minn./New Jersey Devils), Joe Pavelski (Plover, Wis./San Jose Sharks), Ryan Kesler (Livonia, Mich./Vancouver Canucks), Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn./New York Rangers), Ryan Callahan (Rochester, N. Y./ New York Rangers), Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./ Colorado Avalanche), Dustin Brown (Ithaca, N. Y./ Los Angeles Kings), David Backes (Blaine, Minn./ St. Louis Blues), Bobby Ryan (Cherry Hill, N.J./ Anaheim Ducks), Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./ Toronto Maple Leafs), Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N. Y./ Chicago Blackhawks), Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Los Angeles Kings), Tim Gleason (Clawson, Mich.ICarolina Hurricanes), Erik Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./St. Louis Blues), Ryan Whitney (Scituate, Mass.IAnaheim Ducks), Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./Nashville Predators), Brian Rafalski (Dearborn, Mich./Detroit Red Wings), Brooks Orpik (San Francisco, Calif.!Pittsburgh Penguins), Jonathan Quick (Hamden, Conn./Los Angeles Kings), Tim Thomas (Flint, Mich./Boston Bruins), Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich./Buffalo Sabres)

SKI-ALPINE

WOMEN'S ALPINE SKIING DOWNHILL

Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, Calif.)

WOMEN'S ALPINE SKIING SUPER COMBINED

Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, Calif.)

MEN'S ALPINE SKIING SUPER-G

Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.)

SKI - FREESTYLE

MEN'S FREESTYLE SKIING AERIALS

Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, Idaho)

SKI - NORDIC COMBINED

NORDIC COMBINED INDIVIDUAL NH/1 0KM CC

Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)

NORDIC COMBINED TEAM 4X5KM

United States

Brett Camerota (Park City, Utah),

Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Bill Demong (Vermontville, N. Y)

NORDIC COMBINED INDIVIDUAL LH/1 0KM

Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)

SNOWBOARD

WOMEN'S SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE

Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.)

SPEEDSKATING - SHORT TRACK

MEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING 1500M

Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, Wash.)

WOMEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING l 000M

Katherine Reutter (Champaign , lll.)

SPEEDSKATING - LONG TRACK

MEN'S LONG TRACK SPEEDSKATING 1500M

Shani Davis (Chicago, Ill.)

MEN'S LONG TRACK SPEEDSKATING TEAM PURSUIT

United States

Brian Hansen (Glenview, Ill.), Chad Hedrick (Spring, Texas), Jonathan Kuck (Champaign, Ill.), Trevor Marsicano (Ballston Spa, N. Y.)

;~
~WINTER GAMES e VANCOUVER, CANAOA e FEBRUARY 12-28

2 a 1 a U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM

Bronze Medallists

BOBSLED & SKELETON

WOMEN'S BOBSLED USA II

Erin Pac (Farmington, Conn.), Elana Meyers (Douglasville, Ga.)

SKI -ALPINE

MEN'S ALPINE SKIING SUPER-G

Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N. Y.)

WOMEN'S ALPINE SKIING SUPER-G

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.)

SKI - FREESTYLE

WOMEN'S FREESTYLE SKIING MOGULS

Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, Calif.)

MEN'S FREESTYLE SKIING MOGULS

Bryon Wilson (Park City, Utah)

MEN'S ALPINE SKIING SUPER-G

ode Miller (Franconia, N.H.)

-,NOWBOARD

MEN'S SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE

Scott Lago (Seabrook, N.H.)

WOMEN'S SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE

Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, Vt.)

SPEEDSKATING - SHORT TRACK

MEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING 1500M

J.R. Celski (Federal Way, Wash.)

MEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING l 000M

Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, Wash.)

WOMEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING 3000M RELAY

United States

Allison Baver (Sinking Spring, Pa.), Alyson Dudek (Hales Corners, Wis.), Lana Ghering (Glenview, Ill.), Katherine Reutter (Champaign, Ill.), Kimberly Derrick (Memphis, Tenn.)

MEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING 5000M RELAY

United States

J.R. Celski (Federal Way, Wash.), Travis Jayner (Midland, Mich.), Jordan Malone (Denton , ~xas) , Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, Wash )

SPEEDSKATING - LONG TRACK

MEN'S LONG TRACK SPEEDSKATING l 000M

Chad Hedrick (Spring, Texas)

2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES e VANCOUVER. * * * * * amaz i ng awaits

2 a1 a U.S. PARALYMPIC TEAM

Gold Medallists

ALPINE SKIING

WOMEN'S DOWNHILL - SITTING

Alana Nichols (Farmington, N.M.)

WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM - SITTING

Alana Nichols (Farmington, N.M.)

WOMEN'S SUPER COMBINED - SITTING

Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah)

SLED HOCKEY

Joe Howard (Kingston, Mass.), forward

Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.), goaltender

Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.), defense

Jimmy Connelly (Galloway, N./.), defense

Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa), forward Brad Emmerson (Amherst, N. Y.), forward Tim Jones (Mt. Ephraim, N.J.), defense

Taylor Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas), forward Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N. Y.), forward

Mike Blabac (Buffalo, N. Y.), goaltender Nikko Landeros (Berthoud, Colo ), defense

Adam Page (Lancaster, N. Y.), defense

Josh Pauls (South Plainfield; N.].), defense

Greg Shaw (Park City, Utah), forward Bubba Torres (Riverside, N,J.), forward

2010 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES •
VRNCOUVEA. CRNRDR e MARCH 12-21

2010 U.S. PARALYMPIC TEAM

Silver Medallists

ALPINE SKIING

MEN'S DOWNHILL - VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Mark Bathum (Seattle, Wash.)

WOMEN'S SLALOM - SITTING

Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah)

WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM - SITTING

Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah)

WOMEN'S SUPER G COMBINED - SITTING

Alana Nichols (Farmington, N.M.)

WOMEN'S DOWNHILL - SITTING

Laurie Stephens (Wenham, Mass.)

~ Bronze Medallists

ALPINE SKIING

WOMEN'S SUPER COMBINED - SITTING

Alana Nichols (Farmington, N.M.)

WOMEN'S DOWNHILL - VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Danelle Umstead (Taos, N.M.)

WOMEN'S SUPER COMBINED - VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Danelle Umstead (Taos, N.M.)

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING & BIATHLON BIATHLON PURSUIT

Andy Soule (Pearland, Texas)

* * * * * amazing awaits
Mark Bathum
VRNCOUVER. CRNROR e MARCH 12-21
Danelle Umstead

On February 10, 2010, about fifteen members of the International Society of Olympic Historians and about ten more guests, gathered for the ISOH 2009 Award ceremony at the Salt Tasting Room in Gastown, Vancouver B.C., Canada. Gastown is among the oldest parts of this fabulous city.

At 11 : 10 hrs, the Secretary-General of the ISOH Tony Bijkerk opened the meeting with a word of welcome to all, but especially to the three recipients: Robert K. Barney; Bud Greenspan and C. Robert Paul. He then gave the floor to ISOH President Karl Lennartz, who started with an apology for the fact that he had to do the presentation without the availability of a beamer and a screen for his power point presentation.

Dr. Lennartz also welcomed all attendees, but especially Mr. Walter Troger from Germany, Honorary Member of the 1.O.C., and Mr. Philip Blanchard, who represented the I.O.C.

He started with the first honoree: Robert K Barney; since 1996 Professor Emeritus ofKinesiology at the University of Western Ontario and the longtime Director of the Jnternational Centre for Olympic Studies at his University. He then gave a full description of Bob Bar-

VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ISOH, DAVID WALLECHINSKY PRESENTS THE COVETED ISOH VIKELAS PLAQUE 2009 TO C. ROBERT PAUL

ney's career in sports history; his many achievements both as a sportsman and as a scientist and gave a full overview of all the distinctions Bob Barney received during his long career He finally presented Bob Barney with the ISOH Award 2009.

Then he gave the floor to Vice-President of the JSOH David Wallechinsky, who gave a report on Bud Greenspan's long and distinguished

career as a journalist and especially as the ,.. mous maker of the Olympic films, starting with the "Sixteen Days of Glory" from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and continuing up to the present in Vancouver. With a personal remembrance, he then presented Bud Greenspan with the ISOH-Vikelas Plaque 2009.

David Wallechinsky then turned to Bob Paul and told the audience about the long and distinguished career of Bob Paul, as the man in charge of media relations

BUD GREENSPAN ~or th e United S~ Olympic Committee, who had been instrur ta! in getting him self, David Wallechinksy, involved in writing down Olympic statistics; but also that he , Bob Paul, had been the man who aided Bud Greenspan on his path to his personal Olympic glory in filming.

Vice-President Wallechinsky then presented Bob Paul with the coveted ISOH Vikelas Plaque 2009.

All three recipients of the awards also received a framed diploma and a booklet containing the description of the two awards; the names of the previous recipients from 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; a short biography of the designer and maker of the awards and the personal information used for all five recipients of the two awards for 2009.

Both Allen Guttmann (JSOH Award 2009) and Harold K. "Rusty" Wilson (ISOH Vikelas Plaque 2009) had received their awards earlier, because they had not been able to come over to Vancouver for the occasion.

Spring Issue 2010 Official Newsletter of the U.S.Olympians

r a three-week long election in the Vancouver and Whistler Athlete Villages , Olympians from around the world elected U.S. Olympic ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero as one of two individuals selected to represent all Olympic athletes on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes ' Commission. The other individual to be elected was skeleton athlete Adam Pengilly from Great Britain.

ANGELA RUGGIERO

The commission , which meets once or twice a year, serves as a consultative body and is the link between active athletes and the IOC. The commission represents athletes within the Olympic Movement and also upholds the rights and obligations of the athletes

"It is a tremendous honor to be voted by my fellow Olympians to become a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission " Ruggiero said "l want to thank everyone who has put their faith and trust in me to represent them I will do all I can to be a good ambassador of the Olympic Movement and represent athlete issues to the - not just from North America - but from around the world. "

The appointment of Ruggiero and Pengilly will be for eight years and allows them to become full-fledged members of the IOC.

"I am so happy for Angela as this is something she's been passionate about for a long time," said Natalie Darwitz, captain of the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team. "I ' ve had the privilege of having Angela as a teammate at three Olympics and have seen the leadership qualities she's brought to the sport of women's ice hockey in the United States for many years. I know she'll be a fantastic leader on the IOC Athletes' Commission."

"We are very proud of Angela for the way she represents herself, her sport and the United States both on and off the ice," said Scott Blackmun, CEO of the United States Olympic Committee. "I cannot think of anyone better to represent the athletes at the IOC."

Olympic medalist and graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in government. She has been involved in many charitable causes including: ProSports MVP Olympic Heroes To_ur, Charles B.

Wang Ice Hockey "Project Hope ", Right to Play and is a board member of the Women ' s Sports Foundation. ln

2004, ESPN .com named her one of the top-16 female athletes in the world.

"I am very excited about this impo1tant responsibility and am honored to be among such high-esteemed Olympians and leaders in the worldwide Olympic movement ," Ruggiero said. "To receive this kind of an honor and play in the gold medal game with my teammates is the pinnacle of my career as an Olympian."

Current IOC Athletes' Commission

Mr. Frank Fredericks. Chairman

HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein

Mr. Robert Balk

Ms Claudia Bokel

Ms Charmaine Crooks

Ms Yaping Deng

Ms Manuela Di Centa

Mr Hicham El Guerrouj

Dr. Rania Elwani

Ms Barbara Kendall

Mr. Saku Koivu

Mr. Dae Sung Moon

Mr. Alexander Popov

Ms Yumilka Ruiz Luaces

Ms Rebecca Scott

Ms Pernilla Wiberg

Mr. Pedro Yang

Mr. Jan Zelezny

Previous U.S. IOC Athletes' Commission Members

Edwin Moses. Track & Field

Bob Ctvrtlik. Volleyball

www.teamusa.org C'U 6 US. 0L1'NPfC T£AN &A

Are you an artist?

Are you interested in art? Do you know about Art of the Olympians? Al Oerter (track and field) started this organization to demonstrate the relationship between art and sport to the general public and feature artwork by Olympian artists. Olympians with featured work include Bob Beamon (track and field), Joe Dube (weightlifting), Larry Young (track and field), and Skip Cutting (cycling). Art of the Olympians invites any Olympian who is also an artist to consider joining. The Art of the Olympians Museum and the Al Oerter Center of Excellence are located at 1300 Hendry Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901. Telephone: 239-332-5055. http ://www. artoftheolympians. com/index.php

Olympians for Olympians Relief Fund

The Olympians for Olympians ReliefF-und was established to provide financial assistance and other support to Olympians and their families in time of need. For more information, take a look at the web site at www.oorforg. The OORF web site has links to the OORF Board if you would like to contact them to discuss any situation in confidence.

If you know an Olympian who is in temporary financial distress because of a medical situation or hardship, encourage him/her to take a look at the OORF web site. This

Can you sing, do standup

comedy, play a musical instrument, or perform

magic tricks?

If you have been looking for a way to showcase your entertainment talent , here is a way to do that while participating in a national service event at the same time . The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is producing their annual MDA Telethon in Las Vegas on September 5 and 6, and is looking for Olympians and other sports stars that have also developed talents as entertainers. Bart Conner (1984 gymnastics) is a talent scout for the telethon, and would like to know of your interest in participating. You can contact Bart directly at: bartconner@mac.com or cell phone 405-590-1679 with your questions and expressions of interest. If your act is selected, support is available for your travel to Las Vegas.

Changing Contact Information

Over the past few mon t hs, a number of Olympians have retired, changed jobs, or moved to a new place to live. It is important to keep our contact information up to date. lf your postal address, email address, or telephone numbers have changed, please

send the new information to Christine Taylor at chris.taylor@usoc.org. Thanks to those

assistance just might be what is needed. 1 of you who keep us informed of your new

contact information

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
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- Please keep your information current! I\ ., -. :. ....... I
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SAVE THE DATE USOA ANNUAL MEETING & OLYMPIC ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2010 - COLORADO SPRINGS, CO Official Newsletter of the U.S.Olympians _t,,..;.i:.. ·1 .• '- I tr,,,i .l-I - I·! ... 11 ti 11

L. ... cape from Manchuria

Son Relates Father's Role in Rescue of 1. 7 Millionfi·om Manchuria

Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Paul K. the compelling true story of the rescue and repaMaruyama recalls his father's part in prevention triation of nearly 1.7 million Japanese that began of a human catastrophe of historic magnitude in almost a year after the surrender of Japan. Manchuria after WWII

About the Author -

In the closing days of WWII, the Soviet Union attacked and occupied Japanese-controlled northern China, then called Manchuria. Immediately,

Esrcape Man°cliuria

Paul K. Maruyama, Lt. Col., USAF (Retired), was born in Tokyo in 1941. Trapped with his family in Manchuria when WWII ended, he and h-is family were not repatriated

misery and death from cold, hunger, disease, and brutality descended upon the Japanese civilians at the PAULK MARUYAMA JUDO, 1964 to Japan until Janhands of the uary, 1947. Having Soviet Army and competed in the 1964 Olympics (together with revenge-seek- teammate Ben Nighthorse Campbell) and filled ing mobs and the role as Head Coach of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. bandits. Nearly Olympic Teams in the sport of Judo, Maruyama 2,500 Japanese now teaches Japanese language and history at died daily. Colorado College and lives with his wife, LaRae, in Monument, Colorado.

Three courageous men embarked on a secret mission and escaped to Japan to eventually bring an Escape from Manchuria · March 2010 • 5.5 x 8.5 • 436 pages end to the Manchurian nightmare. In Escape from Availablefrom: www.iUniverse.com, www.bn.com, Manchuria (published by iUniverse), Paul K. andwww amazon.com Maruyama, Lt. Col., USAF (Retired), the son of Paperback· ISBN: 9781450205795 • $27.95 one of the three men, narrates for Western readers Dust Jacket Hardcover • ISBN: 9781450205818 • $37.95

'"
Citius, Altius, Forti us ... swifter, higher, stronger.

IN MEMORIAM

Wayne Collett (athletics, 1972)

Wayne Collett, a runner who won a s ilver medal for the United States in the 1972 Munich Olympics and who was then judged to have acted so disrespectfully during the medal ceremony that the International Olympic Committee barred him as a competitor for life , died on March 17, 2010. He was 60 and lived in Los Angeles.

His death , at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, was caused by cancer, said Mark

Dellims, the sports information director for U.C.L.A., where Collett had been a track and

In the previous Olympics, in 1968 in Mexico City, the runners Tommie Smith and John C both African-Americans, had staged a demonstration during a medal ceremony to protest treatment of blacks in the United States . Olympic officials feared a repetition in Munich.

There , as "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played, Matthews and Collett, also AfricanAmericans, did not face the flag . They stood casually, hands on hips , their jackets unzipped. They chatted and fidgeted. When the anthem ended and they climbed off the stand, the crowd booed Matthews twirled his medal and Collett gave a black power salute.

The 1.O .C. called it a "disgusting display" and barred them . Collett defended his actions many times. "I couldn't stand there and sing the words because I don ' t believe they 're true ," he once said, adding, " I believe we have the potential to have a beautiful country, but I don't think we do. "

l.n I 992, he told The Los Angeles Times : " I love America. I just don 't think it's lived up to its promise. I' m not antiAmerican at all. To suggest otherwise is to not understand the struggles of blacks in America at the time. "

With Matthews and Collett barred and Smith injured, the United States was short-handed and withdrew from the 4x400-meter relay, in which it would have been a strong favorite.

him that to his face, but I love him just as much as before the Olympics." He called Collett "the greatest ath lete I ever coached ."

At the 1972 United States Olympic trials , Collett ran the fastest 400 time at sea level to that point.

After returnin g from Munich , Jim Bush , Collett's coach at U.C.L.A ., defended him , telling Track & In 1972 , Collett and his U.C. L.A. teammate John Field New s, " I was disappointed in him and told Smith were favored in the Olympic 400-meter dash. They advanced to the final a long with Vince Matthews, another American. Matthews won the gold medal in 44.66 seconds, Collett finished second in 44.80 and Smith was injured early in the race and did not fini s h.

ALUMNI NEWS
field star.
Spring Issue 201 O
Official Newsletter of the U.S Olympians

A U C.L A , at 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds, he lose to a world-record time in the 400-meter and 440-yard dashes and the 440-yard hurdles. He competed for U.C.L.A. from 1968- 71, winning Pac-8 titles in the 440-yard intermediate hurdles and the 440-yard dash. He anchored three consecutive N.C.A.A. championship relay teams.

He was born on Oct. 20, 1949, in Los Angeles, where he took up track in high school.

At U.C.L.A., he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1971 , an M.B.A in 1973 and a law degree in 1977. He worked in a law practice and real estate and mortgage businesses. In 1992, he was elected to the U.C.L.A. Athletics Hall of Fame.

His survivors include his wife, Emily; his sons Aaron and Wayne II; and his mother, Ruth.

Otis Paul Drayton (athletics, 1964)

The Villanova graduate who sprinted to gold and silver medals at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, is remembered as one of the greatest competitors in the Wi Id cats' ~-filled track and field history.

After running a close second to American teammate Henry Carr in the 200-meter dash in the 1964 Tokyo final, Drayton ran the leadoff leg on the U.S. 4x 100meter relay team, anchored by Bob Hayes, that won in the world-record time of 39 seconds flat.

Drayton, 70, who was always known as Paul, died of cancer March 2, 20 IO in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

"We were friends, we were roommates, we were teammates, and we were competitors," said Frank Budd of Mount Laurel, N.J ., himself an Olympian - who ran the I 00 meters and the 4x I 00 relay at the 1960 Rome Games.

"Paul was one of the very best sprinters of his day, if not the best. He ran, and was great at everything from the 55 and 60-yard dashes indoors, to the 100 yards and I 00 meters outdoors, to the 220 (yards) and 200 (meters) outdoors, to tremendous legs on our mile relay.

"Every workout we had was all-out That was the way (Coach James) Jumbo (Elliott) did it. We never took it easy on each other. "Once, we were doing back-to-back 300s , I remember Jumbo and Mr. T. (assistant coach Jim Tuppeny) looking at their watches, then telling us we ran faster than the world record - twice."

Budd first tied the world record for the I 00-yard dash by running 9.3 in 1961, then lowered it to 9.2 in 1962. Budd also set a world record of 20 seconds flat for the straightaway 220 in 1962. Drayton was almost always there, close behind.

By the fall of 1962, Budd had turned to pro football, but Drayton continued in track.

He won the National AAU 220 championship in 1961 (21.0 seconds) and 1962 (20.5), then shared the 1963 title with Carr (both at 20.4) and ran second to Carr in 1964, both timed in 20.6. His I 00-yard best was 9.3.

A member of the All-Army team, Drayton won the 200 at the 1964 Final Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, crossing the line in 20.4.

At the Tokyo Games, Drayton led the way through the first three rounds, clocking 20.7, 20 9 and 20.5. But, in

ALUMNI NEWS
PAUL DRAYTON
Olympic Ideals: Vision, Focus, Commitment, Persistence, Discipline

the final, Carr edged past him around the turn and won in the Olympic record time of20.3 , with Drayton second in 20.6.

The 4xl00 relay final four days later saw Drayton team with Gerald Ashworth, Richard Stebbins and Hayes to win in 39.0 over Poland and Germanyerasing one of his own records in the process. The team of Hayes Jones, Budd, Charles Frazier and Drayton had run 39 . 1 at Moscow in 1961.

Drayton was also a member of four Penn Relays championship teams at Villanova.

Lie

HENRY WITTENBERG

" Paul just busted it, every time he got the baton for us ," remembers Bob Raemore of Indiana, Pa., who ran on each of those Penn-winning teams.

"He usually ran the mile relay leadoff for us indoors, and anchored outdoors I'll never forget the Philadelphia Inquirer Indoor Games one year. Paul passed off in the lead , then fell into

the infield as he did it. He was still there, on the ground , when we finished " He looked up at us, still dazed, still hurt , ar the only thing he asked was ' did we win?' " l h e answer, of course, was "yes ."

After his Army service , Drayton returned to his native C leveland , and served as a deputy project director for the city's recreation department. He is survived by wife Jeune R Drayton, and stepson Walter McCormick.

Henry Wittenberg (wrest lin g , 1948 , ' 52)

Henry Wittenberg, an Olympic gold and silver medalist who became one of America ' s greatest amateur wrestlers while he was a New York City police officer, died on March 9 , 2010 at his home in Somers , N .Y. He was 91.

As a teenager , Wittenberg was devoted to chess and swimming. It was not until he arrived at City College that he turned to wrestling He became a collegiate star, and after graduating in 1940, he dominated national and intern ational freestyle wrestling in his weight gn He went undefeated in more than 300 consecutive matches during the 1940s, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame .

With World War II forcing the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, Wittenberg missed out on a chance for medals in his physical prime

But after serving in the Navy, he won the light heavyweight (191.5 pounds) freestyle wrest lin g gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics. He won a silver medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games after Wiking Palm of Sweden, the go ld-med al winner, ended his unbeaten streak

Wittenberg won eight national Amateur Ath letic Union championships , his last one in April 1952. He coached wrestling at Yeshiva University and City College, and he was the coach of the United

ALUMNI NEWS
Spring Issue 201 0 Official Newsletter of the U S Olympians

States Greco-Roman wrestling team at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. He was inducted into the Wrestling Hall me in Stillwater, Okla ., in 1977.

Wittenberg trained for his matches by running to the top rows at City College's Lewisohn Stadium, leaping over the seats to strengthen his legs, and he lifted weights, an unorthodox regimen at the time

"l was one of the first weight-lifting wrestlers," he told Mike Chapman for his book "Wrestling Tough" (2005). "I had weights at home and lifted very seriously, several times a week "

Wittenberg recalled that Art Griffith, the coach of the 1948 United States Olympic freestyle wrestlers , ''told the team he didn't want any ofus lifting weights because it would make us muscle bound . "

But , he added , "I told him I was going to lift anyway, and he said, 'O.K ., but don't let the other guys see you doing it.' "

Henry Wittenberg was born on Sept. 18, 1918, in Jersey City While at Dickinson High School he was captain of ~hess team and loved to swim but could not make :r turns in the pool.

His instructor, Wittenberg told The New York Times long afterward, said "Kid, forget it. You'll never be a swimmer. You've got no intestinal fortitude. You know what that means ? You ' ve got no guts "

But Wittenberg was hardly discouraged. At City College , he became a protege of Joe Sapora, the wrestling coach and a former N C A.A champion at the University of Illinois.

After competing in the N.C.A.A. national championships, Wittenberg went to Columbia University ' s Teache rs College. He r eceived a master's degree in 1941 and s ought a teaching job , but there were few openings , so he became a police officer. He recalled winning five citations for bravery, one of them for disarming a holdup man wielding an ax and a gun on a Manhattan rooftop. He retired as a sergeant in 1954 .

Notwithstanding Wittenberg ' s wrestling achievements, an Olympic Games staged long after his competitive ye a rs tempered his love for the Olympic movement.

Wittenberg had been a two-time wrestling champion at the Maccabiah Games in Israel, the international competition for Jewish athletes.

He visited Jerusalem before the 1972 Munich Olympics, giving pointers to the Israeli wrestling team On the night of Sept. 4 , 1972, Wittenberg and his wife, Edith, spent time at a Munich hotel with their friend Yosef Gutfreund , an Israeli wrestling referee.

The next day, Gutfreund and IO fellow Israelis athletes and coaches were killed when Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic village.

" The whole concept of the Game s was turned up s ide down , " Wittenberg told Newsday 20 years later. " It was murder for political reasons. People go to war and get killed, all right. The Olympics were fun."

Wittenberg is survived by his son, Michael , of Pleasantville , N.Y.; his daughter, Susan Wittenberg, of Manhattan; and two grandsons. His wife, a former New York City police officer who fenced at Hunter College and coached women ' s fencing at City College, died in 2008.

When Wittenberg reigned as an Olympic champion, professional wrestling was a staple of television's early years. Vern Gagne , whom Wittenberg defeated in the finals of the 1948 Olympic trials , became a popular pro. But Wittenberg had no interest in the hair-pulling and stamping of the pro circuit, however lucrative.

" I was a wrestler," he told The Times. "I wasn't an actor. "

"Excellence implies more than just being good ... it implies a striving for the highest possible standards."
- Dennis Conner, Olympion, Yachting
I ALUMNI NEWS
.,,.---.....
Olympic Ideals: Vision, Focus, Commitment, Persistence, Discipline

Arizona Olympians &Paralympians

President : Mike Troy {swimming, 1960) \406) 2~7-1.11

Colorado Olympians &Parolympians

President: Gene Kotlarek (skiing, 1960, '64) (303)-807 ~3911 •

Florida Olympians

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)e92:b~~gs~illns l\igure

sko1in9, '976)

Hawaii Olympians

President: Michael Rothwell (soiling, 1976) (808) 737-8789

Idaho Olympians & Porolympians

President: Dick Fosbury (athletics, 1968) {208) 720 -2352

Indiana Olympians

President: Ollon Cossell (athletics, 1964) (317) 466-0444

Michigan Olympians & Parolympians

President : Judi Brown Clarke (athletics, 1984) (517) 881-6710

Midwest Olympians & Paralympians

President : Diane Simpson Bundy {rhythmic gymnastics, 1988) (847) 452 -7843

Missouri/Illinois Olympians & Paralympians

President: John Corenzo (soccer, 1972) (314) 846-4124

National Capital Area Olympians

President : Arlene Limas (toekwondo, 1988) (540) 720 -1988

New England Area Olympians

President: John Thomas (athletics, 1960, '64) (508) 584 -7474

Northern California Olympians

President: Greg Mossialas (fencing, 1980, '84, '88) (415) 441-0521

Oregon Olympians

President: Lisa Kosglow (skiing, 1998, '02) (541) 400-9061

Southern California Olympians

President: Cathy Morino (canoe/kayak, 1988, '92) (714) 847-5596

Southwest Olympians

President : Sammy Walker (weightlifting, 1976) (469) 955-3158

Tri-States Olympians

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

Utah Olympians

Pres ident: Debro Stork Clark (gymnastics, 1972) (801) 369-9918

Washington State Olympians

President: John Stillings (rowing, 1984) (206) 440 -0708

Western PA-OH-WVA Olympians

President: Jeff McLaughlin {rowing , 1988, '92) (412) 253-0857

No chapter in your area? Interested in starting a chapter? Contact the US. Olympians Association office for details at {800) 717-7555

ot1M111~1 k1 u11 ~au1rnitoum t

l TO t e1N~v ~TINGER cHRrs coLEMAN, scon HAMILTON, ALEX IZYKOWSKI, CRISSY LEIGHTON, SUSIE ATWOOD, KRISTI YAMAGUCHI. PAUL WYLIE, JOEY CHEEK, BRIAN SHIMER, BILL TAVARES, GARY MORGAN, DIANE SIMPSON -BUNDY, PETER CARRUTHERS

L TO R: BRET HEDICAN, KRISTI YAMAGUCHI, JENNIFER AZZI, NINA KEMPPEL, CHRIS COLEMAN, CAMERON MYLER, JOHN NABER, PICABO STREET, NORM BELLINGHAM

OLYMPIANS AT AAPHERD CONVENTION BACK ROW: L TO R: MARY SLOAN, THOMAS FINCHUM, LUCINDA ADAMS, DAN O'BRIEN, AND OLLAN CASSELL.

PETIT CENTER OLYMPIC SPEEDSKATING REUNION CAN FRONT ROW L TO R: MARY BETH DUNNICHAY, BRIDGET YOU FIND YOUR FAVORITE OLYMPIC SPEEKSKATER? SLOAN, SAMANTHA PESZEK, AND LUAN PESZEK

UNITED STATES OLYMPIC

COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

USOC CHAIRMAN

Larry Probst

Bob Bowlsby

Ursula Burns

Anita DeFrontz (rowing , 1976, '80)

Jim Easton

John Hendricks

Joir Lynch (gymnastics, 1992, '96)

Mary Mc(agg {rowing , 1992, '96)

Mike Plant (speedskating, 1980)

USOC CHIEF

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Scon A Blockmun

U.S. OLYMPIANS OFFICERS 2009 -2012

PRESIDENT

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

VICE PRESIDENTS

Caryn Davies (rowing, 2004, '08)

Dick Fosbury (athletics, 1968)

Gary W Hall Sr (sw imming , 1968, '72, '76)

Micki King {diving , 1968, '72)

Carol Lewis (athletics, 1980, '84, '88)

Dwight Stones (athletics, 1972, '76, '84)

HONORARY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dorothy Franey Longkop (speedskating, 1932)

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

John Naber (swimm ing , 1976)

PAST PRESIDENT

Bill Toomey (athletics, 1968)

EDITORIAL STAFF

SENIOR EDITOR

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

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Christine Taylor

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Den ise O'Shea - O'Shea Design

Photos by : Getty Images & Other Sources

36USC220506

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