Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0500 x317
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2002
Drossin, De Reuck lead Team USA to Silver Medal at World Cross Country
Championships
DUBLIN, Ireland - Deena Drossin won the individual silver medal and Colleen
De Reuck captured the bronze to lead Team USA's women's 8K squad to the team
silver medal Saturday at the 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in
Dublin, Ireland.
On a blustery and cloudy day with temperatures in the low 50s, the
experience of the American squad proved invaluable. Five of the six team
members going into Saturday's race had previously finished in the top 13 in
World Cross Country Championships long- or short-course competition.
Today's performance by Drossin and De Reuck marks the first time that two
U.S. women have won individual World Cross Country medals at the same event
since 1970 when Doris Brown won the individual title and Maureen Dickinson
was the runner-up.
This is the best finish for Team USA's women's 8K squad since finishing as
the runner-up at Boston in 1992. The U.S. women' long course team has
medalled two of the last three years, also winning the bronze medal in 2000
at Vilamoura, Portugal. Drossin's individual performance was the best by an
American in this race since 1992 when Lynn Jennings won the last of her
three consecutive world titles.
Team USA established itself at the front of the field early in the race,
with Drossin, De Reuck, Jen Rhines, and Elva Dryer all running among the top
20 as the field passed the finish line for the first time 700 meters into
the race.
Five-time U.S. long course champion Drossin and defending world champion
Paula Radcliffe pulled away from the field and dueled each other over the
next three circuits. Radcliffe surged away from Drossin with one lap
remaining. Drossin, whose previous best performance at this event was a
10th-place effort at the 1999 Championships in Belfast, maintained her
position over the final lap and in to the finish, claiming the silver medal
nine seconds back of the world champion in 27:04.
Behind Radcliffe and Drossin, De Reuck led the chase pack for the majority
of the race, finishing in third place in 27:17. Jen Rhines finished 12th in
27:43, followed by Milena Glusac in 23rd place in 28:18. The U.S. medal
winning team was rounded out by Elva Dryer (28th-28:27) and Amy Rudolph
(31st-28:37).
In the senior men's 4k race, NCAA and USA runner-up Jorge Torres (12:35)
finished 11th individually to lead his Team USA teammates to a fifth-place
finish. Torres, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, who won two Foot
Locker high school championships, established himself at the tail end of the
lead pack early and held on gamely to place 11th. Torres's finish is the
best by an American male in the short course event since 1997 when Marc
Davis finished 7th at the inaugural world short course championship in
Marrakech, Morocco.
2000 NCAA 5000 runner-up Matt Lane (12:42) finished 19th, with fall cross
country champion Jared Cordes (12:53) finishing 40th and former NCAA
Division 3 harrier champion Dave Davis (13:03) rounding out the scorers in
62nd.
Erika Odlaug, the runner-up at this year's USA Winter Nationals and Foot
Locker high school championship, placed 17th individually to lead Team USA's
junior women's 6K squad to a fifth-place finish. Team USA's finish was the
best by a junior women's squad since 1996 when the squad also finished 5th
in Cape Town, South Africa.
Odlaug and U.S. junior champion Maria Cicero got out together early.
Odlaug (21:23) then worked her way up through the field to claim 17th, the
highest finish by a junior woman since Pam Hunt's 15th place effort in 1992
at Boston. Cicero (21:59) also moved up well to claim 29th. The rest of
the Team USA junior women's squad finished as a tight pack, with Valerie
Lauver (36th, 22:06), Nicole Lee (40th, 22:10), Sara Bei (43rd, 22:12), and
Kathryn Anderson (47th, 22:16) all finishing within ten seconds of each
other.
Senior Women's 8K Results
1. Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 26:55
2. Deena Drossin (USA), 27:04
3. Colleen De Reuck (USA), 27:17
4. Miwako Yamanaka (JPN), 27:19
5. Eyerusalem Kuma (ETH), 27:19
Team USA
12. Jennifer Rhines - 27:43
23. Milena Glusac - 28:18
28. Elva Dryer - 28:27
31. Amy Rudolph - 28:37
Team Scores
1. Ethiopia - 28 points
2. United States - 38
3. Kenya - 41
4. Japan - 67
5. Great Britain & Northern Ireland - 69
Senior Men's 4K Results
1. Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 12:11
2. Luke Kipksgei (KEN), 12:18
3. Hailu Mekonnen (ETH), 12:20
4. Sammy Kipketer (KEN), 12:26
5. Craig Mottram (AUS), 12:27
Team USA
11. Jorge Torres - 12:35
18. Matt Lane - 12:42
40. Jared Cordes - 12:53
64. Dave Davis - 13:04
83. Tony Cosey - 13:18
97. Jonathan Riley - 13:28
Team Results
1. Kenya - 20 points
2. Ethiopia - 32
3. Spain - 57
4. Morocco - 78
5. United States - 113
Junior Women's 6K Results
1. Viola Kibiwot (KEN), 20:13
2. Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 20:14
3. Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN), 20:22
4. Fridah Domongole (KEN), 20:23
5. Peninah Chepchumba (KEN), 20:24
Team USA
17. Erika Odlaug - 21:23
29. Maria Cicero - 21:59
36. Valerie Lauver - 22:06
40. Nicole Lee - 22:10
43. Sara Bei - 22:12
47. Kathryn Andersen - 22:16
Team Results
1. Kenya - 13 points
2. Ethiopia - 24
3. Japan - 63
4. Australia - 77
5. United States - 87
Senior Women Quotes:
Deena Drossin (Mammoth Lake, California): I knew that this was going to be a
tough race, and it was the fact that we had a strong team going into the
meet that kept me going, and to give me the spirit to run faster than I ever
have before.
(comparing and contrasting the current team with the team in Portugal, where
Team USA placed third) I didn't have the expectations that I did with that
team that I did with this team. Everyone is a leader on this team.
Everyone has the credentials and strong bios backing them up. I had a
fabulous team behind me, and we proved that by running so strongly.
(on the course conditions) Yesterday, we could attest on how beautiful this
course was. It was warm and beautiful, and the sun was peeking out. We
get off the bus, and these hurricane-type winds came whipping past us, so
that was not the obstacle we were looking for, but definitely something we
were fighting against...I am used to running against the wind, but I don't
like it.
(on Paula Radcliffe's move on the last lap) Her move was more gradual, and
coming uphill towards the finish, I felt like I was gaining on her, but I
didn't make a move to try and reel her in. I was ecstatic and content with
second place. I respect Paula and everything she's done in the sport, but
when the gun goes off, she's also my competitor. I was trying to push the
pace, and trying to set it on my own terms.
I felt extremely strong from my marathon training in the fall, after running
New York, and that training carried over into cross country season. I had a
lot of strength backing me up going into this race. I wanted to push it
right from the start, and didn't want it to come down to some sort of kick.
Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colorado): I slipped down to 6th or 8th position
on the third lap, on the last lap coming up into the wind I made up some
space and going down into the golf course I was third and I looked up and
thought 'Oh wow! Americans in second and third place - that's great.' I
didn't want a sprint finish, but that's what I had. It was too my advantage
because it was in the rough section and into the wind so strength came into
play. I didn't want to lose any positions since I knew it was like a real
team event and I didn't want to be the one who caused the team to sputter.
It was a great inspiration to me to look up and see Deena in second and I
just wanted to hold third place. I think it's so great for the States to
have second and third. I really enjoyed running on this team; they've made
me feel so welcome. I've been running a long time and I'm almost 38 - for
me to get a medal at World Champs! It's just wonderful to be part of the
team.
Jen Rhines (Saint Davids, Pennsylvania): It was really the team race that
got me going. The last lap was tough, but I figured that I have to at least
get the two Kenyans...I didn't want to lose a medal and have it placed on my
head...I just tried to run as hard as I can."
I heard someone yell at me saying that Deena and Colleen were second and
third, so I told myself that I have to get it together.
Milena Glusac (Fallbrook, California): It was an incredible honor to be a
part of this team...we ran our hearts out for our country. I really tried
to move up on the last lap...I could hear people yelling that there were
three women in front of me and two behind me. I could've been a little
stronger in the last lap.
Elva Dryer (Albuquerque, N.M.) race wasn't the best, but everyone else made
up for it. Everyone ran fantastic and I'm proud to be a part of such a
great group of people. This wasn't your typical European cross country
course, but we had the wind...Amy and I tried to talk to each other and keep
us going and try to keep our pack time down, and keep in contact with the
rest of the team...I felt like I was fighting myself for the whole race,
even though I started out well.
Amy Rudolph (Providence, R.I.): Things didn't go as well as I wanted to but
it went well for the rest of the team. The last two laps were pretty tough
for me. The wind was pretty tough. I'm sorry that I couldn't have done
more for the team. Elva and I tried to work together...those girls just ran
their hearts out. The coaches kept us informed throughout the race where
everyone was. I heard the coaches say (Drossin and De Reuck) 2-3, and that
kept me going.
Senior Men's Quotes:
Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colorado): It was windy in the beginning, but I was
able to get out fast any way. I was around 30th early on, but I just kept
pushing it and with about a kilometer left to go I was around the 15th or
16th spot. From there I tried to catch as many people as I could. It was a
race that was really technical and the results are not that bad. I was
trying to shoot for the top-10, but this is not that bad. There were some
ruts in the course that would cause your foot to move left and right. It was
definitely a strength course, and for the track runners it was tougher.
Matt Lane (Williamsburg, Virginia) The wind is pretty tough out there and
the grass is pretty long. Overall it was good. I felt like I was going
lactic real early, but I had a real good finish I thought. This is my first
real senior world championship and it's a new world. We're on the up-and-up.
The U.S. is on the up-and-up. It just felt good to be out there at the level
I want to be competing in.
Jared Cordes (Madison, Wisconsin): I didn't get out as fast as some of the
other guys did. By the time I crossed the starting line there was only about
ten other guys who were back there with me. I saw the whole field up ahead
of me and I started picking off guys 1 or 2 at a time in trying to climb my
way up.
Dave Davis (Portland, Oregon): I felt terrible pretty much the whole time. I
don't know, it just wasn't a good race for me. I just felt flat and could
never get into a decent rhythm. I just felt like I was all over the place
struggling the whole time.
Tony Cosey (Knoxville, Tennessee): It didn't go very well. I felt all right
pre-race, but with all the bumping and shoving going on it was difficult.
This is one of the hardest courses I've on. You can find excuses all day
long, but it's the same out there for everyone. My fitness just wasn't where
it should've been today. The track season is coming up and I've got some
work to do.
Jonathan Riley (Palo Alto, California): It was a real difficult race. I had
trouble getting out and I felt like I was stretching the whole way. I was
never able to settle down, and in a race that short and that fast you need
to be able to cruise
Junior Women's Quotes:
Erika Odlaug-The race was great...I did what I wanted to do...I started out
patiently, and each lap I wanted to keep moving up and moving up...I was on
my own for a little bit, then I heard someone yell that I was 18th, and that
gave me a lift. I tried to tell myself that I wanted to get into the top
ten. I've been doing a lot of strength training, so in the end I couldn't
get any turnover.
(going uphill into the wind in the thick grass) I tried to be patient
during that part of the race. I tried not to fight it, and just go with it,
and not waste a whole lot of energy on it. The grass is so thick that it
will hold you back.
Maria Cicero (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts): I wanted to compete in this
race before I took my break and start training for the outdoor season. I'm
not totally happy with my fitness level, but I'm happy. That hill at the end
was really tough. This was quite an experience, one that I hope to have a
lot more of.
Valerie Lauver (Allen, Texas): I'm really excited with the race today. It
went really well...we all kinda saw each other, and I tried to stay with
Nicole, and Nicole was trying to stay with Sara Bei. It was a lot of fun
running with a team for once. The wind coming off the start was really
strong, and I'd try and get behind someone. I couldn't draft behind anyone,
but the wind took the place of having no hills.
Nicole Lee-The ground was uneven, so you couldn't get a steady rhythm...the
wind was the thing that slowed me down the most...traveling and getting used
to time schedules and meeting runners from all over the USA...I never
would've been able to meet all these runners if I weren't on this
team...also watching runners from all over the world...this experience will
help me in future races.
Sara Bei (Palo Alto, California): That was great. There are so many
unfamiliar faces. Back home you get used to racing against the same people
and you know what to expect. This wasn't my best cross country race and we
all did really well.
Kathryn Anderson (Provo, Utah): It was fun and there was a lot of people. It
was really windy and there was a tough hill at the end. We all tried to keep
together and finish in the top 50. We all did a good job.
For more information on Team USA at the IAAF World Cross Country
Championships, visit our Web site at www.usatf.org. For complete results
from Dublin visit www.iaaf.org.
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