Contact: Joe Hughes
Communications Intern
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0478 x357
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
USATF News & Notes
Volume 3, Number 56 June 7, 2002
Drossin and Radcliffe will run Chicago Marathon
2002 World 8k Cross Country Champion Paula Radcliffe and runner-up Deena
Drossin will go head-to-head at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October
13.
Drossin was the U.S. Women’s Marathon champion in 2001 and has been on fire
this year. On April 7, Drossin ran the fastest 5k on the road ever by a
woman, breaking Paula Radcliffe’s world best, and on May 3 she smashed the
American Record in the 10,000 meters at Stanford.
Radcliffe enters after running 2:18:56 in her marathon debut at the London
Marathon in April, which is the second fastest women’s marathon time ever.
Drossin also made her marathon debut recently, running 2:26:58 to win the
U.S. title at the New York City Marathon on November 4. It was the fastest
debut time in history for an American woman.
Godina and Holman named anti-doping ambassadors
Four-time world shot put champion John Godina and 1992 1500m Olympian Steve
Holman will join athletes from various sports as part of the U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) Athlete Ambassador Program. The athletes
involved in the program will speak to groups about the downfalls of doping
in sports and give positive messages on ethics, fair play and integrity.
Godina was a silver medalist in 1996 and a bronze medalist in 2000 at the
Olympic Games in the shot put. He has won three outdoor and one indoor world
titles in the shot put as well as two national titles in the discus. In 1998
and 2001, Godina won the Jesse Owens Award, which is presented annually to
the outstanding male and female performers of United States track and field,
long distance running, and race walking.
Holman was one of America’s best middle distance runners during the 1990s.
In addition to being an Olympian, he was the 1996 indoor mile and 1999 1500m
national champion. Holman’s personal best 1500m time of 3:31.52 in 1997
currently ranks him as the third-fastest American in history, and his mile
time of 3:50.40 in 1997 currently ranks him as the sixth-fastest American in
history.
This is the first year for the USADA Athlete Ambassador Program, and the
USADA will continue to recruit athletes from various sports for the program.
Stork alert
USA Track & Field Director of Marketing Ivan Cropper and his wife Joy are
the proud parents of a new baby girl, Olivia Joy Cropper, who was born
weighing 7 lbs., 9 oz. Olivia already has a big sister, 18 month old Ella.
Media Accreditation applications available for World Juniors
Media credential applications are now available for U.S. media who plan to
attend the 2002 World Junior Track & Field Championships in Kingston,
Jamaica, July 16-21. If you are interested in applying for accreditation for
the meet, please fax your request on company letterhead to USATF
Communications Coordinator Melissa Beasley at 317-261-0513 by June 26. Final
forms must be sent to the IAAF no later than June 30.
USATF mourns loss of James Gathers
James Gathers, who was a bronze medalist in the 200 at the 1952 Helsinki
Olympics, died Saturday of complications from leukemia. In his 71 years, a
few notable experiences include being a world-class sprinter, a motorman and
recreation leader for the New York City Parks Department, and coaching
softball in Tennessee, where he was living with his wife of 27 years, Joyce.
Remember When - Americans holding Javelin WRs
By Hal Bateman
Since 1912, when the IAAF first started world records, only three Americans
have officially ever held the world record in the javelin. The first was Bud
Held in 1953. He lengthened that record in 1955 and the next one did not
come until four years later. Entering 1959, the world javelin record was
281-2 (85.71m) by Egil Danielson of Norway at the 1956 Olympic Games.
That all changed on June 5, 1959, at the Compton (Calif.) Invitational meet.
Bud Held was one of the javelin entries but the world mark wasn’t expected
to be threatened. Another of the entries was Lieutenant Al Cantello of the
U.S. Marines, who celebrates his 71st birthday on June 9. The Compton
javelin was contested before the main portion of the meet started and there
were fewer than 200 spectators in the stands.
Cantello, short (5-7.5) but stocky (163 pounds), attended college at LaSalle
in Philadelphia and was second in the 1955 NCAA javelin. After college,
Cantello embarked on a weight training program that added 10 pounds of
muscle. Going into Compton, Cantello’s best was 264-10 (80.72m). At Compton,
Cantello opened rather modestly at 224 feet (68.29m) and on his next throw
the officials stood at the 230-foot mark. Cantello threw the spear well over
their heads and it landed at 279-9 (85.28m). That got everyone’s attention.
On his third throw, Cantello raced down the runway, twisted sideways,
released the spear and followed through with a full length dive, landing on
his hands and chest. The javelin, a “Held” model, landed 282-3 (86.04m) away
and Cantello was a surprise world record holder.
Cantello later was third in the 1959 Pan American Games and was a 1960
Olympic team member. He also was a track coach at the U.S. Naval Academy.
In 1983, Tom Petranoff also set a world record with a throw of 327-2
(99.72m).
###
