FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0478 x317
Tom.Surber@usatf.org
Kastor, De Reuck teleconference excerpts
INDIANAPOLIS – U.S. women’s marathon record holder Deena Kastor and 2002
World Cross Country Championships long course bronze medalist Colleen De
Reuck appeared Monday on a USATF media teleconference. Both will compete
Saturday, April 3 at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials in St.
Louis.
Below are excerpts from the teleconference. A full, digital audio replay
also will be posted online at www.usatf.org.
Deena Kastor:
Q: How much are you looking forward to competing on Saturday?
A: I’m really looking forward to it. The men have already had their Trials
and now it’s time for the women to get their spots taken on the Olympic
team. It’s going to be exciting and I think all of us are chomping at the
bit because we’ve finished our preparations and are now just relaxing and
waiting for the race to come.
Q: Is waiting for race day to get here the hardest part?
A: Absolutely and without a doubt. The hardest part is the last four or
five days before the race because the work is behind us, and all that’s
left to do is to sit around and get anxious.
Q: Why have you not competed much leading up to the Olympic Trials?
A: I had planned on running the USA Cross Country until I got there and
decided not to run because of not wanting to take a risk on that course. I
guess I just get a tremendous amount of confidence in being at home and
having a narrow focus on a single race. I’m more of a homebody and I like
being in the comforts of my house and training with one goal in mind. I
took that route this Olympic year. I’m not racing very much this year at
all and having a more narrow focus and enjoying home life this year.
Q: How do you feel about being considered a heavy favorite to win the race?
A: I actually don’t feel that way at all. I know that there a dozen of us
that already have the Olympic qualifier, so there are at least 12 women
that I consider a threat on the starting line this weekend, as well as the
fact that everybody comes prepared. Everyone has had the best preparation
possible for this race, and although I have a tremendous amount of
confidence in what I’ve been doing, I don’t know how well preparation has
gone for the other ladies, and I don’t want to think that my preparation is
the only right way to do things. So I definitely have respect for the other
ladies on the line, as well as knowing that the marathon distance is
challenging in itself. I’ve seen a lot of upsets in this race and I would
never fax in the results ahead of time.
Q: If you qualify for the team in the marathon, will you also compete this
summer at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento?
A: My main races this year are the marathon trials and the Olympic marathon
if it works out that way. If my training is going well in my preparation
for Athens, I’m still planning on getting on the track and running the five
(5,000 meters) and the ten (10,000 meters). In making any of these teams,
the race that I want to run ideally is the marathon.
Colleen De Reuck:
Q: After competing in three Olympics for South Africa, what would it mean
to you to compete at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens as a member of the
U.S. Olympic Team?
A: It would be my ultimate dream. It would be more than I ever would’ve
dreamed of achieving.
Q: Did you want to have a lot of races this season prior to the Trials?
A: I did it a little different this year than I usually do. I usually go to
Europe for some cross country races and I didn’t do that this year. I enjoy
racing, so I can’t just have months of training only.
Q: Do you see Deena as a prohibitive favorite going into the race on
Saturday?
A: Yeah, I do. She’s got a 2:21 and the rest of us are around 2:30s, or
around there. Yeah, she should definitely be favored.
Q: If you make the team you’ll compete in the Olympic Games at the age of
40. Would that surprise you?
A: The years just keep going by and you set your goals, and all of a sudden
you’re 40. You don’t really think about it but people keep reminding you
about it. If you enjoy what you’re doing and you have goals and you have
luck, and you’re able to keep it interesting, than time just flies by.
Bios on Kastor and De Reuck, along with additional information on the 2004
U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, may be found at www.usatf.org.
# # #
|
