Posted: May 15, 2004

Athletics: Samuelson to commemorate women’s Olympic Marathon Trials anniversary

Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson on Saturday will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first women’s Olympic Marathon Trials in Olympia, Washington.

Samuelson’s road to winning the first Olympic women’s marathon in 1984 began in Olympia on May 12, 1984. On Saturday, she will help unveil a commemorative marker saluting the 20th anniversary of this historic event.

Just seventeen days after Benoit Samuelson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery that put her participation in the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials in jeopardy, she emerged victorious, running 2:31:04. Several months later, she won the Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles.

In addition to unveiling the marker Saturday afternoon at Olympia’s Marathon Park, Benoit Samuelson also will participate throughout the weekend in events related to the Capital City Marathon.