Posted: June 30, 2004

Athletics: Shalane Flanagan Press Conference

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

The sports information staff at the University of North Carolina made available the following transcript of Shalane Flanagan's press conference, yesterday.

Shalane Flanagan(SF): Thank you for coming, this decision was obviously a very difficult one. I had said at this time last year that there's no way I would give up my eligibility but I've chosen to take the route of the professional level right now and I'm very excited about it. By no means was this an irrational decision. I've thought about it for a while, but recently these past few weeks have put the pressure on and, with the support from my family and my coaches, and have come to the conclusion that I'm ready for the challenge of the professional level.

Question: And you're going to Sacramento, correct (for the Olympic Trials)?
SF: yes

Question: When are you leaving?
SF: We leave next Wednesday.

Question: Going to Sacramento, trying to qualify, how much harder is that than actually competing in the Olympics yourself if you can make it there? Some athletes say that's even harder than Athens itself. Do you agree with that?
SF: This is my first experience, so I guess those athletes would know better than I do but, yes, I think that the U.S. definitely has some great athletes and there are going to be some very challenging races. So, you know, I'd believe what they say, that it is tougher in the U.S. than it is in the Olympics at times.

Question: How much pressure do you feel? Actually giving up your eligibility now, do you feel there are higher expectations on you to have to qualify?
SF: Coach and I were just talking about that today. I think I'm in the perfect position. I'm only 22 years old, and most of my competitors are in their 30s, and I just feel like I have everything to gain and nothing to lose. I'm in a great position to strike and, you know, lay it out on the line.

Question: Frankly speaking, if this was not an Olympic year, would you have turned pro?
SF: That's a good question. I don't know. Maybe not; I don't know, though.

Head Coach Dennis Craddock: The same opportunities may not have been present because financially there's always a better year during the Olympic year than any other time. For example, the dollar value of shoe companies and so forth declines after the Olympic year, the first year after the Olympic year. But, that wasn't what drove Shalane to do this. I've been around for a long time, I've been coaching 37 years, and she's probably one of the greatest athletes that I've ever coached at the collegiate level, and had in our program, and we've got some more that are trying for the Olympic team, two out of college with Alice Schmidt and Laura Gerraughty, and it's very rare that you see a college program with three potential Olympians on the same team, so we feel very fortunate. We support Shalane, she's given us four years in cross country and three in track, and I couldn't have asked for her to be a better student athlete. You know, when you recruit a young person, you're hoping that they'll meet their dreams and goals and help your program along the way, and then everybody wins. That's what I see here, everybody wins by having Shalane. And even though we are not going to have her one more semester, she is going to finish school in December, I think, is that right? SF: yes

Question: What kind of mindset do you think you have to have to qualify for the Olympics?
SF: For me, I just always like to go into a race feeling prepared, and being the toughest and fiercest competitor possible. So, just being tough.

Question: Shalane was there anything that encouraged your redshirt period this second semester that influenced this decision?
SF: I wouldn't say there was one moment or one point in time. I just realized what a great life, and I just realized my dreams coming true to get to that next level, and I really enjoyed the professional scene. You really are treated fairly well now. I mean, I don't know how it was ten years ago, but right now it's a great lifestyle, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Question: Do you ever think about, you know, once slip-up could cost you a chance to go to Athens. In college, one slip-up and you could just look forward to the next meet. That ever enter your mind?
SF: Not really, you know, I think it would be a gift if I made the team this summer. But, I have many more years of running, and many more championships, world championships and Olympic teams to make. So, I think it would be, like I said, a gift if I made this team.

Question: When are you actually turning pro?
SF: I guess today, I don't know. I don't know what defines going pro.

Coach Michael Whittlesey: I think by NCAA rules, once you've agreed in terms with an agent, that's when you've officially turned pro, or lost your collegiate eligibility, which was just the other day.

Question: So you have an agent now?
SF: Yes

Question: Who is that ?
SF: Andy and Peter Stubbs, they're Australian.

Question: Where are they located in the U.S. ?
SF: San Francisco.

Question: Have you got some commercial contracts that you're going to be signing soon or agreements?
SF: A shoe contract is in my future, but other than that I don't know. It depends on how hard my agents work for me on the other end.

Question: Is it a shoe you've been wearing or one you'll have to get used to wearing?
SF: I hope it's the kind of shoe that I've been wearing, but you know, I'll be excited and hopefully give as much energy that I've given to Carolina, I'll try to give back to that shoe company.

Question: Mike, what sets her apart? Dennis has talked about her. You've worked with her in distance all these years that she's been here, what sets her apart?
MW: Well, there's a lot of athletes with extreme talent. There's a lot of athletes that are very focused. Shalane, I've always said has had everything that you need to be successful. Great talent. Great motivation. Great focus. But, there's a lot of athletes with all those characteristics, but I think the great, great ones, and as Steve mentioned , all the great ones here: the Michael Jordans the Mia Hamms and Marion Jones, they were all the best competitors. And when you combine that, the greatest athletes and the great competitor, I've never personally coached a better competitor and a greater champion than the two that I'm currently coaching, with Shalane and Alice Schmidt. I've never met a male or a female with a greater desire to win than either one of them, and I think that's what sets them apart.

Question: Have you had a chance to talk to any of the former great athletes that have gone here? Did they influence your decision or give you any advice?
SF: No, not yet. I'd love to talk to them. But, I just think the athletes at Carolina, in general, have been very supportive, especially my teammates. So, just having the support from my coaches and my teammates has been the greatest influence.

Question: What will you miss the most?
SF: Oh gosh, I don't want to get teary-eyed. Just having these two men around. I mean, I'm going to have them next year, but these two men have definitely been a very great influence. And just putting on that blue jersey, I'm definitely going to miss that, and just racing next to my teammates, there's just that great energy and all of that together has made my career here really great.

Question: Is that the toughest part about leaving?
SF: Yes, definitely.

Question: Now, when you go to the trials, you're going to be doing the 1500 and the 5000?
SF: correct.

Question: Ok, Mike and Dennis, how many American women have better times than her going into the trials?
MW: In the 5000 right now, she has the fifth fastest time in the US. The fastest time is 14:59. Shalane's is 15:05. So, it's a very tight pack. Any one of those five could win. Any one of those five could be fifth or even sixth, because there's Lauren Fleischman whose run 15:09 I believe this year, so she's just off the Olympic A standard as well. I believe, going in, in the 1500, with last years times counting as well, because they do count, toward the Olympic A standard and also to the Olympic trial standards, she's got the sixth fastest US time in the 1500. So she's in play for both the 5000 and the 15. The great thing about the way the trials are setting up, we've been focusing more on the 5000 as being her better event at the Olympic games in order to try to move onto different rounds and the 5000 is the first weekend, so her main focus event is the first weekend. She can get her feet wet, hopefully qualify for the team, and if she does, she's got no pressure in the 15. If she doesn't, she's got another weekend, the following weekend being the 1500, to try and make the team.

Question: Shalane, how big of a lift is it for you to already have the A standard in the 5000?
SF: I think it just gives me a lot of confidence going in. Knowing that if I were representing another country, I could potentially be at those Olympics. Like I said earlier, you know, there's a lot of depth in our country, to the athlete, so I feel like just having that confidence, knowing that I can run that standard, is really great.

Question: Do you have someone that you look up to?
SF: I look up to my parents and my coaches. I guess I couldn't say a specific athlete. I think there's athletes that bring out the best in me. There's a girl, like we said earlier, Lauren Fleischmann I feel like whenever we compete against each other, we always seem to step up and raise the bar. So I have a few competitors that I really admire and really look forward to racing. But, I'd say my heroes and my idols are my coaches and my dad.

Question: Shalane, will you continue doing cross-country as well in the future?
SF: Yes, I'm really excited about that, just because there's a world championships every year for cross country, so I was able to make the team this year and represent the US, and I intend to do that every year from here on out.

Question: You mentioned your parents, how much did they factor into the decision?
SF: They were really supportive. They just wanted me to look at all my options, and see what was best for me. So, they gave me the little nudge to get it going and check things out.

Question: When you take a minute to be introspective, why do you think you can do what you do?
SF- I guess just the hard work. When you put in the hard work it gives you the confidence. Just knowing that I feel like I've done everything to get me to this point and just that confidence I guess. Over the years of doing well in certain races, it all builds up and culminates to the trials. I can look back and see that I've done well and hopefully can carry that through.

Question: Both your parents are runners, so you have the genes, you've had top-notch coaching, and the work ethic, is that what you're talking about?
SF: Yes, I just think that having a well-balanced lifestyle. Like you said, having the genetics definitely helps but that can only take you so far. The hard work, I think, has accumulated over these last four years and is really helping me this summer.

Question: Is there any part of you that's nervous about making the jump?
SF: Yeah, definitely. But, you know, I'm just going to treat it as another race, especially this summer. But, you know, I don't think it's that much different than the college scene. I think its still just as intense and I don't feel much pressure to be honest.