Posted: February 4, 2005

Athletics: Millrose Games press conference excerpts

A press conference was held Thursday promoting USA Track & Field's 2005 Indoor Visa Championship Series and the 98th running of the Millrose Games that will take place Friday, February 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The second event of USATF's 2005 Indoor Visa Championship Series, the Millrose Games will be televised on NBC from 2-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, February 5.

Athletes appearing at the press conference included 2000 Olympic women's pole vault gold medalist and former world record holder Stacy Dragila, 1996 Olympic men's 110m hurdles gold medalist and four-time world outdoor champion Allen Johnson, 2004 Olympic women's 200m silver medalist Allyson Felix and 2004 Olympic men's pole vault silver medalist Toby Stevenson.

Excerpts from the press conference follow:

Stacy Dragila

Q: You had an eventful year in 2004. What was it like for you?

A: I did have a great indoor season and finished with a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships. Going into outdoors I was progressively getting better. I jumped the world record early outdoors, but unfortunately it was recalled as not a world record but a world best. Everything was going as planned going into the Trials. The Trials was an awesome experience to be back in Sacramento. I won the Trials and made the team and after that I kind of went downhill with some injuries to my Achilles. Things did not go as planned at the Olympics and I went away feeling a little bit lost because I saw myself being on the podium and fighting for the silver medal because I knew the gold medal was out of reach. I walked away asking myself 'am I too old, am I washed up.' It took me a little while, but when my injuries subsided I got fired up again and sat down with my coach and rewrote our goals. We're taking the indoors very cautiously and very slowly to prepare for the outdoor world championships.

Q: How tough was it to shake off your disappointment from Athens?

A: So many of us dream to be Olympians and dream of being on that podium and that's our life's goal, and once you don't achieve that you think that everything else doesn't count. My coach had to remind me of what I've done before then to set myself up. We all glamorize the Olympics and it is a big meet and everybody seems to watch that meet more than any other, but as athletes we need to know that we need to be consistent. As athletes we persevere and work through difficult times and we learn a lot from those times as well.

Q: Isn't what you do, many times, much more mental than it is physical?

A: Most definitely. When it gets down to that crunch time it's more mental than anything else. We know what we need to do, and we put it on auto-pilot and sometimes it's the mental factor that overtakes the body.

Q: So where are you now both physically and mentally? Are you ready to go?

A: I'm healthy and I'm taking it lightly this indoor season, and I will be ready to gear up for this outdoor season. I'll continue to work on the technical things that my coach and I have been working on and I thought I would learn a little bit faster than I have, but I'm being patient and the ultimate goal is still out there for me and I feel that I can still obtain it.

Q: What is your ultimate goal?

A: For sure to get over the 16-foot barrier and then the 5-meter barrier, which is out there and certainly realistic.

Allyson Felix

A: How is your great 2004 season going to impact what you do this year?

Q: Last year helped me a lot with my confidence. I feel more comfortable now going into races. I'm more relaxed this year knowing exactly what I need to work on and that's what I'm looking to do.

Q: How confident were you going into last year that you were going to wind up on that podium in Athens?

A: That was the whole plan, but we weren't sure it was all going to come together. The early season was kind of shaky and I wasn't sure at all, but I knew that I would continue to keep working hard and it all worked out.

Q: You're being coached now by Bobby Kersee, what's that experience been like for you?

A: It's really a privilege to work with him and be guided by him. There's some things that he's doing with my foundation that are really inspiring. Just being with him is amazing and I'm learning so much in the short amount of time that I've been with him, so I'm really excited.

Q: Bobby is known for being a great motivator. What has that aspect of his coaching been like for you?

A: It hasn't been bad. Everyone has all these famous stories and all that, but I haven't encountered too much. He will motivate you if needed.

Q: How are you feeling coming into Millrose?

A: We're really working on my start and we really haven't trained for the race at all. We've been working on conditioning, so it'll be interesting.

Q: Along with competing in the 200 meters, how much will we see you in the 100m this outdoor season?

A: Primarily we'll focus on the deuce. Who knows what else Bobby may have up his sleeve (laughter)?

Allen Johnson

Q: How has your training been going?

A: My training has been going great. I've been working on my technique. That's something that has really been lacking the last few years. This year, it's almost like a new beginning for me. I've been working on my technique a lot and trying to become more thorough and knowing every step of my race and exactly what I'm doing and what I need to do.

Q: How about your athleticism? Do you still feel like the younger Allen Johnson?

A: I still feel the same. I always tell people that I don't feel any different now than when I was 25 years old, and that's the honest truth. When I was younger I wondered what 33 or 34 would feel like and now that I'm here, I'm thinking that it doesn't feel like I thought it was going to feel. I feel great.

Q: What's it like at your advanced age for a hurdler to consistently show the talented, young group of athletes coming up that you're still the man to beat?

A: It's fun. I really enjoy the fact that there's a lot of good young competitors coming up because for a few years here it's been kind of just one or two guys at the top and then the rest of the field. I feel like the race now is like it was when I first came on the scene competing against Greg Foster, Colin Jackson, Tony Jarrett, Mark Crear and myself all running fast times, and now it's getting back to that. It's something that makes me more excited about running. It's like anybody can win on any given day.

Toby Stevenson

Q: How is vaulting different indoors from outdoors?

A: It's more chaotic and there's more energy and some people get distracted by it, but I feed off of it. I love it. Here you have the energy of New York and its fans right on top of you and it's awesome. I think it's great.

Q: What does winning the silver medal in Athens do for your confidence?

A: The Games obviously boosted my confidence, but the thing about the pole vault is that you go out there every day and every day is different. No matter what the day is anybody can win and anything can go on out there, and there's so many factors that go along with that. So I'm humble every time I go out there with a calm, cool confidence. You can't be cocky because the pole vault can come up and bite you in the ass at any moment. I want to continue to improve, and I'm still learning the event and I've got room to grow.

Q: What did you work on most in the off season?

A: The immediate off season after the Games was to recover from the whirlwind of activity. It was a mental rest more than anything. I think that physically that I can always get faster, stronger and bigger, and it's kind of simple. I've got little secrets that I can't divulge right now because I don't want to help out my competitors.

Q: You're noted for your excited reactions after a big clearance, which fans seem to enjoy. Do you consider yourself an entertainer?

A: I want to put on a show. I think everybody should want to put on a show. People forget that we're a professional sport and we're there to put on a show for people, and if people don't like watching us, guess what, they're not going to come back. The more people there are in the stands the, better it is for every athlete on the field, and if they love watching me compete and jump then that's awesome.

Q: What's your #1 goal right now?

A: I really want the American record. I don't think the world record is out of reach. I want to end my career before it is done at least having taken a shot at the record. I'm not saying I'm going to do it, but I would love to at least try.

For more information on the 2005 Millrose Games and USATF Indoor Visa Championship Series, visit www.usatf.org.

Source: Jill Geer, USA Track & Field