Posted: May 20, 2005

Athletics: News & Notes, Volume 6, Number 39

Webb vs. Ritzenhein showdown at Nike Prefontaine Classic

Two of America's finest middle distance runners, Alan Webb and Dathan Ritzenhein will split the difference in facing each other in a two-mile race June 4 at the 2005 Nike Prefontaine Classic at venerable Haywood Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The fourth event on USATF's 2005 Outdoor Visa Championships Series, the Nike Prefontaine Classic will air on June 5 from 2-3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC.

The race will feature Webb's miler speed versus Ritzenhein's endurance, which was on display earlier this spring at the Oregon Twilight Meet at Hayward Field, where Ritzenhein ran a 5,000m personal best in 13:22.23. Webb also has enjoyed recent success in Eugene, where at last year's Nike Prefontaine Classic he won the Bowerman Mile in a then personal best time of 3:50.83.

In watching the battle between Webb and Ritzenhein, keep an eye on Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj, the 2004 Olympic Games gold medalist at 1,500 and 5,000 meters. Arguably the greatest middle distance runner in history, El Guerrouj owns the world records in the mile and 1,500 meters, and also has nine Olympic or World Championships medals.

A two-mile race was last contested at Pre in 1995 when Bob Kennedy and Todd Williams dueled to the finish, with Kennedy winning the race in a then-American record time of 8 minutes, 14.53 seconds.

For more information on the 2005 Nike Prefontaine Classic, visit: www.preclassic.com.

Sponsor a shot putter!

Two-time Olympic silver medalist shot putter Adam Nelson has enlisted the aid of online marketplace, eBay, for the purpose of finding a sponsor.

Nelson, whose sponsorships from Nike and Visa ended following the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, has competed all season in "Space for Rent" T-shirts in hopes of luring a sponsor. His hope is to attract a sponsor in time for two meets prior to, and including, the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships, presented by Visa, June 23-26 in Carson, Calif.

Nelson, who will compete Sunday at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, told The Washington Post that offers he's received since the Olympics have not been satisfying. "We as throwers, we're the athletes you get at a discounted price," Nelson said. "We're the offensive lineman of track and field...I decided I'm not going to settle anymore."

Nelson's listing, which will appear for one week, was posted Wednesday night at: www.ebay.com.

Zamperini to be inducted in World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame

1936 Olympic 5,000m finalist Louis Zamperini will be inducted June 8 into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in Boise, Idaho. Other inductees will include football player Drew Bledsoe and three-time equestrian Olympian Kathy Kusner.

Zamperini, who qualified for the 1936 Olympic team just after graduating from Torrance (Calif.) High School, finished eighth at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 14 minutes, 46.8 seconds.He later competed for the University of Southern California as a collegian, winning NCAA Outdoor mile titles in 1938 and 1939.

During World War II, Zamperini served as a B-24 bombardier. During a mission his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, which began a two-year odyssey that included 47 days adrift in a life raft and internment as a POW. He has spent much of his life teaching forgiveness skills to war veterans, youth and others.

Now 88, Zamperini continues his work as an inspirational speaker having dedicated his life to making a positive impact on young people from around the world. His book, Devil at My Heels, is a living document about the brutality of war, the tenacity of the human spirit and the power of forgiveness.

For more information on the 2005 World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame inductions, visit www.sportshumanitarian.com.

"Marathon Memories" Exhibit Opens at U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame

The U.S. Olympic Committee Thursday announced the opening of a new exhibit, "Marathon Memories," in the U.S. Olympic Visitor Center Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo. The photography exhibition, created by the late world-renowned photography master Kathryn Dudek, chronicles the inner-world of the New York Marathon from 1979 through 1992.

Early in her career, Dudek was drawn into and inspired by the individual human achievements in track and field. Beginning in the late 1970s, she recorded the unique personalities of the sport, from the exhaustive stamina of a marathoner to the intense mental concentration of a long jumper. "Marathon Memories" is a comprehensive study reflecting all the drama, excitement and intensity involved with a marathon.

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