OLYMPIC FEVER RUNNING HIGH IN VALLEY.Byline: Bill Schlotter Daily News Staff Writer In the world of sports, they are the greatest show on earth. The Olympic Games Olympic games, premier athletic meeting of ancient Greece, and, in modern times, series of international sports contests. The Olympics of Ancient Greece Although records cannot verify games earlier than 776 B.C. . Coming this year to Atlanta. And there could be more than 30 Valley-area athletes competing. The appeal of the Olympics is unique to the rest of sports. "It's the same people you've raced against again and again over the past years," said Westlake rower Amy Fuller, a silver-medalist in the 1992 Games. "But now they're at their best and so are you. And the whole world is watching. In rowing, usually nobody is watching." Former Taft High School running great Quincy Watts Quincy D. Watts (born June 19, 1970) is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Quincy Watts attended the University of Southern California where he excelled not only as an athlete but also as a wide , a two-time gold medalist in the 1992 Games, said competition at the World Championships is just as fierce, but the Olympics remain the showcase of track and field. "When you think of the Olympics, you think of history and all the great athletes who have competed there," Watts said. "Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was an American athlete, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games, despite running on a sprained , John Smith, Bob Beamon Robert ("Bob") Beamon (born August 29, 1946) is a former American track and field athlete, best known for his long-standing world record in the long jump. The jump . That gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize stands for the highest pinnacle of track and field. "World records feel great, but they can be broken, they can be taken away from you," Watts said. "But you can't ever be a former gold medalist. You're always a gold medalist." Fuller and Watts are two of many Valley-area athletes looking to wear gold in Atlanta this summer. In track and field alone, some 15 local athletes are contenders to make the American team. Watts is trying to come back from injury to become the first man to win successive gold medals in the 400 meters. Fuller is trying to end her rowing career with a gold in Atlanta. Canoga Park's Jackie Joyner-Kersee Jackie Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois) is a retired American athlete, ranked amongst the all-time greatest in heptathlon as well as the long jump. She won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals. will be seeking more Olympic hardware this summer to go with the three golds, a silver and a bronze already in her trophy case. Even at the age of 34, she remains the country's top woman long jumper and heptathlete. Gail Devers Yolanda Gail Devers (born November 19, 1966 in Seattle, Washington, USA) is a three-time Olympic 100 m champion in athletics for the US Olympic Team. Devers grew up near National City, CA and graduated from Sweetwater High School in National City, CA. of Mission Hills will be a favorite at Atlanta to win the 100-meter hurdles and possibly the 100 meters. Devers is the defending gold medalist in the 100 and was leading in the 100 hurdles when she struck the last hurdle and fell, crawling over the finish line in fifth place. Marsha Guialdo of Van Nuys, who ran at Cal State Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , will also seek a place in the 100 hurdles. Calabasas' Watts will try to add more medals to the two he won in 1992 in the 400 and 4 X 400 relay. Also competing for 400-meter berths will be two more Calabasas residents, Danny Everett Danny Everett (born November 1, 1966) is a 400 metre runner from the United States. As a 21-year-old he participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the individual event and a gold medal with the United States 4x400 m relay. , a bronze medalist in 1988 and 1992 but out of action since 1992, and Steve Lewis Steve Lewis may refer to:
Johnny Gray For the baseball player, see . Johnny Gray (born June 19, 1960) was an American 800m runner of the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1985 he set the US record of 1:42.60 min at a meet in Koblenz. of Calabasas, the country's most experienced half-miler, will be trying to make his fourth U.S. Olympic team in the 800 meters. The 1982 bronze medalist will turn 36 on June 19, the day of the 800 final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Santa Clarita's Mark Crear Mark Crear (born November 2, 1968 in San Francisco, California) is a double Olympic medalist in the 110 m hurdles from the United States. In 1996 he was second behind Allen Johnson. Four years later he came in third, behind Anier Garcia and silver medalist Terrence Trammell. has come on to become America's top men's hurdler. Jeff Williams For the poker player, see . For the physician, see . For the astronaut, see . Jeff Williams (born June 6, 1972 in Canberra) is an Australian-born, left-handed pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. of San Fernando will run for a spot on the U.S. sprint squad. He was third in the 200 meters last year, both at the U.S. championships and in the World Championships. Kenny Harrison of Mission Hills is trying to make the 1996 Olympic team in the triple jump after missing the 1992 Games because of an injury after dominating the event in 1991. He was the 1995 U.S. indoor champion. Glendale's Donna Mayhew, a finalist at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, will try to make her third Olympic team in javelin. Kristen Dunn, a Cal State Northridge alumnae, will try for a berth but is considered a long shot to make the squad, as is 1,500-meter specialist and fellow Northridge graduate Darcy Arreola. Van Nuys' Sheila Burrell (heptathlon heptathlon: see under decathlon. heptathlon Women's athletics competition. Contestants take part in seven different track-and-field events: 100-m hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, and 200- and 800-m runs. ) and Simi Valley's Chad Danowsky (hammer) are also considered long shots in their events. In swimming, Northridge's Kristine Quance is a favorite to make the team in the 400 individual medley and 200 breast stroke this week at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. And Granada Hills' Jennifer Parmenter will be close in the 200 and 400 IM but will probably have to beat out Quance and highly regarded Allison Wagner of Florida to make the team. Former El Camino Real High School El Camino Real High School (also known locally as "ECR" and by some more recently as "ELCO") is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. star Randy Wolf, now playing at Pepperdine, is a candidate to make the Olympic baseball team. Wolf, a member of last year's 25-man U.S. national team, was not among the first 15 players invited to try out for the Olympic team. But 40 invitations will ultimately be sent out. Also included on the 68-man list of Olympic hopefuls is Dan Cey, son of former Dodger Ron Cey and a teammate of Wolf's at El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , of La Crescenta. Burbank's Sheila Cornell will play a prominent role on the already selected women's softball team. "She may be the most-decorated player on our team," U.S. Softball spokesman Ron Babb said of the former UCLA star. "She's one of our big bats." Cornell figures to play first base for the Americans. And Babb said she has an excellent shot at coming home with a gold medal. "We've won the last three world championships and the last Pan American Games Pan American (Sports) Games Quadrennial sports festival. The games, conceived in 1940 as an event for the nations of the Western Hemisphere, were first held in 1951. ," he said. "Our pitchers are reputed to be the best in the world." Valley Olympians and Hopefuls ROWING Amy Fuller, Westlake David Collins, Thousand Oaks TRACK AND FIELD Quincy Watts, Calabasas Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Canoga Park Gail Devers, Mission Hills Marsha Guialdo, Van Nuys Danny Everett, Calabasas Steve Lewis, Calabasas Johnny Gray, Calabasas Marc Crear, Santa Clarita Jeff Williams, San Fernando Kenny Harrison, Mission Hills Donna Mayhew, Glendale Kristen Dunn, Northridge Darcy Arreola, Northridge Sheila Burrell, Van Nuys Chad Danowsky, Simi Valley SWIMMING Kristine Quance, Northridge Jennifer Parmenter, Granada Hills BASEBALL Randy Wolf, Woodland Hills Dan Cey, Woodland Hills Jim Parque, La Crescenta SOFTBALL Sheila Cornell, Burbank BOXING Lance Whitaker, Northridge TEAM HANDBALL Denny Fercho, Camarillo Jim Hop, Camarillo EQUESTRIAN Susan Hutchison, La Canada-Flintridge ARCHERY Justin Huish, Simi Valley FIELD HOCKEY Larry Amar, Camarillo Nick Butcher, Simi Valley Tom Vano, Simi Valley Jeff Horrocks, Newbury Park Jason Horrocks, Newbury Park John O'Neill, Newbury Park Ryan Langford, Camarillo Brian Schledorn, Thousand Oaks TABLE TENNIS Anita Zakharyan, Glendale CAPTION(S): PHOTO[ordinal indicator, masculine]CHART Photo Jackie Joyner-Kersee is one of many Valley-area athletes who will be at the Olympics. Daily News File Photo Box Valley Olympians and Hopefuls (see text) |
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