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Carl Lewis Coming to Nike Sprint Summit
Nike Sprint Summit
“The Sprint Clinic of the Future”
March 14, 2003
Prince George Sports and Learning Center
Landover, Maryland
For Further Information Contact:
Joy Kamani [email protected]
Cedric Walker [email protected]
http://www.nationalscholastic.org
Tentative Time Schedule
6:30 - 7:25 ReacTime™ starting block system
7:30 - 7:35 Introduction
7:40 - 8:15 Clinic session 1
8:20 - 8:55 Clinic session 2
9:00 - 9:15 Clinic session 3
9:20 - 9:55 Clinic session 4
9:55 - 10:00 Closing and Give-A-Ways
ReacTime™ starting block system
Giles Norton, Lynx System Developers, Inc
Session #1 The Start
Tony Wells, & Russell Bates
Session #2 Achieving Acceleration and Maximum Velocity
Carl Lewis & Rose Brimmer
Session #3 “Getting An Edge
Dr. Robert Portman of Pacific Health Laboratories
Session #4 Running the turn
Orin Richburg
January 25, 2003
The man with 9 Olympic gold medals will join the
spectacular team of coaches at the inaugural Nike
Sprint Summit being held in conjunction with the Nike
Indoor Championships this March.
Carl Lewis, the legendary sprinter, holder of nine
Olympic gold medals and two current world relay
records returns to the track on March 14th at the
Prince George Sports and Learning Center in Landover,
Maryland for the Nike Sprint Summit.
This is the first year that the Nike Indoor
Championships will feature the Sprint Summit as part
of its activities. The meet, which is scheduled for
March 15-16th will showcase the best in America’s high
school track and field talent. Already the fields are
filling with the nation’s finest.
Lewis will join 2004 Olympic staff member, Coach Orin
Richburg and Colorado Flyers coach Tony Wells who
along with Houston Westbury girls coach Rose Brimmer
and New Jersey’s Winslow Township High School’s
Russell Bates will present what is being described as
the “Sprint Clinic of the Future,” a nuts and bolts
presentation combined with a hi-tech component
featuring reaction time testing.
“Carl brings that added dimension to the Summit,”
Summit Co-coordinator, Joy Kamani declared. “Who
better to speak to young athletes about the sprints
than Carl Lewis. He is the sprints! He’s the
prototype- tested and proven over an enduring career.
As an athlete, he is the sprinting authority. And who
better to speak to other athletes from an athlete’s
perspective than an athlete.”
Carl recalls his own high school career, “It was a big
deal to go these kinds of meets,” he said referring to
the Nike Indoor Championships.
“King Carl” as he is often affectionately known, is
looking forward to the venture. “We need to do more
for kids, building kids in the sport and letting them
know that track is fun, and here’s how you do it,” he
stated. “Doing this goes a long way toward solving
the long-term growth problems in our sport.”
This sentiment is echoed by Sprint Summit
Co-coordinator, Cedric Walker, “We want kids to come
back to the sport we used to have such a world
domination over. This is one way we can help that
process along.”
“It is tremendous for me to come to this event,” Carl
continued. “It’s just like me meeting the old class
of athletes prior to me. I still recall those times.
Bridging the gap is what it’s about… we have to bridge
the gap. I’m happy to see these kids and its good for
them to see and speak with athletes like myself who
have competed, who can give them insight into the
sport.”
Some of our young athletes may wonder just why we make
such a big deal over Carl Lewis and why is he so
significant in track and field history. Perhaps its
difficult to imagine capturing nine Olympic gold
medals, including four consecutive gold medals in the
long jump, when your own concern is making it to a
national meet like the NIC or making the finals in
your event.
But, Carl knows about that end of it as well. He
comes from a track family. While most are familiar
with his sister Carol’s early exploits in the track
world as a long jumper few realize that his mother,
Evelyn Lawler, made the 1951 Pan Am team as a hurdler.
Carl’s career spanned nearly 20 years from age 7
until he retired after the 1996 Olympics. He was a
member of just about every type of team this country
has fielded- Junior teams, World Championship teams,
Pan Am teams and, of course, Olympic teams.
Although he holds personal bests of 9.86 in the 100
meters, 19.75 in the 200 meters, 47.01 for the 400 and
29’-1.25” (28’-10.25” indoors) in the long jump
it may
be his 1988 9.78 wind-aided mark in the 100 meters
which arguably gets the most attention today. If 9.78
sounds familiar its because it equals the current
world record mark set by Tim Montgommery just last
year running with a 2.0 legal wind!
In the 1992 Olympics Carl, Michael Marsh, Leroy
Burrell and Dennis Mitchell set the World record in
the 4x100 meter relay at 37.40. It was equaled a year
later in Germany by Marsh, Burrell, Andre Cason and
Jon Drummond. Two years later in 1994 Floyd Heard
joined Carl, Burrell and Marsh to set the world 4x200
meter record at 1:18.68. Both records stand today.
The trip to Landover will be somewhat of a homecoming
for Carl who has east coach roots having grown up in
Willingboro, New Jersey. His old high school will be
competing at the meet as well. Willingboro is making
its own statements this year. The school’s premier
high jumper, Mike Morrison leads the nation in both
the high jump and long jump at 7’3” and 23-8.25
respectively, while the 4x4 and 4x8 relay teams occupy
the number 3 and number 2 spots in those events.
Willingboro has run 3:25 on the flat track and 8:02.50
on the banked Armory track.
The Nike Sprint Summit will be held on Friday evening,
March 14th from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. on the track at the
Prince George facility. It will be free to all
athletes registered for the Nike Indoor Championships.
Coaches, parents and others wanting to attend will
pay only $10.00. The meet kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on
Saturday morning and athletes will have an opportunity
to put to use the knowledge they’ve learned from the
King of Sprints.
As Nike representative, Josh Rowe, said, “We want to
be certain that everyone who leaves the Summit leaves
with something they did not already know. The more
high level information we’re able to provide, the
better. We’ll make it worth their while.” With King
Carl on hand to teach, not merely as a spectator,
Rowe’s words are a sure bet.
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