California Connection for 3 of 4 2003 Inductees to National Track & Field Hall of Fame - John Carlos (San Jose State) - Mary Decker Slaney (Orange HS) - Mike Larrabee (Ventura HS/USC)

Four stars elected to Hall of Fame
11-25-2003 - USA Track & Field - Three - Carlos - Decker-Slaney - Larrabee big California connection!!

John Carlos - Olympic Medalist and super San Jose State sprinter - Mary Decker-Slaney - amazing prep distance runner before CIF girls sports - I saw her run the 2:02.4 indoors on a 160 yard track in 1974 as a 10th grade prep in San Diego - Mike Larrabee - fine Ventura HS star of the 1950's - went on to USC - Olympic Gold Medalist in 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo over 400m

Carlos - Decker - Larrabee

INDIANAPOLIS – Sprinter John Carlos, middle-distance runner Mary Decker Slaney, and 400-meter stars Larry James and Mike Larrabee are the 2003 inductees into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, USA Track & Field announced on Tuesday.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2003 will be inducted December 5 at the Jesse Owens Awards Banquet and Xerox Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Held in conjunction with the 2003 USATF Annual Meeting, the induction will take place at Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. The induction will bring to 196 the number of inductees into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

“Our country has been blessed with so many wonderful track and field athletes, and this group of stars adds to our sport’s legacy,” said USATF President Bill Roe. “Their induction into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame is the highest recognition they can receive, and each athlete is most deserving of the honor.”

“The National Track and Field Hall of Fame will be greatly enriched on December 5 when these four athletes formally take their places with the other greats of our sport at their induction ceremony,” said USATF CEO Craig Masback. “I wish to extend my gratitude to our partners at Xerox, who make our annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony a wonderful occasion to remember.”

“Xerox takes great pride annually in working with USA Track & Field to make the Hall of Fame induction ceremony one of the great highlights of the year,” said Terry W. Dillman, Xerox Manager of Olympic Marketing. “John, Mary, Larry and Mike all made substantial contributions to track and field in the U.S., and the involvement of Xerox in their induction ceremony is our way of placing a spotlight on their accomplishments.”

Carlos, 58, was the winner of numerous national titles, but is best known for winning the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The former world record holder at 100 yards and 200 meters, he won the 200 meters at the 1967 Pan American Games.

Decker Slaney, 45, was the 1983 world champion in the women’s 1,500 and 3,000 meters, beating Soviet athletes at the height of the Cold War in a feat that would bear her name as “The Decker Double.” She set 36 national records and 17 official and unofficial world records at various distances, and during her career she set American women’s records in every event from the 800 meters to 10,000 meters.

James, 55, won the 400m silver medal and a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. An NCAA champion while at Villanova, James is a former 400 meter world record holder and the 1970 World University Games gold medalist in the 400 meter hurdles.

Larrabee, who died on April 22, 2003 at age 69, will always be remembered for his amazing comeback win in the 400 meters at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Also a gold medalist in the men’s 4x400m relay in Tokyo, Larrabee tied the 400 meter world record (44.9 seconds) in winning the 1964 Olympic Trials in Los Angeles.

Eligible voters for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame include Track & Field Writers of America members, Hall of Fame members, USATF Association presidents, members of USATF standing sports committees and members of USATF’s Athlete Advisory Committee.

Exhibits honoring the members of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame will be on display at the Hall’s new home at The Armory in Upper Manhattan, in New York City. Due to open on January 24, 2004, the Hall of Fame will honor the nation’s finest track and field athletes, coaches and contributors through its three floors of exhibits and its Interactive Learning Center.

Please see the additional release featuring Q and As with each inductee. Full biographies of each of the inductees follow:

JOHN CARLOS: Born June 5, 1945. The 200m bronze medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, John Carlos equaled the world 100 yard record of 9.1 seconds on May 10, 1969 in Fresno, Calif. He won numerous national and international titles, including the 1967 Pan American Games 200m (20.5), 1969 AAU 220 yards, 1969 NCAA 100 and 220 yards, and 1969 NCAA indoor 60 yard championship. Carlos also won the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, Calif., in the world record hand time of 19.7, though the record was never ratified because the spike formation on his shoes wasn’t accepted at the time. Prior to his successful collegiate career at San Jose State University, Carlos attended East Texas State University, where he single-handedly won the school’s first Lone Star Conference Championship. Following his track career, Carlos tried professional football, where a one year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles ended following a knee injury. He then went on the Canadian Football League where he played one season each for the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts. Carlos is in his 18th year of service as a counselor and the in-school suspension supervisor at Palm Springs High School in Palm Springs, California.

MARY DECKER SLANEY: Born August 4, 1958. The only athlete ever to hold every American record from 800 meters to 10,000 meters, Mary Decker Slaney continues to own the U.S. women’s records in the 1,500 (3:57.12), mile (4:16.71), and 3,000 (8:25.83). Her greatest international achievement came at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki, where she won the 1,500 and 3,000 meters – a feat that would become known as the “Decker Double” and that helped earn her the title of Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year for 1983. In 1982, she set world records in the mile (4:18.08), 2,000m (5:32.7), 3,000m indoors (8:47.3), 5,000m (15:08.26) and 10,000 meters (31:35.3, in her first race at that distance), and won the AAU Sullivan Award. Decker Slaney also set the mile world record in 1980 (4:21.7) and 1985 (4:16.71). Over her career, Decker Slaney set 36 national records and 17 official and unofficial world records at various distances. A six-time winner of the Millrose Games in New York, she won her first Millrose crown at age 15 and her last at age 38. Decker Slaney first received international fame at the age of 14 with a surprise victory in the 800 meters at a U.S. vs. USSR dual meet, and she went on to qualify for four Olympic Teams. She competed in her final Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta at the age of 37.

LARRY JAMES: Born November 6, 1947. A double medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Larry James also set world records and won NCAA titles during his track career. James won the silver medal in the 400 meters with his time of 43.97 seconds at the 1968 Olympics, bettering the existing world record but placing him second behind teammate Lee Evans (43.86). James added a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics by running the third leg on Team USA’s winning 4x400m relay team, which set the world record of 2 minutes, 56.16 seconds, which lasted until 1992. James set the 400m world record of 44.1 seconds in placing second to Lee Evans at the 1968 Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, Calif., when Evans’ winning time of 44.0 was disallowed by the IAAF because he wore illegal brush spike shoes. James was the 400m hurdles gold medalist at the 1970 World University Games, where he ran the anchor leg on Team USA’s gold medal winning 4x400m relay team (3:03.33). As a collegian at Villanova, James won the NCAA 440 title in 1970 and NCAA indoor crowns at that distance in 1968-1969 and 1970. The head manager for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships, James is chair of USATF’s budget committee and currently is the Dean of Athletics and Recreational Programs and Services at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

MIKE LARRABEE: Born December 2, 1933. Died April 22, 2003. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Mike Larrabee turned in one of the memorable performances at the 1964 Olympic Games. Then a 31-year-old mathematics teacher, Larrabee was in fifth place going into the final turn in the 1964 Olympic 400m final in Tokyo, when he passed everyone in front of him with a burst of speed to win the gold medal in 45.1 seconds. Larrabee also ran the second leg (44.8) on Team USA’s gold medal winning 4x400m relay team that won in the world record time of 3:00.7. Larrabee equaled the existing 400m world record of 44.9 seconds in winning the 1964 Olympic Trials in Los Angeles. As a collegian he competed for the University of Southern California, where he was part of the Trojans’ 1954 and ’55 NCAA champion teams. Post-collegiately, he ran for the Southern California Striders. The stadium at Larrabee’s high school in Ventura, Calif., is named after him.

Hall of Fame Class of 2003 Interviews
11-25-2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0478 x317
[email protected]

INDIANAPOLIS – On Tuesday, USA Track & Field announced that John Carlos, Larry James, Mike Larrabee, and Mary Decker Slaney will be inducted in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. Below are interviews with each inductee.

John Carlos

Q: What does it mean to you to be elected to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame?

A: To me this is another experience in my life. I think it’s something I deserve based on facts and figures and it’s an honor to be there with your peers.

Q: What made the 1968 U.S. Olympic track and field team so special?

A: I truly believe that was a hand-picked team by God and that was a special era. Not only did we have the athletic ability, but we had the mental powers to be sharp, to be aware and alert and to be humble and aggressive at times when it was necessary. I think we had a tremendous amount of energy and chemistry on that team, and I think we stimulated the fans and the fans stimulated us and that brought about greatness.

Q: The performances of yourself and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics were unforgettable, both on the track and the award stand. What was your motivation for the silent statement you made after receiving your medals?

A: We had concern for people of color, in the United States, as well as throughout the world. We had a specific concern for black people because we were black people and we knew the trials and tribulations of black people here in the United States. So, we wanted to set the record straight by that demonstration to let America know that we would no longer accept the blind call that you’ve given us; to always be on the frontline in the wars and represent you in the Olympic Games, and to do the menial chores when you need us there to do them, and then tell us that we’re second-class citizens when it came to employment, housing, education, political endeavors and what have you. We just told them enough is enough, and you can no longer fool the world anymore because we put it out there for everyone to see to make their own judgments. All we said is that it’s a shame that America can’t realize what the Constitution says and it can’t realize what the Pledge of Allegiance says, and it seemed that they didn’t have meaning for all of its citizens. We wanted people to know that we were young individuals and we did not have blinders on. In time, anybody doing the right thing will be proven correct…it’s just a matter of whether you can weather the storm.

Q: You were a member of that famous San Jose, Calif., sprint enclave in the late 1960s known as “Speed City” under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Lloyd “Bud” Winter. What was that experience like for you?

A: On the day I got to San Jose, they had probably the fastest guys in the country right there. Everyone had a great deal of respect for everyone and we molded into a great unit of young individuals. Winter was a master at his trade because he knew how to get the best out of the various individuals, and he knew how to harness everyone’s emotions into the one direction we had to go in the sport. At the same time he gave us respect and the honor to be men, which was much appreciated by everyone.

Q: As a highly sought after public speaker, what is the message you most want to pass along to your listeners?

A: A civil libertarian is not a person who says that’s what they want to be when they grow up. This is something that is thrust upon them. Dr. (Martin Luther) King didn’t want to be an activist. Paul Robeson did not want to be an activist, and Rosa Parks didn’t want to be an activist, and certainly not John Carlos and Tommie Smith. These are jobs that were set out in time by God for us to do, and then we just rose to the occasion once we became very clear in our minds as to what jobs we had to do, and the rest is history. Our job was to take people to higher ground and open up their eyes to things that maybe they closed their eyes to, such as love, respect and admiration.

Larry James

Q: What does it mean to you to be inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame?

A: It’s certainly an honor. Halls of fame are a wonderful indication of what other people think of you and your accomplishments. I’m honored by those who thought or believed that I should be in the Hall of Fame.

Q: What was it about that great 1968 Olympic Team that you were a member of that made it so successful?

A: It was the spirit of 1968. It wasn’t just an Olympic Games that was going on, it was everything going on around the Games as well. There was enough going on in 1968 alone to last a decade, so to speak, in terms of various struggles, two major assassinations with (Dr. Martin Luther) King and (Robert) Kennedy. With so many of us being on college campuses, folks were engaged in the times. As a 19-year old I was watching TV, and as a 20-year old I was on TV, and all of sudden when you have some degree of success in athletics you have an opinion and they want to know more than just about your race. They want to know what you think about everything and you develop a heightened awareness in regards to social responsibility. That drove a lot of it, and we had some very special people on that team. It was the spirit of doing your best and being your best. It was a very special time.

Q: What was it like to win the Olympic silver medal in the 400 meters (43.97 seconds) and gold in the 4x400m relay?

A: I accomplished two-thirds of what I set out to do. My goal was to win two gold medals and run 43.9, and I won one gold medal and ran 43.9. In retrospect I should’ve said win two gold medals and run 43.5 (laughter). It’s been 35 years now and it was a great time. You get a shot and you do the best you can. I’d love to be able to do it again, but that was then and this is now. My job now is to give back, as others had done for me. There were so many great athletes who paved the way for us, and now it’s time for us to turn around and give to others.

Q: What was your experience like as head manager for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships in Paris?

A: I really enjoyed it. It was the closest thing to competing, without competing. Being up close and personal with the athletes is something I really enjoyed. I was really excited about rubbing shoulders with the athletes of today. I was truly excited to see Americans finish 1-2 in the men’s 400 meters (Jerome Young & Tyree Washington) and win the 4x400m relay. The off-track experiences were even more exciting in being able to talk and share with the kids and answer their questions. The dialogue was good and it was healthy. Being there for them, and as a former athlete, understanding the thought process and the things they were going through, and being sympathetic and helping them get through.

Q: You also help today’s athletes as the Chair of USATF’s Budget Committee. What kind of a challenge is that for you?

A: I enjoy that very much. In the early 1990s I had lunch with Coach Stan Wright to discuss what I could do to help, and he suggested that I take some time and take a look to decide what I wanted to do to help the organization. I studied for about a year and at that time Fred Newhouse was the chair of Budget. I thought maybe Fred could use some help and I got involved. Fred and Ed Koch mentored me, along with a few others, and there was a reorganization where we downsized in a lot of areas and they asked me to Chair. I really enjoy doing it. The financial aspect of the organization intrigued me, and that’s where I felt I could make a contribution.

Margaret Larrabee (widow of Hall of Fame inductee Mike Larrabee)

Q: What would Mike have thought of being inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame?

A: I believe it’s an honor that would mean the most to him of any he might receive because he loved the sport, and to be recognized by his peers in the sport is the highest honor of all.

Q: For those of us who never knew Mike, what was he like?

A: He was a real character! He’s one of the old athletes, one of the athletes who competed because he just couldn’t not compete. He started competing in junior high school and went to USC on a scholarship and ran well for them. His college coach felt that nobody on the track team should be married, so he waited until after college to get married, and then he ran better than ever. He later told his coach that he should’ve allowed him to get married earlier (laughter). He was a brutally honest man. He always said exactly what he thought and he was well liked by his fellow competitors. He was the kind of athlete that the sport of track and field can really be proud of.

Q: What were your thoughts when Mike entered the final turn in fifth place at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo? Did you still think he could win it?

A: I knew he was going to win. When he came around the turn he was running well and I knew then that he would win it. My seat was in the upper corner of the stadium and I was almost down to the finish line by the time he got there because I knew he was going to win. I knew it was going to be his moment and my moment.

Q: What happened after he received the gold medal?

A: After he received the gold medal, he was supposed to go back into the tunnel, but instead he took a direct right turn and came over to where I was. Then he leaned over the moat and hung that medal around my neck and kissed me and went down the stairs. It was the brightest moment of my life and I think of it often now that he’s gone, that he wanted to share that moment with me. This was his goal in life and there was nothing more important to him, and the fact that he achieved it is beyond my ability to describe. It was the most perfect moment of my life.

Mary Decker Slaney

Q: What does it mean to you to be elected to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame?

A: I think it’s huge. It signifies what you’ve done over the span of your career and I think that’s important. When I started running at age 11, I never dreamed that I’d be running now, or even as long as I have over the years. It’s exciting because a lot of the people that have been previously inducted I’ve known and met, and they’re people that I totally respect. It’s a nice feeling to think that some of those people might respect what I’ve accomplished over time, so I think it’s a huge honor.

Q: What stands out as the greatest accomplishment of your career in track & field?

A: If I had to choose one it would have to be the World Championships in 1983 (winning the 1,500m & 3,000m). Specifically, being able to win both events was special. But I think also, the 1,500m was the second event, and initially I hadn’t planned to run it at the U.S. Championships. I did it more as a training exercise, and after I made the team in both events, Richard (husband Richard Slaney) actually convinced me that there wasn’t any reason not to run both events at the world championships. At that point in time the Russians were very dominant in women’s distance running, so it was a really special thing to beat the Russians and to win.

Q: What is your greatest strength as an athlete?

A: I think it’s the fact that I really, really, really, truly love running. I’ve never faced a day in training when I’ve told myself that I have to work out, or I have to train. In fact, I feel that every day that I get to train I’m lucky, especially over the years with all the injuries and problems that I’ve had. And even now, just the fact that I can still go out and run is special to me. The fact that I was fairly successful when I was competing made it more fun. At the same time, if someone said ‘well, you could win a certain event, but you could never run again, period,’ I’d have to say that I’d rather go out and run every day. As an athlete, that’s what made me want to do what I’ve done. I was lucky to do it and every time I got on the starting line, I didn’t want to waste the performance, or the opportunity to have a good performance.

Q: What changes have you seen in women’s distance running during your time in the spotlight?

A: When I first started, women’s distance running was pretty insignificant. We had some people who dabbled in the marathon, but it really wasn’t recognized. In fact, when I started running in high school, the girl’s team only had a few meets, and I had to choose between running for the high school or running in open competitions. There wasn’t really a choice if I wanted to be serious about the sport. Now if I go talk to a group of high school girls, I can’t believe that I didn’t run for my high school and didn’t have all the high school success within the conference, and with everything that high school is. The main change is that there are way more women athletes running because people have been serious about the sport for a long period of time and staying in it longer, so we’re seeing better performances. Some of the things I’ve done over the years set standards that were important in the world, and it’s made the Americans reach higher.

Q: How much do you run these days?

A: Well, I’m just getting over some injuries, again (laughter)…so I’m running about seven miles a day at the moment, and I do have hopes of competing again, even if it’s just on the road. I have this really huge goal to run a competitive marathon at some point. I just need to stay healthy long enough to train enough, it’s the same old thing. With my talent came other blessings, I’m injury prone.