sports_
Salazar just beginning TA C battle
Former Oregon runner challenges governing body
By STEVE SPATZ
Of the EnwraM
Alberto Salazar says he's only
just begun his fight against the
governing body of amateur ath
letics.
Just days removed from his
record-breaking run in the New
York Marathon Oct 25, Salazar
lashed out once more at The
Athletics Congress (TAC) at a
Thursday news conference in
McArthur Court's Lettermen’s
Lounge
The former University running
star’s criticisms of the TAC were
widely quoted following his
second straight win on the
grueling New York course
Newspapers around the nation
carried Salazar s comments
that TAC officials are "thieves
and hypocrites "
"I don't have too much re
spect for the TAC," Salazar was
quoted as saying in New York
Monday. "I don’t care what they
think
TAC is the governing body for
most amateur athletics in the
United States
Before members of the local
media, Salazar restated some of
his gripes against the TAC, and
said he plans to use his new
found fame as a platform for his
crusade
"I wouldn't feel right just sitting
back, now that I've made it,”
said Salazar, who is working for
Nike, Inc in the international
marketing division "A lot of
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athletes have been a little more
vocal on their way up But once
they're on top, and they're
comfortable, they're very quiet
"Steve Prefontaine, before he
died, was planning to take on
the TAC in court He was really
the only other athlete who
struck out against the TAC I
really admired him for that, and I
feel the same way about it."
"I feel that I'm in a position now
that I can do a lot more than all
the other athletes can I was told
by some people at Nike that my
statements against the TAC as
they were taken right after the
New York race carried more
weight than all the other
statements made by all the other
athletes put together."
But Salazar is also wary of the
consequences a battle with the
TAC may mean for him Salazar
requested that no specific
questions be asked about
under-the-table payments he
may have received in races in
case TAC ever wanted to get
even
“I can't answer any direct
questions about any particular
race because in doing so I
would just endanger my
eligibility with TAC." he said
"I feel that at this point that
they may be looking at me.
wanting to strike back at me So
I'm not going to set myself up by
making any direct statements."
Salazar, who is said to have
received nearly $14,000 for his
win in New York, admitted that
he makes his living by running —
either legally or illegally under
TAC regulations
"I've made a lot of statements
where everybody can get the
idea that there are under-the
table payments in almost all
major races in the United
States
"I'm not scared to admit that I
am making my living off running
I do this through Nike, who I am
an employee for, and in races
where there are ways where I
can give a clinic and be sub
sidized for giving a clinic It's
completely legitimate because I
am providing a service
"Of course the fact that I'm
running in a race held in con
junction with that clinic is |ust a
coincidence ”
Salazar doesn't believe that
the TAC would or could try to
question his eligibility for ama
wmmr *
Photo by Bob Bake>
Alberto Salazar is challenging The Athletic Congress' rules
governing earnings of amateur athletes
tuer races Nevertheless he's
not taking any chances
"I just think it's a situation
where I have to be careful They
may decide that they're going to
go after somebody and get a
scapegoat, and they're going to
show an example to the other
athletes
"I don't think they'd be able to
pull it off. but I'm not going to
give them any more of an ad
vantage then they'll be able to
get on their own."
Salazar's complaints about
the TAC stem mostly from its
policy towards money earned by
athletes, and whether or not an
athlete is truly an amateur" or
a "pro."
"It's a game that they're play
ing — are you an amatuer or are
you a professional? It’s a very
hypocritical situation with the
TAC just playing on words and
trying to deceive the public by
trying to uphold the image of the
amateur athlete, which isn't
there anymore, and shouldn't
be "
Salazar recounted the story
how Allison Roe, winner of the
women's division of the New
York event, was nearly barred
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$4,000 in prize money from the
Cascade Run-Off in Portland,
June 28
But as soon as she agreed to
deposit her winnings in a trust
fund supervised by the New
Zealand Federation — her
country's version of TAC — Roe
was once again declared an
amateur by TAC
“It's a situation where the
TAC wants to keep financial
control of the athletes," said
Salazar "Anytime you have the
situation where an athlete was
making an endorsement, as
they were in the past, would only
get $5,000 of the $30,000 paid
by the company The TAC gets
the other $25,000 and that's
just complete injustice as far as I
can see that they're only getting
10 percent of the money that
they're working for "
Salazar's concerns for the
moment include his marriage to
Molly Morton on Dec 21, work
ing for Nike and getting back
into training "I'm feeling a lot
better this year after the mar
athon," he said "I’m a lot less
sore By next week I can resume
a training schedule of 80 or 90%
of what I do "
The National Cross Country
Championships in late
November could be Salazar's
next targets, as well as some
indoor meets starting in Jan
uary Next spring he'll work for
improvement in the 5,000 and
10,000 meter races
"Last year, I set a P R
(personal record) in the 10,000,
(27:48.69) only 18 seconds off
the world's record I feel with the
right training I can get down
close to that
And looming in the distant
horizon is the 1984 Olympics “If
I improve by 1984 and I’m a
favorite in the 10,000, then I'll
probably run in that, and then
come back in the marathon
That way I would have a chance
at a gold plus a bronze to a gold
in the marathon
"But you never know what's
going to happen "