sports
— ~
Cruz ready to run
•S
but it’s not with Oregon
By Allan Lazo
Of th« Emerald
It’s not very often that the
Oregon track team has the op
portunity to have an Olympic
gold medalist competing, and
this season won’t be one of
them.
Olympic 800 meter gold
medalist Joaquim Cruz has
decided to forego the Oregon
track season this year in hopes
of making his mark on the inter
national circuit. Cruz was a ma
jor factor in the Ducks’ captur
ing the NCAA national track
crown last year as he won both
the 800 and 1500 meter titles.
’’Next year, I’m going to have
a long season, and my most im
portant race is going to be in
September, So, I’m going to
have to start later this year,”
Cruz said as he explained his
reasons for leaving. "1 have to
compete less and prepare
myself better for September.”
"If 1 was going to run for
Oregon. I would have to com
pete in the dual meets plus the
Pac-lO’s and the NCAA’s. So
that is the biggest reason I’m not
going to run for Oregon
anymore, this year,"
Cruz feels the length of
Oregon’s track season has been
detrimental to his international
career. Cruz was to have run in
the European circuit after the
Olympics, but left early due to
his failing health.
"Last year, I competed for
Oiegon and started working out
in October. I made my peak for
the Olympics,” said Cruz. “But
after the Olympics, I started get
ting tired and I wasn’t supposed
to get tired,” explained the run
ner who won a gold medal for
Brazil.
"So 1 went to Europe, and I
was supposed to run ten times
there and i couldn’t,” said Cruz
who only ran four races. "I was
too tired to compete.”
While his post-Olympic suc
cess may have been stifled by
his health, Cruz found the
strength he needed to become
the best 800 runner in the world
in Los Angeles. Heavily favored
to repeat his NCAA double in
the Olympics, Cruz was unable
to compete in the 1500 meter
competition after qualifying for
the semi-finals because of an il
lness. Cruz felt the illness was
caused by the living conditions
in the Olympic Village.
During his four days of com
petition for the 800, Cruz was
living with four other athletes
in his room along with another
four in an adjacent room in a
house. After being weakened by
little rest, Cruz may have con
tracted a virus from one of his
roommates.
“I had two days rest between
the 800 and the 1500.1 thought I
would get enough sleep in the
two days, but I didn’t.
Aside from the 1500 meter
competition. Cruz could not
have been happier with his per
formance. Cruz aced out Great
Britain’s Sebastian Coe and the
United States’ Earl Jones in the
finals to capture the coveted
gold.
"When I won the gold medal,
it happened normally because it
was in my mind since 1 started
workng out last year,” said
Cruz "When I won, I felt great
because my dream came true,
but I didn’t feel what I was sup
posed to feel, what everyone
feels.”
Oregon Daily Emerald
Cruz has the Olympic sensa
tion now.
“Sometimes, I think back and
get bumps,” said the elated
Cruz.
While Cruz enjoys ecstasy
these days, Oregon track coach
Bill Dellinger may be feeling a
Photo by Orlando Brito
After winning a gold medal in the 800 meters this summer, Joa
quim Cruz decided not to run for the Oregon track team this
coming season.
1
little anguish over his star’s
departure.
“We’re certainly not bitter
over it,” said Dellinger. “I had
a rare opportunity to have him
run for me for two years.”
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