Interview with Lynn Jennings

I had the pleasure last week of interviewing Lynn Jennings, by e-mail, prior to her appearance at the Chaptico Classic in Southern Maryland. The piece ran as a cover story in the weekend guide I produce for the Gazette's Southern Maryland Newspapers.

The video above shows the late laps of the women's 10,000 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Jennings was incredible in cross country, winning three straight world titles from 1990 to 1992. The bronze medal she earned in Barcelona, though, was her career-defining achievement. (You will find some great reading on Jenning's in Sports Illustrated's The Vault.)

I wrote to Jennings: "I watched the 10,000 from the 1992 Olympics on YouTube yesterday. One thing that grabbed me was the fact that Zhong Huandi of China gave you a serious challenge for the bronze medal. What was going through your mind in the final lap of the race, the final 200 meters, the final stretch?"

Jennings wrote, "Yes, it's true. She chased me right to the line and I had NO idea she was hot on my heels. In fact, I was so busy sprinting the final 100 meters that I neglected to look up at the JumboTron to ascertain I was safe. I knew I had put distance between myself and Liz McColgan [of Scotland] when I launched my kick. If I had slowed down prior to the finish line, I would have been pipped and would not have earned the bronze medal. I knew that Liz was unlikely to match me for a strong kick finish. My plan was to stick with her until 400 to go and then launch my kick, which I did at 300 meters remaining. I drove hard to the line and did not stop to think "I've won a medal" until a minute or two after I had crossed the line. I finished, put my hands on my knees and bent over. When I looked next to me Zhong Huandi was standing right there and I was stunned. Then I realized that I had actually earned the bronze."

Another cool thing about this video is that it introduced me to Derartu Tulu, who ran away with the gold. Tulu, then 20, was the first black African woman to win a gold medal.

Now get this: Tulu is still competing. In 2009, at 37, she became the first Ethiopian woman to win the New York City Marathon.

I somehow missed this story entirely - but I find it to be incredibly inspiring stuff.