thedrifter
11-13-08, 08:46 AM
Posted on Thu, Nov. 13, 2008
Wariner, Richards give Marines a visit
By RICKY TREON
Special to the Star-Telegram
Olympic athletes earned a lot more than medals during their time in Beijing.
Two sprinters — Jeremy Wariner, who lives in Grand Prairie and ran for Baylor, and Sanya Richards, who lives in Austin and ran for Texas — are prime examples.
The Lone Star duo met with a group of U.S. Marines on Wednesday at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base to talk about training for and competing in the Beijing Olympics. Both signed autographs and posed for pictures for the impressed military men and women.
"This was a great opportunity and I took it," Wariner said. "To get a chance to sit in the F-16, it was amazing."
Wariner and Richards, both 400-meter individual and relay medalists, have taken different approaches to their post-China tour. In Beijing, Richards took the bronze in the 400 meters and a gold medal in the 4x400 relay. Wariner won silver in the 400 meters and a gold medal in the 4x400 relay.
"For me, this is actually my first stop," Wariner said. "I really haven’t done much since the Olympics. I mean, after the Olympics, I had three more races and then I came home and relaxed."
But even an athlete trying to stay low-key can’t escape the limelight for long. Wariner has appeared in several commercials before and after the Olympics for his sponsor, adidas. Wariner said he is also scheduled to appear for adidas at a store opening in Houston next weekend.
Richards’ journey has been very different. She and New York Giants defensive back Aaron Ross became engaged before the Olympics. The couple, who met while both were athletes at Texas, have spent a lot of time in New York since Richards returned from Beijing.
"I have been doing a lot of stuff since the Olympics," Richards said. "I’ve had a lot of opportunities in New York, where my fiancé lives, because he’s always doing something."
But the buzz from Beijing is beginning to fade, and both athletes are preparing to go back to work. Wariner said he recently began training again, including a regimen of 16 100-meter runs.
"Unfortunately, our breaks are real short," Wariner said. "We stopped in September, and we usually start training again either the first or second week in November."
Elite track athletes have such a short off-season because their championship schedule consists of much more than the Olympics every four years — a fact that sometimes escapes casual fans.
"We have the World Championships in 2009, so a lot of people think we take more time off and just get ready for the next Olympics," Richards said, referring to the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics Berlin 2009, scheduled Aug. 15-23. "I would say this is kind of my last stop before getting into training again and trying to be in one place for an entire week so I can really focus in and start to get strong and fast again. It was definitely one of the most meaningful stops I’ve made."
Ellie
Wariner, Richards give Marines a visit
By RICKY TREON
Special to the Star-Telegram
Olympic athletes earned a lot more than medals during their time in Beijing.
Two sprinters — Jeremy Wariner, who lives in Grand Prairie and ran for Baylor, and Sanya Richards, who lives in Austin and ran for Texas — are prime examples.
The Lone Star duo met with a group of U.S. Marines on Wednesday at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base to talk about training for and competing in the Beijing Olympics. Both signed autographs and posed for pictures for the impressed military men and women.
"This was a great opportunity and I took it," Wariner said. "To get a chance to sit in the F-16, it was amazing."
Wariner and Richards, both 400-meter individual and relay medalists, have taken different approaches to their post-China tour. In Beijing, Richards took the bronze in the 400 meters and a gold medal in the 4x400 relay. Wariner won silver in the 400 meters and a gold medal in the 4x400 relay.
"For me, this is actually my first stop," Wariner said. "I really haven’t done much since the Olympics. I mean, after the Olympics, I had three more races and then I came home and relaxed."
But even an athlete trying to stay low-key can’t escape the limelight for long. Wariner has appeared in several commercials before and after the Olympics for his sponsor, adidas. Wariner said he is also scheduled to appear for adidas at a store opening in Houston next weekend.
Richards’ journey has been very different. She and New York Giants defensive back Aaron Ross became engaged before the Olympics. The couple, who met while both were athletes at Texas, have spent a lot of time in New York since Richards returned from Beijing.
"I have been doing a lot of stuff since the Olympics," Richards said. "I’ve had a lot of opportunities in New York, where my fiancé lives, because he’s always doing something."
But the buzz from Beijing is beginning to fade, and both athletes are preparing to go back to work. Wariner said he recently began training again, including a regimen of 16 100-meter runs.
"Unfortunately, our breaks are real short," Wariner said. "We stopped in September, and we usually start training again either the first or second week in November."
Elite track athletes have such a short off-season because their championship schedule consists of much more than the Olympics every four years — a fact that sometimes escapes casual fans.
"We have the World Championships in 2009, so a lot of people think we take more time off and just get ready for the next Olympics," Richards said, referring to the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics Berlin 2009, scheduled Aug. 15-23. "I would say this is kind of my last stop before getting into training again and trying to be in one place for an entire week so I can really focus in and start to get strong and fast again. It was definitely one of the most meaningful stops I’ve made."
Ellie