Moses, you ain’t our savior
First the AP story. Then my thoughts.
PARIS (AP) — Edwin Moses retired from track and field 14 years ago as one of the greatest athletes the sport has known. He’s returning to hurdling at 48 with a goal of qualifying for next year’s U.S. Olympic trials. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles and winner of 122 consecutive races over almost a decade announced a “limited comeback” Sunday.
He said reigning world champion need not worry, nor does Moses see himself competing in the Olympics.
“I’m not planning a full-scale comeback,” he said. “I don’t plan on looking at Mr. Sanchez’s behind in races, absolutely not. What I’ve done is set a goal that I think is motivational and challenging for me.”
His news conference came on his 48th birthday and the 20th anniversary of his last world-record run — 47.02 seconds in Koblenz, Germany. It still is the second-best mark ever.
Moses expressed no illusions of returning to world-class form to challenge Sanchez, the New York-born world champion who competes for the Dominican Republic.
“He would make me look the way I used to make other people look,” Moses said. “I’ll probably become a world record holder for the 46-to-50 age group, which will be fun. But I don’t expect to be running against young boys who are young enough to be my son. That’s totally unrealistic and that’s not what it’s about.”
He also discounted his chances of making the U.S. team for next year’s Athens Olympics.
“My goal is the Olympic trials standard. I’m totally realistic about what I think I can do,” Moses said. “Athens to me is something that is not even realistic to think about. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m trying to go to Athens and look like a jerk. To run 48 or 49 seconds at my age would be very, very difficult, to be honest with you. Fifty seconds to me is reasonable.”
The announcement was made with great fanfare, on the final day of the World Championships at a deluxe hotel just off the Champs-Elysees.
He wants to reach 50.5 seconds, the “B” qualifying standard for the 400 hurdles in the United States. To do so, he plans to run mainly in age-group races and exhibitions.
“I will be running against seniors, people in my age group,” he said. “But I just think I will be better than the average 48-year-old and I’ll be able to beat some 18- and 19-year-olds without a doubt. … Even if I don’t do it, I will be one of the most physically fit people my age on the planet.”
Moses said back pain forced his retirement at 34 in 1988 following his bronze medal finish at the Seoul Olympics. But he said through therapy and chiropractic care the pain has vanished. Moses has been a major influence in sports since his retirement.
He is a member of the International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission and is a past member of the IOC athletes commission and medical commission, where he helped pioneer drug testing. He is chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, which helps underprivileged children around the world.
Moses said he was returning to racing as a challenge and as motivation to others.
“In my country, in a lot of the Western countries, 60 percent of the kids are overweight,” he said. “They do no physical activity because gymnasiums in the school systems have been shut down. Sixty percent of the adults in the United States are overweight.”
“I think I have the power mentally,” he added. “The question is going to be physically will it be able to happen. The mind drives the body in athletics. You can be the strongest guy in the 100 meters and come in dead last.”
Now my turn:
First, thank goodness the age group is 45-49 and not really “46-50.” I turn 50 in June 2004, and I’d hate the prospect of seeking Ed’s autograph as we lined up together in the 400 hurdles at the Decatur masters nationals.
Now I can finish my race, watch his — and THEN get his autograph.
Now let’s get serious, folks.
My first reaction to hearing of a possible Moses comeback was: Great! What a thrill!
But after reading his Paris remarks amid “great fanfare,” I have to say: Man! What a crock!
Masters track has been plugging away for nearly 40 years, and Edwin Moses suddenly suggests that HE’LL be the model to inspire us all? In other words, Payton Jordan and Bill Collins and Phil Raschker and all the other masters greats over the years are so much chopped liver. Or: It will take a Moses comeback to REALLY show the benefits of geezer track. What disrespectful nonsense.
Better that he pad the pathetic USATF Masters budget than grace us with his majestic, world-record setting presence!
Ed is in fine shape, no doubt. And of course he’ll kick many butts in his masters career. But I’m hoping he learns fast that his body ain’t what it used to be. He’s gonna get injured. He’s gonna get beat by younger masters. And he’s gonna be humbled.
He’s also setting himself up for a mighty fall if he thinks he can run 50.5 in the 400 hurdles at age 48. To go that fast, he’ll have to be in sub-47 shape for a flat 400, and the world masters record (40 and over) is 47.86.
Although a great publicity ploy for “age-group” meets, the Moses comeback reminds me of Johnny Gray’s predictions after the 2000 Olympic Trials that he would soon take down the M40 records from 200 through the mile.
In October 2000, Gray told me: “My goal as a masters runner (is) first to bring more attention to (the) sport for masters. I also plan on breaking records in the 200m to the mile.” Three years later, where the heck is Gray? Nowhere. He’s utterly vanished from the scene.
I’ll be sad for Ed if he gives the 400 hurdles his best shot — and struggles to break 55. But I’ll be secretly happy, too. He needs to learn — as all boomer hurdlers have — that this toughest of track events is not some bonbon he can plop lazily into his mouth.
Show our niche some respect, Ed.
Related posts:
- Savior of 2009 indoor nationals emerges: D.C. club
- More details on why Edwin Moses aborted his comeback
- Moses is mortal, calls off comeback
- Moses has to beat Moscrop first
- Announcing the Edwin Moses 400H prediction contest
3 Responses
Ken’s comments contain a great deal of truth regarding being a masters runner as most of us can attest. But let’s not disregard Moses’ incredible “feets” in his chosen event. He is the only human to have captured two Olympic golds in that event, and then went on to scoff up another medal in a third Olympics. And, he’s a household name in the world of the Boomers. This group not only has most of the money, but also most of the age related bodies that the masters program is looking for. I, personally, don’t care *how* our program gets more attention and fiscal support. If Moses’ wants to blow his horn and wake up the Boomers to what we are about, I’d hand it to him. Perhaps we should conceal our private grudges and accept Moses for what he might be…our poster athlete. We don’t have one, you know.
We need more athletes like Moses coming back to the sport. He has a big name and his participation will attract new people. I would like to see other great athletes from the past— such as John Powell— come back, too. It raises the bar for all of us.
What’s your problem? I see nothing in Edwin’s remarks above that are either boastful or disrespectful of other masters running. Accept him for what he is. You also weren’t at the press conference and didn’t hear the questions addressed to him. I have met Edwin Moses and have always found him to be a polite and reserved individual; he will bring nothing but honor to our sport. If you don’t like him, there are eight lanes on the track. You run your race, and let Edwin run his.
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