Sumi Onodera-Leonard completes comeback: USATF honor
Everyone in Southern California knows Sumi Onodera-Leonard. Now the world will. Yesterday she was named USATF Athlete of the Week after setting two W80 world records at Landover nationals. This completes an incredible comeback from a near fatal auto crash in Arizona. Sumi has long suffered from hearing loss, but when the gun goes off, she takes off! She’s a tiny woman with the biggest heart in masters track, and this honor is well-deserved. Just wish USATF had noted her return from the near-dead.
Sumi Onodera-Leonard can hide within hurdles,
but not from our admiration or USATF recognition.
Sumi Onodera-Leonard (shown several years ago) made
the most of her W80 debut at Landover.
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Here’s the release from USATF:
Onodera-Leonard named Athlete of the Week
INDIANAPOLIS – Sumi Onodera-Leonard has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after setting two world records in the W80 age-division in winning four events at the 2009 USA Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md.
At 80-years old, Onodera-Leonard opened her competition Saturday with a win in the 60 meters in 12.55 seconds. She came back later that day to set a world age-division record in the 400m, crossing the line in 2:03.81 to demolish the previous record of 2:15.67 set by Carol Peebles in 2004.
On Sunday, Onodera-Leonard first won the 200m in 48.49 and then set a world record in the 800m in 4:59.60, surpassing the previous record of 5:16.53 set by Canada’s Ivy Granstrom in 1996. Now in its eighth year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport.
USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
2009 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 6, Mason Finley; January 13, Amber Campbell; January 20, Josh Cox; January 27, German Fernandez; February 3, Ashton Eaton; February 10, Shalane Flanagan; February 17, Galen Rupp; February 25, Dexter Faulk; March 3, Terrence Trammell; March 10, Diana Pickler; March 17, Galen Rupp; March 25, Sumi Onodera-Leonard.
Sumi Onodera-Leonard stands as tall as Lance
All the world knows Lance — the mighty Texas cyclist who today won his seventh Tour de France. Few know Sumi Onodera-Leonard, a 77-year-old sprinter and middle-distance runner from Huntington Beach, California, who this weekend showed as much strength of character and courage as Armstrong in her own comeback from near death. A year and a half after being hit head-on in a car crash outside of Quartzite, Arizona, Sumi ran her first race — a 400 of all things — at the USATF Western Regional Masters Championships at Carson, California. She finished strong, as usual — all sub-5 feet of her.
4 Responses
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Simeon Baldwin - July 25, 2005
Don’t know about the problems with the wind gauge but on Saturday during the hurdles and 100s it was laying on the infield (not on a stand). If it was non-functional ( I hope this was the case, rather than it just being overlooked by meet management) then one could have been borrowed for Sundays 200, even if it meant driving one up from San Diego!
This is bush-league and it’s too bad that there is a NWI against these fine marks by Willie, Nadine, and all the other fine sprinters. If it impacted me as a sprinter I’d be mad as hell.
Maybe they can use the $5 USATF Regional surcharge we all paid to buy another wind gauge for the association. -
Mickey Miller - July 26, 2005
I agree with Simeon about the wind gauge problem.
Mr. Gault didn’t seem too concerned about the problem according to other comments I’ve read.
This just begs the question ” What exactly are we purchasing when we pay entry fees to the meets which are SANCTIONED by USATF?” Does USATF have any requirements meet directors are supposed to adhere to, such as working wind gauges and steel tapes for the throws and jumps?
Since we all know mechanical tools fail at the worst possible time, couldn’t a relatively large meet have a spare wind gauge on hand? Perhaps borrowed from another venue as Simeon suggested?
True, Mr. Gault may run another world record time and maybe he won’t, but he was probably robbed of a world record at this meet.
I wonder if the meet director offered to refund his entry fee? And will USATF refund any of his membership dues, since he ran at a USATF SANCTIONED meet?
Mickey Miller M60 -
I agree with Simeon about the wind gauge problem.
Mr. Gault didn’t seem too concerned about the problem according to other comments I’ve read.
This just begs the question ” What exactly are we purchasing when we pay entry fees to the meets which are SANCTIONED by USATF?” Does USATF have any requirements meet directors are supposed to adhere to, such as working wind gauges and steel tapes for the throws and jumps?
Since we all know mechanical tools fail at the worst possible time, couldn’t a relatively large meet have a spare wind gauge on hand? Perhaps borrowed from another venue as Simeon suggested?
True, Mr. Gault may run another world record time and maybe he won’t, but he was probably robbed of a world record at this meet.
I wonder if the meet director offered to refund his entry fee? And will USATF refund any of his membership dues, since he ran at a USATF SANCTIONED meet?
Mickey Miller M60 -
Nadine - July 27, 2005
It is so cool to be mentioned in the same sentence as Willie Gault. I wish it were a different sentence.
That race was likely the race of my life. The conditions were perfect for me: I had some pent up energy from having to vault into the wind while most of the men vaulted with the wind, a fast track, and my good friend “fast Rita” to key on. I doubt if I will ever run that fast again. I felt there was a more than allowable tail wind in the 100, but that the wind was much gentler in the 200 and likely allowable.
I am eternally grateful to the organizers and the officials for all of their time, hard work, support and expertise, which provide an opportunity for me to experience the exhilarating feeling of running as fast as I can. So, I find it difficult to be angry at anyone. But, I am frustrated. When I discovered that the wind gauge was not working on Saturday, I specifically asked if it would be working on Sunday for the 200 and was reassured that it would be. I can find no excuse for not having a working wind gauge on Sunday. Between Bud and I we have 7 records that cannot be certified for various reasons. There is always the satisfaction of knowing that we have accomplished some goals. But, it is especially rewarding to see a result proclaimed as official.
Thank you to all of you who have expressed your concern and support,
Nadine
4 Responses
Congratulations…an honor well deserved.
Congratulations to a great lady. I have seen her perform several times here in Texas as well as nationals. Always a pleasure to be around.
Mark Cleary, coach of the SoCal Track Club that won Landover’s team title, adds details on Sumi, one of his club members:
Ken, she did plan to break those records. She wanted the 200m record also but came up short (4 tenths of a second.) Sumi is always very confident – she is one of the most serious athletes I have ever worked with.
Back in November of 2003 she was hit head-on coming back from Arizona visiting her daughters; she was lucky to live. She was in a wheelchair for a few months, then a walker, then had to use a cane. Eventually she got into the pool for workouts and by summer 2005 she was in Hawaii for the Outdoor Nationals again.
She is an amazing story to fight back like that with several broken bones and such a long recovery required takes incredible resolve. She has been with SoCal Track Club for about 7 or 8 years. . . . She turned 80 last year on June 9th. Sumi will be in Finland and should be breaking records there as well if she stays healthy.
(Coach) George Mehale has been working with Sumi. He was a former track star at University of Texas, El Paso.
“Mrs. Onodera” was one of my professors at Cal-State L.A. She was always running down the hallways back then so it doesn’t surprise me she is still running. Congratulations “Mrs.O” on your fine accomplishments!
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