Paging Mary Decker! Guess who’s running at Sacramento worlds?
Yup, Zola Budd is entered at Sacramento — in the W45 5000 and 8K cross country race. Yowza. She’s a legend for her 5K world record at age 17 (when she ran barefoot) and for a little pileup at the Los Angeles Games 3K with Mary Decker (a race I witnessed in person, BTW). But no tripping jokes here. Just respect and appreciation for a mom (who took the last name of hubby Mike Pieterse). Wikipedia says: “Budd and her family have been living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA since August 2008. She has a two-year visa that allows her to compete on the U.S. masters’ circuit, is a volunteer coach at Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers track team and has raced in the South Carolina division of USA Track and Field, winning the women’s division of the Dasani Half-Marathon during Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon on 14 February 2009 with a time of 1:20:41.”
Zola is one of 31 women entered in the 5K, where top seed time is 16:59 by Sylvia Mosqueda, who has an amazing record in masters road running.
13 Responses
This will be so good to see. Do it, Zola!
Zola will be running this weekend in the Southeastern Masters (Raleigh, North Carolina). I expect her to win convincingly. My guess is that she will run the 5000, but I don’t know.
Won’t be long before I do know, however, as the 5000 will be tomorrow (Friday). How will I know? I’m the announcer. BTW, how do you pronounce Pieterse?
Looking forward to seeing you race in Sac, Zola.
I think it is great that Zola is competing in masters track and road racing. It sets a wonderful example for young people that our sport is a sport for life. I
As for pronouncing her name – Peter plus a Z- but what do I know – how about calling her Zola – or better still – ask her!
There was a great article on her in Running Times. I really respect her and how she has dealt with things over the years.
It’s great to have former Olympians competing at Worlds!
Don’t forget Carol Montgomery of Canada(one of many former star Canadian triathletes!)
She unfortunately crashed at the 2000 Sydney Games, and had to pull out of the 10k track event.
‘Pieterse’ sounds like English ‘Peters’ with an extra -e at the end like the e in ‘-ters’. Make the ‘ie’ shorter, let the r be rhotic, but short. The P unaspirated would be great.
Would be interesting (and perhaps fodder for the Sacramento Bee) to see a list of all former Olympians competing at Sacto Worlds.
In addition to Zola, there’s Pat Porter, Willie Banks and Ed Burke. However, I don’t see Richard Cochran, who won Bronze in the Discus at the 1960 Rome Olympics and who usually competes at Nationals.
Any other former Olympians?
I think it’s pronounced Peter zee
Tim Kroeker from Canada will be hurdling. He competed at the 1996 olympics and several world championships
Also Andre Francois (Canada) competed for St.Vincent in 1988 Olympics – 200M – will be in Sacramento.
Also from Canada – Lenore Montgomery, Carol’s W80 mother – and holder of many Canadian records in the 1500 to 10,000 range in W70, W75 and now W80. Best wishes to both of them – it would be fun to have mother-daughter medalists on our team!
Diane
It’s PETER-suh, with the accent on the first syllable. I’m talking about Zola, of course, and that is what she told me at the reception this evening (Friday).
Tomorrow (Saturday) she will run the 5000 at 9 AM and then, if she comes out of that OK, will try the 1500 at 11:00 AM.
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