Zola Budd coming to America for masters running cash?
Two years ago, the former barefoot teen sensation Zola Budd said she was interested in competing on the masters circuit — at least on the roads. (I blogged her interest.) This week, local press reports in South Africa indicated she was ready to cross the Pond and race in America — at age 42. We learn: “Well-known Free State athlete Zola Budd-Pieterse and her family are moving to the United States, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Thursday. However, Pieterse said she was not leaving for good and would return to South Africa at some stage, the report said. She said the rumours that she and her family were emigrating were rubbish.”
The report continued:
Pieterse said she received a work permit for two years to compete in masters’ athletics meetings across the US.
She was not sure where in the US the family would live as the races would be held in various places across the US.
The report said Pieterse indicated that her husband Mike Pieterse, a Bloemfontein businessman, was “definitely going with her”.
Their two children would also spend the two years in the US because she was not going to “leave them alone in South Africa for two years”.
The family intends leaving for the US at the end of July. — Sapa
Well, well. Welcome back to the USA, Zola! But take care if you run across Mary Decker Slaney. I think she still bears a grudge about 1984.
(You’re welcome in Spokane, though!)
One Response
I was there and saw Mary Decker go down in ’84. It happened so fast.
That aside, I would love to see Zola move to Portland, Oregon so I could see her race or maybe race against her. I’m 42 as well. She’d probably beat me though.
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