2008 Woodie Awards
Home > Sports
Whether China or Eugene, Radcliffe coaches
Oregon strength coach trains OTC Elite Olympians one week, back in Eugene the next
by Andrew Greif | Sports Editor |
When Oregon head strength and conditioning coach Jim Radcliffe agreed to a handshake agreement with Oregon Track Club Elite coach Frank Gagliano last year to train some of his athletes, Gagliano asked what he charged.
Radcliffe's terms were simple: If they make the Olympics, I want to go.
Last week, he got that chance, spending a few days at the high performance training center in Dalian, an hour outside Beijing. A year after he began teaching OTC Elite athletes Nicole Teter, Lauren Fleshman, Nick Symmonds, Cack Ferrell and Tom Brooks warm-up routines, core strength workouts and event-specific strength regimens, Radcliffe made the trip with Symmonds. Because of food poisoning and illness, Teter was forced to spend most of her time before her 800 meter competition at the Olympic Village in Beijing.
It was the culmination of a learning experience for both the athletes and the coach.
"It was pretty neat," Radcliffe said. "I haven't been a real distance running aficionado I've always been with sprinters and jumpers so I've learned a whole lot this whole year."
Smith and Wheating did not advance past the first round, while Symmonds failed to make the 800 final yesterday.
The relationship began when Oregon director of track and field Vin Lananna approached Radcliffe last summer about working with post-collegiate athletes. He began working with Teter and Fleshman first, which paved the way for Gagliano - nicknamed "Gags" - to ask about working with Symmonds, the 2008 U.S. 800 meter champion.
"Of course, being post collegians and having to pay for most things they get they asked me what I charged," Radcliffe said. "I said well, you make it to the Olympics, I want to be a part of that to."
Security reasons kept Radcliffe from being able to train the runners in Beijing, so he returned earlier this week when Symmonds, OTC Elite 800 meter runner Christian Smith and Oregon sophomore Andrew Wheating - who all qualified in the 800 for the U.S. - went to Beijing and the Olympic Village. By Monday, he was back in Eugene in time for 10:30 a.m. football practice.
Radcliffe's terms were simple: If they make the Olympics, I want to go.
Last week, he got that chance, spending a few days at the high performance training center in Dalian, an hour outside Beijing. A year after he began teaching OTC Elite athletes Nicole Teter, Lauren Fleshman, Nick Symmonds, Cack Ferrell and Tom Brooks warm-up routines, core strength workouts and event-specific strength regimens, Radcliffe made the trip with Symmonds. Because of food poisoning and illness, Teter was forced to spend most of her time before her 800 meter competition at the Olympic Village in Beijing.
It was the culmination of a learning experience for both the athletes and the coach.
"It was pretty neat," Radcliffe said. "I haven't been a real distance running aficionado I've always been with sprinters and jumpers so I've learned a whole lot this whole year."
Smith and Wheating did not advance past the first round, while Symmonds failed to make the 800 final yesterday.
The relationship began when Oregon director of track and field Vin Lananna approached Radcliffe last summer about working with post-collegiate athletes. He began working with Teter and Fleshman first, which paved the way for Gagliano - nicknamed "Gags" - to ask about working with Symmonds, the 2008 U.S. 800 meter champion.
"Of course, being post collegians and having to pay for most things they get they asked me what I charged," Radcliffe said. "I said well, you make it to the Olympics, I want to be a part of that to."
Security reasons kept Radcliffe from being able to train the runners in Beijing, so he returned earlier this week when Symmonds, OTC Elite 800 meter runner Christian Smith and Oregon sophomore Andrew Wheating - who all qualified in the 800 for the U.S. - went to Beijing and the Olympic Village. By Monday, he was back in Eugene in time for 10:30 a.m. football practice.
Be the first to comment on this story