Sunday, February 23, 2014

Dothan Olympic gold for Gibson and Collier

Myles GibsonThe 2014 Winter Olympics are over, and I can't say I miss them. The "Olympic movement" in general is a steady source of disappointment for me. Yes, I've accepted intellectually that the ancient Games were a festival to Zeus, and the modern Games are a festival to Mammon. Emotionally, though, I keep expecting pure and simple heroics, like Emil "The Iron Czech" Zatopek's 1952 triple, or Herb Elliot's front-running 1960 1500 meter victory, or Dave Wottle's thrilling win at the tape in the 800 meters in 1972. So I get to be disillusioned over and over again.


The Winter Olympics underscore most of what I dislike about the Games. A while back the Winter Games were re-scheduled to fall between the actual Olympic years; there's more sponsorship dollars to be had that way. All the sports require you to live way too close to the Arctic Circle, or have access to expensive facilities, or both. You won't hear many stories about poor kids from the Ethiopian countryside beating the odds to become gold medalists in downhill skiing. This isn't the Summer Games. This is the Rich White People's Olympics.


About five years ago, it was proposed that cross-country running be added to the Winter Olympics. This would have put a more universal sport on the program, or at least something that I was actually interested in watching. Cross-country had been in the Summer Olympics in its own right as late as 1924, and as part of modern pentathlon until 2008. Adding it to the Winter Games made a great deal of sense. So naturally, the International Olympic Committee didn't do anything about it. Maybe they were discouraged by the cost overruns in Sochi.


But where the Russian Federation couldn't put on a Winter Olympic cross-country run, the citizen of Dothan, Alabama, could. The Larry and Ronna Dykes Trail in Westgate Park may not have cost the $51,000,0000,0000 that Russia spent on the Sochi Games, but the path in the park was sufficient for the Winter Olympics 5K Trail Run hosted by the Dothan Runners Club on Saturday morning, 22 February 2014.


Donalsonville, Georgia, master runner Myles Gibson was the gold medalist in the event, winning by over half a kilometer in 18:43. Ten-year-old Alan Flores of Dothan finished runner-up in 20:59. Dothan master runners Mike Houston and Dale Thomas were third and fourth in 21:08 and 23:40.


On the women's side, gold went to Larissa Collier, who was tenth overall in 23:56. Finishing in the silver medal spot was Amy Schutz, thirteenth overall in 24:38. Brandi Mitchell took the bronze-medal spot in the women's division, coming in fifteenth overall in 24:47. Kristina Bennett was the first woman master and fourth woman finisher, placing 17th overall in 25:55.


67 athletes finished the Winter Olympics 5K Trail Run. The event seemed decidedly un-Olympian, because there were no drug tests, anti-terrorist measures, or members of the International Olympic Committee looking for a payoff. I don't see anything wrong with that, though.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Winter Olympics 5K Trail Run
  1. 18:43 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 47)
  2. 20:59 ~ Alan Flores (M, 10)
  3. 21:08 ~ Mike Houston (M, 41)
  4. 21:40 ~ Dale Thomas (M, 50)
  5. 23:02 ~ Chad Harrison (M, 32)
  6. 23:07 ~ Anthony Davare (M, 31)
  7. 23:40 ~ Dale Nash (M, 63)
  8. 23:49 ~ Key Warren (M, 38)
  9. 23:51 ~ Paul King (M, 40)
  10. 23:59 ~ Andy Wall (M, 69)

Top Ten Women, 2014 Winter Olympics 5K Trail Run
  1. 23:56 ~ Larissa Collier (F, 32)
  2. 24:38 ~ Amy Schutz (F, 37)
  3. 24:47 ~ Brandi Mitchell (F, 19)
  4. 25:55 ~ Kristina Bennett (F, 41)
  5. 26:02 ~ Chrissy Snoke (F, 29)
  6. 26:10 ~ Shay Harville (F, 44)
  7. 28:40 ~ April Stewart (F, 42)
  8. 29:33 ~ Brandi Deal (F, 36)
  9. 29:45 ~ Tara Whaley (F, 38)
  10. 29:49 ~ Michelle Wilkinson (F, 44)

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Posted by Herb Wills at 6:14 PM
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