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Athens 2004

Olympics News

GANNETT NEWS SERVICE MULTIMEDIA                                                                    Olympics home | E-mail feedback

August 15, 2004 3:03 pm

Notebook: Multi-tasking hurdler

By GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

ATHENS, Greece -- Brenda Taylor, a 400-meter hurdler from Chula Vista, Calif., didn't take up track and field full time until college, but even then it was hardly a one-track pursuit. She attended Harvard and graduated magna cum laude with a major in cognitive neuroscience.

``It's the focus on the psychological underpinnings of behavior,'' Taylor attempted to explain, adding that she intends to go to law school and business school and work on health-care reform.

But those plans have been on hold for a bit longer than she anticipated.

``Honestly, in 2001 I thought I was done with track and field,'' she said. ``I won NCAAs, then made the world championship team. I traveled all over Europe, competing that summer, and I thought `maybe I can do this for a while.' `'

Have wrench, will travel

Official boatwright Carl Eichenlaub of San Diego is known to the U.S. sailing team as ``fixer of all things,'' a label he's earned through six Olympics and six Pan American Games, dating back to 1979.

Eichenlaub is 74 and travels to international events with a 40-foot container that holds, among other things, a swedging machine, drill press and a microwave oven for curing resin. Eichenlaub's expertise is often sought out by foreign athletes with mechanical problems.

At last year's Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic, Carl was selected by the U.S. team captains to be the U.S. flagbearer for Opening Ceremonies. It was the first time a U.S. Pan American team had selected a non-athlete for the honor.

``Carl embodies the Olympic spirit more than anyone I know,'' said sailing team manger Jonathan Harley.

Who you calling odd?

John Dunn of Chula Vista, Calif., a 20K race walker, acknowledges that his sport is among the lower profile events in track and field, but from his perspective, it's not the most unusual.

``I find it humorous,'' he said. ``For example, triple jump to me is such an odd sport. I can't jump three times like that, and I don't take anything away from it, but it just seems so odd to me.''

Shooter finishes 13th

Bret Erickson, the shooter from Buena Vista, Ga., whose heart stopped beating for two minutes six weeks ago, faded to 13th place in the men's trap shooting with 118 points, three short of reaching the final six. Erickson entered Sunday tied for third place.

Lance Bade of Colorado Springs, Colo., finished fifth after entering the final six tied for second place.

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COMMENTARY AND PERSPECTIVE

MIKE LOPRESTI | Gannett News Service

Olympics 2004 were games of education, enlightenment

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IAN O'CONNOR | The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

Biggest winner of 2004 Olympics: Greece

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CHRISTINE BRENNAN | USA TODAY

Athens scores satisfying win

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DAN BICKLEY | The Arizona Republic

Some U.S. women's teams put on best show in Athens

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LYNN HENNING | The Detroit News

U.S. basketball team has gone from stars to targets

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BOB KRAVITZ | The Indianapolis Star

It was Black Friday for U.S.

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