Michelle Rohl Rolls on to Sydney Olympics
| Michelle Rohl Career Highlights |
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20K Olympic Trials
Record 1:32:39 Won USA Indoor
3000m 12:51:17 USA Outdoors 20K
American Record US Olympic Team US Olympic Team Six time US Champion |
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Michelle Rohl has set American Records in
most walking distances, most recently the 20K Olympic Trials record of 1:32:39. The 35-year old heads to her third Olympic Games. She
previously competed in the 10K Walk, but the Olympic distance for women changed
this year to match the distance the men walk, and she will race the 20K Walk.
Michelle, husband Michael (also a nationally-ranked racewalker)
and their three small children moved
to Cloudcroft, New Mexico in the past year where Michael coordinates the High-Low
Training Program so that athletes can take advantage of training at altitude.
Michelle, how are you preparing with Sydney only weeks away?
I am continuing on the same training pattern that I began before the trials. I have enough time to get in some serious work and
bring my time down another notch, hopefully sub 1:30. To do this, I am going to be putting in a little more distance than I was able to do
before the trials (injury and illness caused me to be unable to complete more than a 15 miler before the trials) I plan to do several
longer ones between now and Sydney, as well as increasing the pace and distance of my tempo walks. My speed work has already
been adequate, so it won't change. In addition, and most importantly, I am preparing by getting some crucial physical
therapy done that can have a substantial effect on my performance ability.
How do you rate your medal prospects in the 20K? Who are the women to
beat?
If all goes well for me I hope to have a top ten finish. You never know what can happen if your hanging with the top pack, but I
think top ten is a more realistic goal for me at this point. Luckily, the Russians can only take three athletes because they probably
have fifteen that can beat me.
What will Mike and the kids be doing - going to Sydney or rooting from
home?
At this point, the family is staying home. Molly just turned 10 and has already been through Mom going away to the Olympics in '92.
Sebastian is 7, he was able to see me compete in Atlanta with the rest of the family. Ayla is soon to be 3, so Mom going away to the
Olympics for several weeks will be new to her.
At the US Olympic Trials, Yueling Chen was reported as being right on your heels
for most of the race. What was the race like?
That is a controversy that tends to get a bit blown out of proportion. When you compete at our level you expect your competitors to do
what ever they can to beat you. If I had let her stepping on my heels bother me it would have negatively affected my race. I didn't
make my surge at 10K to get away from Chen stepping on my heels, other people don't control my race plan. I sensed weakness on her
part at that time and felt that I needed to make a strong move then and build a decisive lead. As I suspected, she couldn't answer my
surge. If I had waited until after her bad spell, I might not have been able to lose her as easily. I think she should be very happy
with her race though, after all it was a two minute PR for her on a course where very few people got their best times. Chen is a very
competitive athlete and I enjoyed the challenge of competing against her. I certainly don't hold a grudge about any particular
race tactics that she may have employed.
What is your take on the Yueling Chen citizenship controversy?
I agree that it is unfair that she is unable to compete, though the rule doesn't appear to be in her favor. She obviously is not trying to
country hop, she wants to be a US citizen and has lived in this country for a number of years so it appears that China is just being
vindictive. What is really unfortunate though, is that this could not have been decided before the trials. It was unfair to everyone in the
race to have a competitor that ended up not being eligible to compete. It is surely difficult for Joanne to mentally prepare when
she still doesn't know for sure if she will be going. Moreover, Sara Stevenson, who ended up fifth and backed off in the last 5K
because of judging trouble, may have been able to hang on if she had known she was racing for a spot on the team.
Update: Aug. 10: China Grants Waiver for Chen
Has living at altitude at Cloudcroft had an effect on your training or ability?
I set an American record, improving my time by a minute and a half, and Michael finished a surprising 4th at the trials. We like to
let our performances speak for themselves.
What are your plans after the 2000 Olympics?
We plan to stay in Cloudcroft because we really like it here. My racewalking goals include obtaining several indoor records that
have been elusive thus far as well as preparing for next year's 20K. We have a lot of promising young talent coming up, so I don't want
to make far reaching Olympic goals at this time. We'll see how my body holds up, and whether I can keep up with the likes of Sara
Stevenson and Amber Antonia in the years to come. Parenting is becoming more demanding and
challenging and I plan to funnel more of my focus in that direction.
Olympic Racewalking Guides
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Women's 20K
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Men's 50K
Racewalk Rankings and Records
