In a press conference at the Princeton Club in Madison, Wisconsin, Casey FitzRandolph (speedskating, 1998, '02, '06) announced his retirement from competition. At Salt Lake City, FitzRandolph set a world record at 500 meters and won Olympic gold in the presence of his family and his childhood idol Eric Heiden. The pride of his accomplishments (three Olympic team berths, five U.S. sprint championships, numerous podium appearances at World Cup events) is not diminished by "the excitement that I now feel when I think of the future. What used to be apprehension is now excitement. When I look at the next chapters of my life, I really feel like I want to bring it on and I want to bring it on now."
FitzRandolph plans to continue his relationships with charitable organizations and to establish himself as a voice in the conservation movement by becoming influential within the Conservation Congress and Natural Resources Board.
Capping a 10-year career that took her to three Olympic Games and earned her seven top ten World Cup finishes, Rosey Fletcher (snowboard, 1998, '02, '06) captured the women's Parallel Slalom and U.S. national title on March 26, 2006. An Olympic bronze medalist, Fletcher won the 2006 North American Snowboard Final at Washington's Crystal Mountain in the final race of her career.
In March, one of the most accomplished distance runners in U.S. history, Lynn Jennings (athletics, 1988, '92, '96) lent her support to the More Marathon (an event for women over 40) in New York City and held a rare news conference to officially announce her retirement. In the early 1990s, Jennings enjoyed a level of success unprecedented for a U.S. woman: she won three consecutive world cross-country titles and ran to the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She won 38 national titles in track, road and cross country and set 10 U.S. records.
Barbra and Dan Jorgensen (swimming, 1988, '92) and big sister Anna welcomed Alexandra Grace Jorgensen on August 31, 2005. She was 8 lbs., 8 oz. and 21" long. Congratulations to the family on this new addition!
On March 25, 2006, Jonny Moseley (skiing, 1998, '02) married Malia Rich in Telluride, Colorado. After exchanging vows before 130 guests, the happy couple held a reception at a private mountaintop resort. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in northern California, Moseley is a two-time World Cup champ. He was the first to receive a gold medal for the United States in freestyle moguls at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He and his bride met in high school and started dating in 2001.
Jim Page (skiing, 1964) has joined the United States Fencing Association as Director of High Performance. Formerly the Managing Director of Sport Performance for the USOC, Page specializes in the design of sport performance plans. Prior to his administrative career, he was an Olympian and then an Olympic Coach in the sport of skiing. During his career at the USOC, he was responsible for developing the athlete support programs and the specific program that was instrumental in moving the USA from its previous high of 13 medals to 34 medals at the Salt Lake Olympic Games in 2002.
The most successful U.S. man in World Cup speed races, Daron Rahlves (skiing, 1998, '02, '06) said goodbye to ski racing by winning the last race of his career on March 26, 2006 when he collected his seventh U.S. title and his third straight super G crown at the U.S. Alpine Championships. Rahlves' collection of U.S. gold medals includes four super G titles, the 2001 downhill championship and two giant slalom titles. He also has nine World Cup downhill victories and three World Cup super G wins in addition to gold in super G at the 2001 World Championships, silver in downhill and bronze in giant slalom at the 2005 Worlds.
 Trish Porter Wins At The World Masters Athletic Championships
Dear Fellow Olympians:
I am one of a few American Women who won gold at the 2nd World Masters Athletics Championships Indoors in Linz, Austria in the high jump, age 40-44 years. I am very excited about having won both the Indoor and Outdoor Masters World Championships. It was the first time in seventeen years that I have high jumped indoors. It's great to start my new Indoor career off with such a big win. The last time I jumped was at Madison Square Garden in 1989.
I jumped 1.66 meters, 5' 5 1/4" and won because I had fewer misses than Wendy Laing from Great Britain who got second place for age group 40-44 years. There were only seventeen women representing America and I was one of the few gold medalists. Unfortunately the U.S. women's team was plagued with injuries.
It is an amazing feeling standing on the victory stand, hearing our National Anthem, eyes filled with tears and hearing them announce you as the "World Champion." I feel so honored, blessed and thankful to God for this fantastic opportunity. To be the Indoor and Outdoor World Champion, wife, mother of two and 43 years old - only a God with a great sense of humor and love would allow this one. I feel so very blessed.
I strongly encourage other women to follow the dream that God has placed in their heart. You are not too old and it is still possible. Make the most of each moment.
I have been so fortunate to have a wonderful coach in Los Angeles, Allan Hanckel, and such a fabulous husband who supports my dreams. Traveling alone in Europe is different and exciting and it helps to know that my family and friends are praying for me. I am off to Salzburg tomorrow to ski Austria - wow! Very exciting!
I am a 1988 U.S. Olympian (we're never former, past or x, "once an Olympian always an Olympian"-reference U.S. Olympians Magazine) in the High Jump. I live with my husband of 14 years, Pat Porter, two time U.S. Olympian, twelve time U.S. Champion and eight time National Cross Country Champion. I am the mother of Shannon Porter, 4 years and Connor Porter, 8 years. I am the current World Record Holder in the high jump at 5' 9 1/4", for woman age 40-44 years young. I was the 2005 Outdoor Masters World Champion and am three time Outdoor U.S. National Masters Champion in the high jump. I am an assistant coach at La Cueva High School for the boys high jump and am the Marketing Chair for the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic, a fabulous regional and National high school track meet.
Trish Porter (athletics, 1988)
 Mark Schubert (swimming, 1980 - present) will leave as coach of the University of Southern California's swimming teams to become national team head coach and general manager for USA Swimming, beginning in May. He will serve as the head coach of the national team at international meets, working with the appointed men's and women's coaches. He also will represent the United States' technical interests nationally and internationally. Schubert has served on every U.S. Olympic coaching staff since 1980, with 38 of his swimmers making Olympic teams. He was head coach of the women's team in 1992 and 2004, and led the men's team in 2000. Of his new appointment, Schubert said, "Having the honor to help the nation's best coaches cultivate the nation's best talent is huge. Anything I can do to help them win Olympic medals and give our athletes the best possible Olympic experience will be my goal." |