Q. Over nearly 10 years, from August 1977 until May 1987, you won 122 straight 400-meter hurdles races. Looking back, does that feat seem even more remarkable to you?
A. On a day-to-day basis, I really don’t think about the streak. I just remember that it took a lot of training and dedication to maintain it as long as I did. I recall competing in the Division III national championships at Stagg Field at the University of Chicago in 1976. That was a long time ago.
Q. With the Summer Olympics coming up in 2004, do you see a world-class hurdler possibly threatening your streak?
A. Overall, there is only one guy, [former Southern California hurdler] Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, who is standing ahead of the pack, pretty much like I was. I doubt seriously that it will be broken.
Q. On your 28th birthday in Koblenz, West Germany, you lowered your own world record with a time of 47.02 seconds. That record remained unbroken until 1992. At 48 you continue to train for the 400-meter hurdles. Any chance you will compete in the next Olympics?
A. I went out and trained some for it to see if I could reach the qualifying time, but as a competitor in the next Olympics, I doubt it. I know what it takes to get there and I’m not willing to sacrifice for it now.
Q. Because of your parents’ influence as educators in Dayton, Ohio, you accepted an academic scholarship in engineering from Morehouse College rather than an athletic scholarship elsewhere. Although there was no track at Morehouse, you trained for the ’76 Olympic trials at the public high school facilities around Atlanta and subsequently won the trials with an American record of 48.30. How has that sort of dedication defined your work ethic?
A. It means a lot because there are a lot of people like myself who are using sports as a means of social change. I am the academy chairman for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which funds programs around the world that address social issues through sports. It has been very difficult to get positive stories through sports. It’s very frustrating to me. There seems to be so much focus on negative sports stories throughout the media.
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