Question for Mike Murray (and others)

Mike Murray

2013-03-01

Sorry for the delayed response. Track racing is going strong in the US now
but most of it is not under the USAC umbrella. USAC has never significantly
supported track racing in general. They have supported key athletes who
have already demonstrated talent and, at least temporarily, some velodromes.
They ignore and, frankly, inhibit most track racing. Of course, you could
argue that this is also true for most of bike racing.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of Steve Scarich
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 09:04
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Question for Mike Murray (and others)

I only mention Mike because I suspect he still follows this subject. So,
there was just an event called the UCI Track World Championships held in the
Far East. As far as I could tell, only Sarah Hammer represented the U.S. (I
could have missed other competitors). Has our country 'thrown in the towel'
on track racing at the international level? or is something else going on?
What is the state of track racing in America?

Steve Scarich
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Candi Murray

2013-02-27

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Godfrey, Norrene"
> Date: February 27, 2013 12:08:34 PM PST
> To: Candi Murray , Jonathan
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Question for Mike Murray (and others)
>
> Here's my opinion on this question – Only I can not and never have been able to do a reply to all on OBRA chat. Would one of you post this for me? Maybe it will help people see, that if we want to be competitive in the world, then we need to invest in our own ideas and innovations and stop waiting for USAC to tell us what to do. =0)
>
>
>
>
> Where to start on this question . . .the short and direct answer are – Yes, Sarah Hammer was the only US athlete to attend World Track Champs; I’m not sure if she paid her own way or not and no, the US has not thrown in the towel on track, per say, the industry (cycling) as a whole, feels track is not worth investing in until 15-12 months out from Rio Olympic games. That’s why you see what little support there was, suddenly disappear right after the Olympics, unless you are lucky to live in one of those countries with a full blown, fully funded (lottery dollars) track program.
>
> Theo Bos explained it well in an article posted on cyclingnews in December, where he voiced concerns of the British dominance on the track in the London Olympics and how other countries, including the USA cannot compete, UNLESS they’re willing to really invest the funding. Check it out.
>
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bos-concerned-by-british-track-dominance
>
> So that leads us back to Steve’s question, right now there is nothing in the way of a track program from USAC, however there are pockets of ignition around the US; Hellyer has a women’s pursuit program, Chicago has just started one too and if we are going to change things, it will come from a grass roots level, not from the top down.
>
> Personally I had to put Project Rio on hold as of Monday, due to lack of funding support, however that doesn’t mean we can’t be creative to effect change in the track world. Brian Abers and I are trying to pull together an intense sprint camp in the summer, that will run between Alpenrose and Marymoor, giving the sprinters a way to survive and move forward even in this post–Olympic season, no support, season.
>
> Cheers
> Norrene
>
>
> Norrene Godfrey | Young Athletes Senior Production Artist | Nike Inc
> 503•671•2178 | norrene.godfrey@Nike.com | 503•806•2215 C
>
> From: Candi Murray
> Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 9:08 AM
> To: Norrene Godfrey
> Subject: Fwd: [OBRA Chat] Question for Mike Murray (and others)
>
> You should answer this
>
> Candi
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Steve Scarich
>> Date: February 27, 2013 9:03:39 AM PST
>> To: obra@list.obra.org
>> Subject: [OBRA Chat] Question for Mike Murray (and others)
>>
>> I only mention Mike because I suspect he still follows this subject. So, there was just an event called the UCI Track World Championships held in the Far East. As far as I could tell, only Sarah Hammer represented the U.S. (I could have missed other competitors). Has our country 'thrown in the towel' on track racing at the international level? or is something else going on? What is the state of track racing in America?
>>
>> Steve Scarich
>> _______________________________________________
>> OBRA mailing list
>> obra@list.obra.org
>> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
>> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>>


Chad Butler

2013-02-27

Listen to the commentary when you're watching those races and you'll hear the comentators talking about this exact subject in detail. All five days of racing are available at cyclingtorrents.nl


jon.ragsdale@comcast.net

2013-02-27

This probably a better question for Norrene Godfrey, as she is on the USAC board. But the simple answer is no, they have not. The US just returned from a very successful trip to the Pan Ams. Medals were won, and American records were broken.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Scarich"
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 9:03:39 AM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Question for Mike Murray (and others)

I only mention Mike because I suspect he still follows this subject. So, there was just an event called the UCI Track World Championships held in the Far East. As far as I could tell, only Sarah Hammer represented the U.S. (I could have missed other competitors). Has our country 'thrown in the towel' on track racing at the international level? or is something else going on? What is the state of track racing in America?

Steve Scarich
_______________________________________________
OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org


Steve Scarich

2013-02-27

I only mention Mike because I suspect he still follows this subject. So, there was just an event called the UCI Track World Championships held in the Far East. As far as I could tell, only Sarah Hammer represented the U.S. (I could have missed other competitors). Has our country 'thrown in the towel' on track racing at the international level? or is something else going on? What is the state of track racing in America?

Steve Scarich