It was 25 years ago today that Joanie shocked the World!

[Rog]

In terms of depth, with the likes of Benoit, Waitz, Kristiansen and Mota in the race, the women's marathon was one of the strongest events in the 84 Olympics, and certainly the only womens' event not to be devalued by the boycott. I would think all four of that group would make a top ten of all-time in that event by any reckoning

Just one question - how did she pronounce her name (before her marriage) - Ben-wah in the French style, or the anglicised version?

[tandfman]

I'm pretty sure it was not the French way.

[wineturtle]

Re: The Boston Marathon

That Olympic run should not have shocked us but it did. I was standing in the middle of Wilshire Blvd on the eastern border of Santa Monica as the lead pack came into view far in the distance. They were all together except for the small figure that was out in front and slowly moving further and further ahead with each block run. When Joan went by me I remember thinking that she had gone out far too fast. The problem with my thinking was that I had forgotten that Monday, April 18th, 1983 day when Joan had done the same thing in Boston. She broke all of the women's records (CR, AR, WR) with a 2:22:43 marathon winning the race by over six minutes on that difficult course. The new Historical Picture Book called "The Boston Marathon" of the "Images of Sport" series published by Arcadia Publishing and written by Richard A. Johnson and Robert Hamilton Johnson with a foreward by John J. Kelley has a picture of Joan receiving her Olive Wreath that April day. The book is a fine pictorial history of the Boston Marathon with well over 200 pictures beginning in 1897 and ending in 2008. The book stands beside Tom Derderian's "Boston Marathon" as a great tribute to the Boston Marathon. By the way, Tom's picture is on page 90 of the new book.

Orvilles 1962 Photo and many more in the book- I love Nina running in a buttoned blouse
short link>
http://tinyurl.com/OAtkins