Edwin Moses, 25 years later, from LA Times, thoughts by Larry Eder

The LA Olympics were the first Olympics that I was able to attend. It was a an amazingly presented Olympics, and the performances were extraordinary. I was lucky enough to see Sebastian Coe win his second 800 meter gold, and was transfixed watching Alberto Cova and Matti Vaino battle it out over the 10,000 meters. At the time, I was working at Runners World and publisher Bob Anderson and VP Derek Clayton helped Christine, my ex-wife and myself get tickets for the Olympics. As a track geek, it was just an amazing experience. We were staying Pasadena, training with some of my former athletes from Santa Clara University.
I had read about Edwin Moses first in 1976 in Track & Field News, and followed him over the next eight years. Seeing Edwin win in Los Angeles, and the feature on him in Bud Greenspan’s “Sixteen Days of Glory”, are also some of my favorite track memories. In the LA Times, on the anniversary of the LA 1984 Olympics, here is a great piece to savor: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-streeter2-2009aug02,0,1522203.column.
Moses competed in one of our sports most difficult events-the 400 meter intermediate hurdles. He trained hard, raced hard and after leaving the sport, has spoken out and championed drug free sports! We continue to applaud his efforts. I see Edwin Moses as a link to John Aki Bau, the 1972 champion and David Hemery, the 1968 champion. The 400 meter hurdles is a combination of the lactic nightmare of the 400 meters and then, intermediate hurdles, sucking whatever strength and endurance one had planned on and asking you, the athlete, to see what one is truly made from. Moses knew it, and thrived on it.
Note that on www.american-trackandfield.com, a superb interview done by James Dunaway, will be posted over the next couple of weeks. The interview first appeared in Summer issue of American Track & Field.
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