Athletics-Samuelson sees LA Olympics lifting next generation of American runners

By Rory Carroll

LOS ANGELES, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first women's Olympic marathon champion, hopes the return of the Summer Games to Los Angeles in 2028 will propel a new generation of American distance runners to the podium, even if they are not the favourites.

Samuelson, who won gold on the streets of Los Angeles in the inaugural women's Olympic marathon, recalled approaching that race as an underdog, unburdened by expectation.

"I was in the right place at the right time and if the day had been different, the result could have been totally different," she said in a Reuters interview at Nike Victory Relay, an event that brought 500 runners from across Los Angeles to LA Memorial Coliseum last weekend.

"I wasn't the favourite, and it's always easier being the underdog. I just said, 'Go out and run my own race,' and that’s exactly what I did," she said.

"I broke from the pack a little and I just kept running."

Looking ahead to 2028, she said the city's Olympic legacy - particularly the organizational model of 1984 led by Peter Ueberroth - can shape an inclusive and energizing experience for athletes and fans.

"They made an Olympics for everyone," she said.

"I felt so welcome in the city with different families that welcomed me into their homes.

"Every time I come to LA it's a homecoming. To see the city start gearing up with the LA 2028 Olympic team in place, it's exciting."

She pointed to the enthusiasm at the Nike Victory Relay - which brought together youth athletes, high school students, and local run crews - as evidence of momentum.

"It just shows that the youth are exuberant about what's going to come down the track in the next of couple years," she said.

Samuelson, 68, said women's distance running has undergone a profound transformation since the 1980s, when she trained largely alone on Maine roads and faced cultural scepticism about women competing over longer distances.

"Now, I really see more women out there than men," she said, crediting expanded school and community opportunities.

"It's amazing that I was able to come here and run a marathon when the longest acceptable distance in the previous marathons was 1,500 meters."

She added that fears once voiced about women's health have been disproven by decades of participation.

"Well 150,000 miles, two children and two grandchildren later, I'm still at it. It's a sport for all ages, it's accessible and affordable," she said.

Samuelson added that the performances of American women in 1984 such as sprinter Evelyn Ashford and middle-distance runner Mary Decker Slaney, helped catalyze the women's running movement. In 2028, she hopes that spirit is reignited.

For athletes with Olympic ambitions, Samuelson's advice is straightforward: trust the work.

"Believe in your training," she said.

"If you believe in yourself and you do the training you're capable of doing, I think you're going to see more Americans on the victory stand here in 2028."

Asked what legacy she hopes the 2028 Olympic marathon will leave for the next generation of women runners, Samuelson offered a single word: "Possibility."