Maryland Coach Picked To Head Olympic Track Team In London
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Andrew Valmon of Maryland and Amy Deem of Miami were selected Thursday as coaches for the men's and women's track and field teams at the 2012 London Olympics.
The nominations by USA Track & Field must be approved by Scott Blackmun, the U.S. Olympic Committee's chief executive officer.
Valmon has been the coach at Maryland since 2003. He won gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics as a member of the 1,600-meter relay squads.
Deem has been instrumental in making the women's team at Miami an elite program the last two decades. She has coached Olympic sprinter Lauryn Williams and was the women's coach at the 2007 world championships in Osaka, Japan.
The Americans are coming off a 23-medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a disappointment for the team. In response, Doug Logan, a former chief executive of USA Track and Field, launched the "Project 30" initiative, a plan aimed at producing 30 U.S. medals in London. The outspoken leader was ousted last September, and the track organization is searching for a new CEO.
The assistants nominated to help Deem on the women's side include Tonja Buford-Bailey (sprints and hurdles), Rose Monday (endurance), Gwen Wentland (jumps and combined events) and Connie Price-Smith (throws).
The nominees to join Valmon's staff are Edrick Floreal (jumps), Jack Hazen (distance), Mike Holloway (sprints and hurdles) and Tom Pukstys (throws).
All the assistants are pending approval by the USOC.
In addition, Kansas State coach Cliff Rovelto and former George Mason women's track and cross country coach Angie Taylor are to lead the U.S. team at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
