Catholic high school graduate deals with pressure of Olympic hopes

Published: 2004-06-15

PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- Alberto Salazar, distance running coach at Central Catholic High School in Portland, counsels Galen Rupp not only in running but in handling the pressure of celebrity. Salazar, himself a world-record holder in the marathon, has coached the 2004 Central High graduate since Rupp's freshman year and now sees the youth being heralded as one of the country's Olympic hopefuls. While most high school runners were getting ready to hang up their spikes for the season, Rupp was hoping to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials. Rupp's training plan was designed to help him reach his peak performances during the summer. He didn't run in all high school meets, selecting those that were of significance to his team or challenging to him individually. Talk of Rupp being an elitist has surfaced in Internet chat rooms and track circles. "It's a lesson to learn now because he'll have to do it later in championship meets: Forget about the times, you run to win," Salazar told the Catholic Sentinel, newspaper of the Portland Archdiocese.

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