Ruth Wysocki

Last updated

Ruth Wysocki (born March 8, 1957 in Alhambra, California) is an American middle distance runner who specialized in the 800 meters and 1500 metres.

Contents

Wysocki began track competition in age-group races in the late 1960s, and continued her track career over a period of about 30 years, until she became a Masters (over-40) runner in 1997. Wysocki was a standout performer in the 800 m at Azusa High School in Azusa, California, winning the California State championship at 440 y and 880 y.[ citation needed ] Running for Citrus College as Ruth Caldwell, she won the CCCAA California State Cross Country Championships in both 1977 and 1978. [1] Later in those seasons, she won the 1978-9 championships at both 800 meters and 1500 meters. [2] Her victories at the Southern California Championships remain the records in both those events. [3] She attended the University of Redlands, where she excelled at 400 and 800 m.

Wysocki first won fame in American middle-distance running when she upset Mary Decker to win the 1978 US Championships 800 m in 2:01.99. Wysocki scored another upset victory against Decker (now Slaney) at the 1984 US Olympic Trials, this time at 1500 m. Wysocki outsprinted Slaney to win the Trials in 4:00.18. At the 1984 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, California she finished sixth in 800 m and eighth in 1500 m. She finished seventh in 1500 m at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg, Sweden at age 38.

In 1997, Wysocki set several Masters records at distances from 800 m – 5000 m on the track, and 5k and 8k road races. Her 800 meters and 1500 meters were ratified as American W40 records on December 5, 2020, more than 23 years after the performances. [4] Her father, Willis Kleinsasser, was also a successful Masters athlete. Her brother, Alan Kleinsasser, ran 1:50.5 for 800 m and 3:52.2 for 1500 m, both school records at Caltech.

Ruth is married to Tom Wysocki, who qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics that were held in Moscow, as the alternate on the 10,000 m team, though the United States boycotted that competition. [5]

Personal bests

DistanceTimeYear
880 y2:10.71974 (High School)
400 m56.81975 (College)
800 m2:06.801978 (College)
1500 m4:18.91978 (College)
440 y55.01975
800 m1:58.651984
1000 m2:38.361995
1500 m4:00.181984
Mile4:21.781984
2000 m5:40.091984
3000 m8:52.911987
5000m16:37.221985
800 m2:03.951997 (masters)
1000 m2:40.421997 (masters)
1500 m4:08.691997 (masters)
5000 m16:37.221997 (masters)

Related Research Articles

Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1500 m came about as a result of running 3+34 laps of a 400 m outdoor track or 7+12 laps of a 200 m indoor track, which were commonplace in continental Europe in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zola Budd</span> South African runner

Zola Budd is a South African middle-distance and long-distance runner. She competed at the 1984 Olympic Games for Great Britain and the 1992 Olympic Games for South Africa, both times in the 3000 metres. In 1984 (unratified) and 1985, she broke the world record in the 5000 metres. She was also a two-time winner at the World Cross Country Championships (1985–1986). Budd mainly trained and raced barefoot. Her mile best of 4:17.57 in 1985 stood as the British record for 38 years until Laura Muir ran 4:15.24 on 21 July 2023.

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Masterkova is a Russian former middle-distance runner and former women's world record holder for the mile and the current 1000 metres world record. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in both the 800 metres and 1500 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Decker</span> American middle-distance runner

Mary Teresa Slaney is a retired American middle-distance runner. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships and was the world-record holder in the mile, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters. In total, she set 17 official and unofficial world records, and she was the first woman to break 4:20 for the mile. She also set 36 U.S. national records at distances ranging from 800 meters to 10,000 meters, and has held the U.S. record in the mile, 2000 meters and 3000 meters since the early 1980s, while her 1500 meters record stood for 32 years. In 2003, she was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Marla Lee Runyan is an American track and field athlete, road runner and marathon runner who is legally blind. She is a three-time national champion in the women's 5000 metres. She is also an athlete that competed in both the Paralympics and the Olympics, both reaching the finals.

Lynn Alice Jennings is a retired American long-distance runner. She is one of the best female American runners of all time, with a range from 1500 meters to the marathon. She excelled at all three of the sport's major disciplines: track, road, and cross country. She won the bronze in the Women's 10,000 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She set a world indoor record in the 5000 meter run in 1990.

Vicki Huber is a retired American middle distance and cross country runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PattiSue Plumer</span>

Patricia Susan "PattiSue" Plumer is an American former middle-distance and long-distance runner. She is a two-time Olympian, finishing 13th in the 3000-m final in 1988 in Seoul, before going on to finish 10th in the 1500-m final and fifth in the 3000-m final in 1992 in Barcelona. She won the 3000 meters title at the 1990 Goodwill Games. Her 5000-m best of 15:00.00 in 1989 is a former American record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Rowbury</span> American middle-distance runner

Shannon Solares-Rowbury is an American middle-distance runner from San Francisco, California. After competing collegiately for Duke University, she turned professional in 2007. Rowbury has represented the United States at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics. She also represented the United States at the World Championships in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017, winning the bronze medal in the 1500 meters in 2009. In 2015, Rowbury helped set the world record with the U.S. team for the distance medley relay event, and set a then-American record for 1500 meters on July 17, 2015, breaking Mary Slaney's 32 year-old mark with a time of 3:56.29.

Frances Anne "Francie" Larrieu Smith is an American track and field athlete. She was the flagbearer at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for the United States of America. Larrieu Smith was the third female American athlete to make five American Olympic teams, behind the six of fencer Jan York-Romary and Track and Field's Willye White. The feat was later equaled by basketball player Teresa Edwards, track and field's Gail Devers, cyclist/speedskater Chris Witty and swimmer Dara Torres. After one of the longest elite careers on record, she retired from that level of competition.

Alice Schmidt Kehaya is an American middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 meters. She represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 London Olympics and has competed at the World Championships in Athletics on three occasions.

Nicole Teter is an American middle distance runner, who specialized in the 800 metres. She is a three-time U.S. indoor champion, and a two-time Olympian. She also won a gold medal in the same category at the 2002 U.S. Outdoor Championships.

Mary Cecilia Cain is an American professional middle distance runner from Bronxville, New York. Cain was the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3000 meter event. She is the youngest American athlete ever to represent the United States at a track and field World Championships meet after competing in the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow aged 17 years and 3 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Martinez</span> American middle-distance runner

Brenda Martinez is an American middle-distance runner and Olympian. Born in Upland, California, she won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow and finished first in the 800 meters at the 2014 Diamond League Final. She represented the US at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 1500 meters. Martinez twice set the world record in the Distance Medley Relay at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston; first on February 7, 2015 and then breaking her own record on January 28, 2017. In 2016, Martinez qualified for the U.S. Olympic team competing in the 1500 meters after beating Amanda Eccleston by 0.03 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanelle Price</span> American middle-distance runner

Chanelle Price is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800-meter run. She has a personal record of 1:59.10 for the distance. She was the gold medalist at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1500 metres at the World Athletics Championships</span>

The 1500 metres at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition in 1983. It is the second most prestigious title in the discipline after the 1500 metres at the Olympics. The competition format typically has two qualifying rounds leading to a final between twelve athletes. It is one of two middle-distance running events on the programme, alongside the World Championship 800 metres.

Ravilya Agletdinova was a Soviet middle-distance runner who competed in 800 metres, 1500 metres and 3000 metres events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Grace</span> American middle-distance runner

Kate Grace is an American middle-distance runner. A multiple All-American runner for Yale University, she turned professional in 2011. Grace competed for the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics, making it to the final of the 800 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Houlihan</span> American middle distance runner (born 1993)

Shelby Houlihan is an American middle distance runner, Olympian and World Record holder in the 4x1500m relay who is currently serving a ban. Houlihan competed in the 5000m final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, finishing 11th. She is a 12-time US National Champion winning seven indoor and five outdoor titles in middle-distance events. While at Arizona State University she won the 2014 NCAA 1500m championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Mackey</span> American middle-distance runner (born 1987)

Katherine "Katie" Follett is an American middle-distance runner. She placed 8th at 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 3000 metres.

References

  1. "Women's Cross Country History of Champions". CCCAA.
  2. "Women's Track & Field History of Champions". CCCAA.
  3. http://static.psbin.com/i/f/m3qj1v4bnujou1/2017_cccaa_state_track_meet_program.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. "Masters Track & Field Records".
  5. Father of distance runner Wysocki dies Monday, Las Vegas Sun , November 2, 1998. Retrieived July 8, 2020.