USA Indoor Championships press conference quotes

BOSTON - Shot putters Adam Nelson and Reese Hoffa and hurdler Danielle Carruthers spoke with the press on Thursday in advance of the 2005 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Championships will be held February 25-27 at the Reggie Lewis Center, located on the campus of Roxbury Community College. It will be broadcast from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN.

Below are excerpts from Thursday's press conference.

Q: Tell us about your success since last summer.

CARRUTHERS: Basically it came down to making a good coaching change. I excelled at Indiana University, but I needed a change in my environment. I needed to become a better technical hurdler. I got with Paul Doyle in April of last year. It worked out well for me. I ran two PRs last year, then I came back this year. I was able to put everything together in the fall. For me, it's about executing things in practice. I've definitely got more confidence, getting some wins this year.

Q: Reese, talk about your big 2004 and your big start in 2005.

HOFFA: I've been putting a lot of things together, really learning the technique. I'm finally seeing all the hard work come together. I put some great throws together at the Olympic Trials. I've been extremely surprised and happy with my performances. New York AC is one of my sponsors, so I wanted to win. Millrose was the first meet I won as a professional, when the shot put was at Manhattan College. It's definitely improved over the years.

Q: The shot put has been a featured event of the Visa Championship Series.

NELSON: What people are starting to realize is how great the shot put can be, when you give us a chance to perform with no distractions. We've also delivered this year with two world leaders at our meets, and we have two leaders in the Visa Championships Series.

Q: How did the Olympic Trials go for you?

CARRUTHERS: I was fourth. From that experience, I learned that I can run well. For me, it was a jumping off point to know that I am one of the elite athletes and can come back strong the next season. I think four years from now is going to be my time. I was very disappointed [with not making the Olympic Team]. I went to Europe, but I was very drained. I went home and had to watch the opening ceremonies on TV. I cried, and I talked to my mom. But then I thought, if God wanted me to be there, I'd be there. So get on with it. It's moving progressively very well.

Q: What do you have to do to be a better hurdler?

CARRUTHERS: The lead leg. You improve your lead leg by improving your take-offs. I would waste all this time in the air when I could be running. Just little stuff, like how the trail leg works. I never understood that hurdling is like sprinting. The lead leg is followed by the trail leg. We're putting baby pieces together. It's great to be able to go from Boston to Millrose to Arkansas and to watch the tape and see, on the first hurdle I did this, on the second hurdle I did that. Then you can fix it.

Q: Reese, you are known for your costumes. Do you have anything planned for this meet?

HOFFA: I'm going to keep it as plain as possible. No masks or anything. Not yet, anyway.

Q: Adam, your personality on the track seems so much different than off of it.

NELSON: I have Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde in me. I've always been that way. I'm extremely intense when I do anything out on the field. Any sort of competition I have, there's only one way to do it - when you channel all your emotions into that one specific event. When you watch me throw, everything's building up. When I get in there in the circle, I have this moment of clarity where I know exactly what I'm going to do. There's nothing on my mind but that one specific task of throwing that ball as far as I can. Then boom, everything comes back to life. I come back to who I am normally and then slowly build back up. My evil twin Nellie, if you don't see him on the field, you know I'm probably not going to have a good day. I've got it controlled now so I can tap into it - I can turn it on and off like that. In the past it was more like a 2 or 3 day build up. It's easier to get through life when you're not that on edge. It was a survival thing - if I didn't control it I'd have to quit sports or take up yoga. I can be difficult at times when I'm in that sort of zone. I think it's common with athletes. They get into the thrill of the kill, the thrill of the hunt. It takes some getting used to it. My wife navigates those waters pretty well, since her father was a professional football player.

Q: How has being around Adam affected you?

HOFFA: It definitely saved my shot put career. It began when Adam and [Canadian] Brad Snyder came to Georgia. Before they came, I was by myself. They are world-class athletes and record holders. His first day there had an immediate impact on how I threw. He said you've got to just focus on that one throw. I had a PR at that first practice. I thought, he's got it going on, so I better listen to what he has to say. He's a great model. Here's how you stay a great shot putter for a long time.

Q: How much has the $50,000 in bonuses for the Visa Championship [$25,000 each for the top man and top woman] affected how you've viewed the indoor season?

NELSON: I'm not going to lie. Look at my shirt [which reads, "This Space For Rent."] We're making a living off of what we're doing on there. Visa stepping up and showing they are committed to track & field in the most off of off years in track and field, the year after the Olympics, certainly helps a lot of the indoor athletes to pay some bills and stay involved in the sport over the next few months.

REESE: I think it makes it a lot more exciting. I'm two points from Adam, and you have Christian [Cantwell] and John [Godina]. I came in here ready to throw far. You add money to anything and it's going to make competition really fierce and make foes of all your friends. It also makes it great that there's one athlete - one male, one female - that wins. And second place doesn't get anything.

CARRUTHERS: In the beginning, I wasn't thinking about it [the money]. I just wanted to go from meet to meet and get better. Once I ran in Boston [winning the Reebok Boston Indoor Games], I figured that means I have to run the rest of the meets now. I actually planned to go to Europe, but then I was running well. So I kept running here and came to the Championships.