Bjorkland was a great runner; I'm 64 years old and remember him well. And he may have been a humble, nice man. But here, he could've easily killed a family. Sorry, folks, 0.26 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) is more than three times 0.08 -- which is the legal limit in nearly all states. When I was 25 years old I blew a 0.10. I learned my lesson -- and how to calculate my BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) so that I wouldn't kill an entire family in the future. It worked.
I never met him in person but talked to him on the phone once for business, he was nice and yes humble. Seemed surprised that I recognized his name. When I came buy to pick up my materials a couple hours later he was no longer in his office and probably just didn't want to talk to a runner geek.
Hope he gets the the help he needs, whether this was a one-off and bad mistake or something else like an addiction problem. The outcome could have been catastrophic and glad it wasn't.
2. 2008 Olympic Marathon Champ Sammy Wanjiru Falls off Balcony Dies Drunk.
3. Asbel Kiprop admitted alcoholic
4. Gary Bjorkland for sure an Alcoholic that BAC is not a night out at the bar type of BAC.
5. Boaz Cheboiywo NCAA champ in a Michigan State prison for killing a mother during a DUI crash.
Should I go on.....
Unfortunately, need to include Henry Rono in this list.
It is not only distance runners. Just yesterday Marshaun Lynch was arrested for DWI and the LV Raider, WR (Henry Ruggs?), I think also killed someone while driving drunk two years ago. MLBer Josh Hamilton is another whose career was cut short by addition.
How can a career (Josh Hamilton) be cut short by adding to it (addition)?
1984 USA Olympic Trials Track & Field - Men's 10,000 Meters 10k Final (final four laps)June 19, 1984Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum1 Paul Cummings USA 27.59.08...
If you want publicly subsidized mass transit like Europe, you need to enforce fares and laws pertaining to rider conduct. Seattle and King County have invested billions in light rail and a network of bus routes that is dominated by fare evading "youth" and vagrants who use public transportation as a rolling drug den. Ya gotta choose leftie, can't have your cake and eat it too, the Europeans know this.
If you want publicly subsidized mass transit like Europe, you need to enforce fares and laws pertaining to rider conduct. Seattle and King County have invested billions in light rail and a network of bus routes that is dominated by fare evading "youth" and vagrants who use public transportation as a rolling drug den. Ya gotta choose leftie, can't have your cake and eat it too, the Europeans know this.
Eurasia is a massive land mass. Passenger trains in small towns to large cities and nation to nation work fine in Eurasia. Eurasia are working on 400 m.p.h. rail. Eurasia are working on green technology rail. If you want to be small and complain about rail service in a tiny portion of U.S., go ahead and complain. Garry B. sure wishes Jesse Ventura would have gotten his way with high speed rail from Saint Cloud, MN to Hudson, WI.
Thank you "doctor" for your informed diagnosis. BJ certainly made a very bad decision, but stating that he is "clearly" an alcoholic is premature, of course, unless you have interviewed the individual. If that's the case, I humbly retract my sarcasm.
Thank you "doctor" for your informed diagnosis. BJ certainly made a very bad decision, but stating that he is "clearly" an alcoholic is premature, of course, unless you have interviewed the individual. If that's the case, I humbly retract my sarcasm.
Nah it’s pretty clear he’s got a serious problem.
I knew BJ back when and I’m so sorry to hear he’s struggling.
The greatest BJ story is his when he made to 1976 Olympic team at 10k after losing a shoe halfway into the race. It was a hot day and the urethane track @ Hayward was hard as a rock. On the last lap he ate Bill Roger’s alive, making up half a straightaway to take third behind Shorter and Virgin. The crowd went nuts!
Different topic, but related to Bjorklund since he is from that mid 70s to mid 80s era. A number of the U.S. athletes missed out on competing in the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott. The World Champs didn't start until 1983 so the Olympics every 4 years was an even bigger deal then - and to miss a 4-year cycle and go 8 years between could be a career buster.
Bjorklund was one of those elite U.S. distance runners negatively impacted by that boycott. Based on some of his road/marathon results, he may have been in top shape during that 1978-82 window. Would he have medaled in 1980 Moscow? Who knows. But he had gained significant enough experience from the 1976 Montreal Olympics and subsequent racing in the late 70s he was arguably a strong contender to do so.
Thank you "doctor" for your informed diagnosis. BJ certainly made a very bad decision, but stating that he is "clearly" an alcoholic is premature, of course, unless you have interviewed the individual. If that's the case, I humbly retract my sarcasm.
Nah it’s pretty clear he’s got a serious problem.
I knew BJ back when and I’m so sorry to hear he’s struggling.
Yep, one thing you can count on as being true is that getting caught (only c/o wrecking his car) with that level of BA is that this wasn't his first time getting behind the wheel over the limit, nor the second or third time. This has been habitual for him and he had been getting away with it. It didn't occur to him that it would be a better idea to call an Uber or Lyft or get a spouse or friend to drive him. It might be understandable that this is something enabled by the way our society is structured, but it no way excuses his continued poor decisions as an adult who should definitely know better. You bet it's a mark against him as a person, he's lived through an era when the impact of drunk driving is well known as well as easy ways to avoid putting yourself in that position. He can come across humble and nice while still having callous disregard for the safety of others in his community with whom he shares the roads. Addiction certainly doesn't look fun, there's much shame and there's no instinct for addressing it meaningfully. Hope he finally gets the help he needs.
I ran the old Baltimore Marathon (1978?) the year he won it. I was in high school and watched him coming back at us after the turnaround. He was flying - I was incredibly impressed. Too bad my running was severly impacted 2 years later when a drunken slob T-boned the car I was riding in after running a stop sign at high speed. Fractured pelvis, ruptured spleen, and a host of other injuries.
GB is too old to be drinking like that - never mind drinking and driving. Glad he didn't hurt anybody and I hope he gets help.
Different topic, but related to Bjorklund since he is from that mid 70s to mid 80s era. A number of the U.S. athletes missed out on competing in the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott. The World Champs didn't start until 1983 so the Olympics every 4 years was an even bigger deal then - and to miss a 4-year cycle and go 8 years between could be a career buster.
Bjorklund was one of those elite U.S. distance runners negatively impacted by that boycott. Based on some of his road/marathon results, he may have been in top shape during that 1978-82 window. Would he have medaled in 1980 Moscow? Who knows. But he had gained significant enough experience from the 1976 Montreal Olympics and subsequent racing in the late 70s he was arguably a strong contender to do so.
What a stupid move by Carter to boycott the '80 Olympics.
It accomplished nothing and served to screw a bunch of athletes (not just in America) out of their dreams.
Plus it led to the '84 boycott of the LA Olympics by the Communist bloc countries as retribution.
Different topic, but related to Bjorklund since he is from that mid 70s to mid 80s era. A number of the U.S. athletes missed out on competing in the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott. The World Champs didn't start until 1983 so the Olympics every 4 years was an even bigger deal then - and to miss a 4-year cycle and go 8 years between could be a career buster.
Bjorklund was one of those elite U.S. distance runners negatively impacted by that boycott. Based on some of his road/marathon results, he may have been in top shape during that 1978-82 window. Would he have medaled in 1980 Moscow? Who knows. But he had gained significant enough experience from the 1976 Montreal Olympics and subsequent racing in the late 70s he was arguably a strong contender to do so.
Your post is a good post for an obituary. Garry B. has crossed over into the world of crime. Your obit post doesn't help. He left his criminal defense attorneys not much to work with. Garry B's attorneys cannot argue Breathalyzer was functioning slightly outside of manufactures stated Standard Deviation. Garry B. has to check himself into rehab a.s.a.p. then have his attorneys beg for leniency. Stuff above is not going to help. Arguing in court that Garry B while in college always came up a little short when race Stevie P. will not help. Judge will ask: Who is Stevie P? Oh! That guy!
What a stupid move by Carter to boycott the '80 Olympics.
It accomplished nothing and served to screw a bunch of athletes (not just in America) out of their dreams.
Plus it led to the '84 boycott of the LA Olympics by the Communist bloc countries as retribution.
Way to go, Mr. Peanut.
What a stupid move by the African nations, and a few others, to boycott the 1976 Olympics.
It accomplished nothing and served to screw a bunch of athletes out of their dreams.
Some things are far more important than sport. Nobody should be surprised that the modern Olympics are greatly affected by international politics, because they are organized by nation. At least the Olys were cancelled in 1916, 1949, 1944 for good reason. The IOC unfortunately, does not have the balls to ban warring nations from the Olympics, because the Olys are about politics and money first, with no consideration of humanitarian issues.
The "World Championships" are misnamed, because they are actually international competitions organized around national politics. The elimination of "shamateurism" created a great opportunity, but unfortunately the current system is too deeply entrenched.