one 4 the ladies - video of 1984 womens marathon US Olympic trials

Not everyone is as knowlegeable as you - the clip posted on youtube from Ms. Petronella's interview on an Arizona tv station proves that - so does the AP story which relied on Ms. Petronella's tale regarding the 1980 boycott.

Even knowlegeable runners might be surprised at what she is claiming. By the way, as you know from previous posts, Ms. Petronella has claimed that either 20% or 40% of the proceeds from her vanity press book will go to making America a better place to live (whatever that means). I found another site with a yet a different number - Ms. Petronella also claims that 50% of the proceeds will go to making America a better place to live.

Younger runners may have no idea about the history of the sport. It is simply not fair to the real pioneers (and Bob Sevene) that Ms. Petronella rewrites history.

Do we not owe a debt to the real pionners of the sport? Is it too much to ask for runners to stand up to nonsense like this? In my view, asking reasonable questions is the least we can do.

It was not my intention to insult you. I should have been clearer. The 99.9% comment was not directed at you - it was meant to, once again, point out that Ms. Petronella's claim regarding the 1980 Olympics is patently absurd. I apologize to you.

Apology accepted.

Do you really believe that e-mailing her will make her reconsider? People need information about this issue to make informed decisions (about the history of our sport and about whether to give her money). We are still waiting for her to provide us with any verifiable information to back up her claims.

The following excerpt from her website strikes me as outrageous (just one of many strange claims on this site):

"Lynn Petronella ex- world class marathoner (expected to winthe first woman's marathon in l980 when it was boycotted )Lynn Petronella went on to coach Joan Benoit to be the first woman in history to win the Olympic Gold Medal in the Marathon in Los Angeles in

l984..."

Gosh...where to even begin? Maybe with the absurd claim that she was somehow favored to win a 1980 Olympic marathon that was never even scheduled to occur. Plus the fact that her personal best was about a half hour slower than the world record at the time.... and that those 1978 Boston results she cites show at least a dozen American women in that race alone who were faster than her.

And...is she actually claiming credit for Joan Benoit's believing she could beat Greet Waitz? That's the strangest of all her claims.

Her e-mail responses not only display paranoia and delusions but frankly, an inability to write.

What a very sad fraud.

At least give up your real name, big guy.

As someone who had several women at the top of that movement back in 1980 (although my claim isn't as great as this one) I have been watching this thread with passing interest. I can say that no woman ever break 1:14 for the 20km in New Haven prior to 1981. I remember her name and I can't recall if she was connected with the Pepsi series or not. I had several athletes run in those NYC events. It could be that she is taking credit for the pioneering of WLDR due to her job with Pepsico???

I do know that she was not a name to be reckoned with on the distance scene from 78-80 or from 83 onwards. I did have several elites competing in the area at that time. I guess I can email Nina to ask for more info, but I think this topic has received more than it's fair share of attention.

Ray:

Patti Dillon had the following to say about Ms. Petronella (in an earlier post on this board:):

"I frankly didn't remember her when she called me...the name rang a little bell, but I couldn't put anything next to it nor could I put a face with her name...so I really don't know her."

Given the fact that Patti was one of the two best female marathoners in the world in 1980, it is a hard to believe that Patti would have no memory of the favorite to win the Olympic gold medal in the marathon in 1980.

"Not Lynn" (based on your name you have completely satisfied me that you are not Lynn Petronella):

My name is completely irrelevant. The questions I ask are reasonable and fair. They are asked to set history straight. They are also asked to ensure that people who are buying Ms. Petronella's products are not doing so based on misleading claims. As I have said many times before, if Ms. Petronella can back up her claims (made, as far as I can tell, to sell her products), I will be the first to acknowledge her position in the running world. However, I was a runner in the late 70's and early 80's - I never heard of this Olympic favorite. I have many friends in the running community - they never heard of this Olympic favorite. A 2:57 marathon was not a world-class time in 1978. She has provided no proof that she was ever a world-class runner. Ask yourself, if she has grossly overstated her accomplishments, why is she doing this?

I would be more than pleased to provide my name if I thought it was somhow relevant. Why don't you tell us how my name is relevant to the issue?

By the way, if you think that your question will distract us from the issue, you are sadly mistaken.

Here is what Patti Dillon had to say on Dyestat about Ms. Petronella (this excerpt can also be found on the Track and Field News message board in the "More weird resume padding" thread):

"Hmm Lynn Petronella...a women's Olympic Trials marathon in 1980...news to me...where was I? Hmm. I thought Sev coached Joanie.

And another

Yeah, Ruth...huh? Women's marathon...1980..hump. Where did she get her info?

Danny and I talked about it this morning during our run...I mean, really...how could anybody say anything different than the truth..especially when it can be so eaily verified. And she's a spokeperson? Goodness........"

Again, there was no "favorite to win the Olympic gold medal in the marathon in 1980" because at no time was there ever going to a women's Olympic marathon in 1980, boycott or no boycott

Does the term "trying to obtain money by false pretences" have any validity here?

The criteria for diagnosing narcissistic personality disorder are as follows:

Reacts to criticism with feelings of rage, shame, or humiliation;

Uses others to reach goals;

Exaggerates achievements and talents;

Entertains unrealistic fantasies about achievements, power, beauty, intelligence or romance;

Has unreasonable expectation of favorable treatment;

Needs constant attention and admiration from others; and,

Lacks empathy.

Hey,

Tom Fleming and Bill Rodgers are on the forum every so often...why not ask them about her?? They would definitely know..

joanbenoitfan and Canada77, keep up the good work.

If I or anyone else on this board was making outrageous claims about our running accomplishments 25 or 30 years ago

and then were perpetuating those lies to sell a book or swindle (feel free to give me a better verb that explains what she has been doing) people out of their money so she can continue her noble cause...

i.e.

“I am running history, I made running history...”

and

“I am the truth, and the truth shall set you free....www.athlettes.com”

Is it irony to say her lies may put her behind bars?

But my favorite was after she called joanbenoitfan an A**hole she continued by saying...

“your comments or(SIC) rude, insulting and without merit, please keep them to yourself.”

I, like many in their 50's and 60's ran with Joan Benoit, Patti Lyons, Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar back in the 1970's in New England. Would you buy a book from me if I started telling people I was the person behind all their successes?

Thanks Preposterous.

For those of us who ran during the 70's and 80's it is infuriating to see that someone is attempting to rewrite history.

Noone could reasonably argue that what Rosie Ruiz did was acceptable. Noone could reasonably argue what drug cheats have done (and continue to do) is acceptable. In both cases they have taken something that did not belong to them. If Ms. Petronella's claims regarding her running are false (and while there is every reason to believe they are, I will keep an open mind), she is also taking something that dosn't belong to her. Benoit, Dillon et al were the true pionners of the sport. They were world-class runners. We owe it to them to challenge anyone who attempts to falsely rewrite history.

Patti Dillon is a self-serving POS. Not that she isn't right on this, but that's been her m.o. her entire career. I wouldn't trust her word on much of anything.

Well, I'd trust Patti's word on this. I was pretty active throughout the late '70s and most of the '80s and crossed paths with almost all the top women runners at last a few times and I never even heard of this Petronella person. This is hyperbole and fraud, pure and simple.

Out of curiosity-- why did Lynn not run the '84 Trials? It seems like I saw something saying "Buy the book and you'll find out", but does anyone know??