Prefontaine Page #7

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at Hayward Field this summer.

Athletes can't go off

half-cocked...

inviting foreign teams

into the U.S. for meets.

Only the A.T.U. does that.

What?

Go off half-cocked?

We control the issuance of all

travel permits for the purpose...

Travel permits of U.S. athletes,

not foreign. I've read the guidelines.

Well, if you, uh,

read the guidelines...

then you know that if you promote

an unsanctioned meet...

you can kiss your amateur

status good-bye.

So, what's it gonna be?

Race Viren in Oregon...

or race him in Montreal?

Is this America or what? How can

they threaten athletes like this?

I just don't want to lose my

amateur status. I've worked hard.

So you want to take on

the whole A.T.U.?

Yeah. We call their bluff,

plain and simple.

Look, Mac...

do you want that Finn

discus guy or not?

- I want Kahma.

- And I want Viren.

This will be our only chance to

face those guys before Montreal.

If we do this,

there won't be any Montreal.

It's pretty risky, Pre.

Hey, Pre, a little help here?

I'm going ahead.

You're either with

me or you're not.

Two more beers, please.

Great.

Thanks.

Jesus, Bill.

Doc said it was a seizure.

Guess I've sniffed too much

shoe glue over the years.

I passed out right

here on the floor.

Nerve damage, he says.

You gotta stop with the shoes.

I'm well-ventilated now.

Don't worry about me.

According to the newspapers,

you got plenty of worries of your own.

A.T.U.'s making everybody

really nervous, Bill.

I could use your help.

I'm retired.

Wait a second.

What did you used to say?

"It's hard to slay a dragon

in his own backyard"?

The A.T.U. will think twice

about defying you here.

You're the one that's bigger

than the A.T.U. now.

See if they have the balls to try to stop

Steve Prefontaine from going to Montreal.

My quarter says they don't.

We don't even have a sports

plan in this country.

No sports medicine.

No training facilities.

After college, our best

amateur athletes...

are put out to pasture and forgotten

about until the Olympics.

And then you guys and America...

wants to know,

where are the gold medals?

Now, I'm not a greedy athlete

looking for a handout.

I just turned down a lot of money

to chase the gold in Montreal...

and, uh, and all I want...

all we want...

is a fighting chance

to fulfill our dreams.

This meet is just one

small attempt by us...

the athletes, to take control

of our own destinies.

Pre!

No.

Okay, how are we picking up

the Finns from the airport?

In my MG.

A dozen athletes?

Ohh, I'll make a few trips.

And I suppose the pole vault

poles will go in the trunk?

- Hey.

- Hey, Mac.

This just came in

down at the track.

From the A.T.U.

What now? Are they

sentencing me to prison?

A firing squad would be

more my recommendation.

They caved.

The meet's sanctioned.

Ha-ha!

Yes!

- Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- All right!

Nancy!

Yeah!

Yeah?

Hey, Yacco, how're you doin'?

Mm-hmm.

Good news.

Hey, Mac, youre gonna

get your shot.

Pentti Kahma's definitely coming.

Yeah!

- All right, Mac.

- What's that?

All right, thanks.

Yeah, I'll talk to you soon.

Viren's not coming.

Yacco says he, uh,

strained a muscle.

Come on, guys.

Let's go.

Damn it! I should've known he'd

never run against me here!

Screw the whole thing!

- Steve. - Screw the whole

goddamn meet.

People have bought plane tickets.

There are guys who are counting on this.

Yeah?

Well, they'll live.

Curtis Cunningham will have a

field day with this in the press.

The son of a b*tch

will rub my nose in it.

I never asked to lead the fight

against the A.T.U. anyway.

Well, somebody better tell them.

Oh, man.

Ah, hell, the meet's still on.

All I wanted was Viren.

Well, Viren's not so

sure he wants you.

Which should tell you...

he doesn't own you.

You ready to run?

Bill.

Can't run without proper shoes.

That a one-piece toe?

Yep. And they are

a thing of beauty.

Piss it all.

Give me a second.

What are you doing?

- My new business partner.

- You got a business partner?

Yeah, a former walk-on of mine

with average speed.

Says when we put these

in production...

we're gonna need a splashy logo

if we expect 'em to sell.

What's that supposed to be?

We're calling 'em

the Nike Swoosh.

The what swoosh?

His idea.

Greek goddess of victory, 490 B.C.

Well, it looks like needless

wind resistance to me.

With us in the booth

for the first time ever...

former Duck coach and legend-in-residence,

Bill Bowerman.

- Welcome, Bill.

- It's nice to be here, Wendy.

Down on the field,

Finland's Pentti Kahma...

the top-ranked discus

thrower in the world.

There's one heck of a toss, Bill.

With a final throw of 211 feet,

four inches.

Uh... last up in the discus...

now, um, Oregon's own Mac Wilkins.

Hey, there's Pre!

- There he is!

- Hey, Pre!

- Pre!

- Pre!

This will be Mac's final throw.

Currently in second place.

Wilkins delivers his

best toss ever...

212 feet, three inches.

He wins the competition.

And he establishes a new

Hayward Field record.

For today, Mac Wilkins is the

best discus man in the world.

Hold this for me until

the end of the race.

Good luck, Steve.

Go get 'em, son.

Hi.

Do I look like a runner?

This will be the final event...

of today's first annual

Finn/Oregon Meet.

5,000 meters.

Ah, what the hell.

Thanks for coming and

bailing me out, Shorter.

I love sticking it to the A.T.U.

Are you going to the

party tonight?

- Runners to your mark.

- I guess so.

I'll see you there.

With two laps to go,

Pre makes his move.

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Steve!

Come on!

Come on!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre!

I hope you people at home realize

what a rare runner this man is.

The kind a coach sees

only once in a lifetime.

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre!

Come on, Steve!

Go, son!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Go, Pre! Go, Pre!

Hey, Mac, you really

kicked Kahma's ass today.

I couldn't have done it

without this meet.

- # Once you get started #

- You know something?

It's like all those years,

to me...

you were just a talented

little jerk.

I'm serious.

You were a jerk.

I never understood you.

It took me a while too.

Well, now I do.

I live and breathe the discus, Pre.

I mean, I hate Christmas...

and Thanksgiving and Easter...

and anything that

disrupts my routine.

It worked for you today, man.

You beat the best.

Didn't always work for me.

Yeah, well, you aren't done yet.

No, I'm not.

# Once you get started #

# Oh, it's hard to stop #

Everybody shut up, will you?

I think we should all raise our

glasses to our Finnish guests...

for coming and making the

meet such a great success.

Hear!

Hear!

And, uh, to my roommate Pre.

Some guys win races.

Other guys watch and

learn and pass it on.

I never thought I'd learn so much

from a guy from Coos Bay.

But I did.

And, uh, I've enjoyed

every damn minute.

So... to Steve.

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