She aims to qualify for the U.S. Olympic track and field team for the third consecutive time.

11:33 AM EST on Friday, March 5, 2004

BY CAROLYN THORNTON
Journal Sports Writer

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach Former Providence College star and two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph works out with another Olympic hopeful, Marie McMahon Davenport, at Brown University Wednesday afternoon. Rudolph hopes to once again qualify for the Olympic team in the 5,000 meters.

PROVIDENCE -- More than a decade has passed since Amy Rudolph first arrived in Providence, a wide-eyed teenager from Kane, Pa. about to embark on one of the most prolific careers of any female runner at Providence College.

Now 30, she has remained in Rhode Island ever since, recently buying a home in Elmhurst, about a mile away from her alma mater.

Rudolph can still be seen gliding effortlessly along the same streets where she trained to become a 10-time collegiate All-American and says she couldn't ask for a better place to prepare as she aims to qualify for the U.S. Olympic track and field team for the third straight time.

Once again training with college coach Ray Treacy, Rudolph says she has found a wonderfully supportive -- and competitive -- training environment at PC, where she works with the Friars' current group of extremely talented runners -- including New Zealander Kim Smith, who has already achieved the Olympic "B" standard for 5,000 meters -- as well as a number of fellow alums that include Olympic hopefuls Marie (McMahon) Davenport, Sarah Dupre and Roisin McGettigan.

"Ray has been so wonderful putting everything into perspective, and his women are

running so well right now, you can't help but be inspired and want to be a part of it," said Rudolph, who has been serving as a volunteer assistant coach to Treacy. "He also has an amazing post-collegiate group, so (staying near PC) just seemed like the right thing to do, and it's worked out great. I'm happy and confident in what I'm doing."

It has taken years of working out all of the bugs -- both health- and training-wise -- for Rudolph to arrive where she is today.

The two-time U.S. Indoor 3,000 champion and two-time U.S. short course Cross Country champion experienced immediate success when she emerged on the international racing scene, making her first appearance on the Olympic team just one year out of college at the tender age of 22.

Rudolph advanced to the finals of the 5,000 meters at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, placing 10th in 15:19.77, and later that year set an American record of 14:56.04 at that distance.

But she struggled to maintain a consistent training routine over the next couple of years until doctors finally determined that she is anemic. Her iron reserves would become depleted following hard workouts, and she'd end up catching head colds that would develop into lingering upper respiratory infections.

Once diagnosed, Rudolph got her health and her training back in order in time to once again earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She placed fourth in the 5,000-meter finals at the 2000 Olympic Trials and grabbed the third berth in that event when teammate Deena Drossin opted to run the 10,000 in Sydney, Australia.

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach Amy Rudolph

Unfortunately, Rudolph came down with a virus a week before her race at the 2000 Summer Games and failed to qualify for the finals.

But just minutes after her disappointing performance, an emotional Rudolph stood in the tunnel at Olympic Stadium and vowed that people had not seen the last of her.

Four years later, she appears ready to make good on her promise.

A cold last month cost Rudolph about 10 days of training, but her performance last weekend at the USA Indoor Championships in Boston indicates that she is regaining her stride.

She placed second to Jen Toomey and beat out three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:11.93, an improvement of more than 5 seconds from her ninth-place showing at the adidas Boston Indoor Games in January. (Toomey, the reigning American record holder in the 1,000 meters, became the first athlete in meet history to win two middle-distance events with her victories in the 1,500 and the 800.)

Rudolph hopes to once again qualify for the Olympic team in the 5,000 meters and will make her first attempt to achieve the Olympic "A" qualifying standard of 15:08 at the Mt. SAC Relays April 16-18 in Walnut, Calif.

"Once I got over being sick, my training got right back on track," Rudolph said. "It's been going really well, and I couldn't have asked for anything better at my race over the weekend. I am really happy with the way things are going. If I'm patient and don't get overexcited and keep doing what I'm told, hopefully things will work out perfectly."

Treacy says Rudolph is getting better and better every week and is doing a great job of listening to her body and learning "when to push the buttons and when not to."

That, coupled with the determination the coach has seen in Rudolph since she first arrived at PC those many years ago, will undoubtedly spell more success for her this summer.

"When she was in college, Amy was determined to win races that she shouldn't win just by pure will," Treacy said. "She believed in herself. She believed that she was going to win, and people knew she was the person to beat when she stepped on the line. All the great ones have the will and desire to win and the motivation to do whatever is necessary to win. And Amy certainly has that."