Bolden boning up for pep talk to U.S. women athletes

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Olympic women's track and field coach Jeanette Bolden is fretting more about her pep talk to team members than about pollution in Beijing during the Games.

Bolden, a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics in her hometown of Los Angeles, said American women should shine in the sprints and hurdles and be a factor in some distance races.

"About a month ago it kind of dawned on me that I'm going to have to give an 'Olympic speech' to try and fire up the young ladies and I've been thinking about it," Bolden told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

"I'm kind of going through my Vince Lombardi books," she said, referring to the inspirational coach of NFL team the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s. "I'm going through some of the books to try and get some motivation there."

The squad will be assembled at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, beginning on June 27.

"I am thrilled to be the Olympics coach," said Bolden.

Bolden expects great things from world champion sprinter Allyson Felix and 400 meters champion Sanya Richards, who may both bid for triple Olympic gold in Beijing, and believes hurdler Michelle Perry could run a sizzling 100 meters event.

SUCCESSFUL CAREER

The 14-year veteran athletics coach at UCLA has built a successful career despite a lifelong battle with asthma but does not think air quality will be a big factor in Beijing.

"I think that it will be a great Olympic games. I think the air pollution will not be a big problem," said Bolden, who promotes a Web site on asthma awareness (asthmaontrack.com).

"My only concern right now will probably be the heat and the humidity."

Bolden, who visited on Beijing on a fact-finding mission last year, said she is working to settle on a training camp in China.

"Right now we're just looking at different places where we can have a training camp to get our sprint relays together and allow everyone to come prior to the Olympics to get acclimated to the weather and the conditions there," she said.

Bolden expects stiff competition at the Games.

"Jamaicans normally have a really strong team in the sprints. Russians are usually really strong in the relays. Great Britain had two good 400 meter runners last year, and a lot of African countries have very good distance runners.