Francie Larrieu Smith

Francie Larrieu Smith (born Francis Ann Larrieu ; born November 23, 1952 in Palo Alto ) is a former American middle and long distance runner . She was the first US female athlete to qualify for the Olympics five times.

She started running at the age of 13 and won her first national championship title in the 1500 m in 1970 . At the 1972 Olympic Games , she was eliminated over the same distance in the semifinals. The following year she came in 16th place at the World Cross Country Championships in Waregem and won bronze with the US team.

In 1975, on March 3, she set an indoor world record in the mile run with 4: 28.5 minutes . At the 1976 Olympic Games , she did not make it past the preliminary round again over 1500 m, but the following year she was second over the same distance at the World Athletics Cup in Düsseldorf in 1977 . At the Athletics World Cup in Montreal in 1979 , she was third over 1500 m and 3000 m .

In 1980 she qualified again over the 1500 m for the Olympic Games in Moscow , but could not start because of the US boycott. Four years later she had to sit out because she was only fifth in the US elimination bout over 3000 m. From then on she started over longer distances and in road runs .

In 1985 she won the Freihofer's Run for Women (with Betty Springs-Geiger ) and the New York Mini 10K , and in 1986 she finished second in the Houston Marathon . At the World Athletics Championships in Rome in 1987 , she came in 15th place over 10,000 m , and the following year she was fifth over the same distance at the Olympic Games in Seoul .

After a second place in the Columbus Marathon in 1988, she stayed in the London Marathon in 1990 and 1991 as second under 2:30 hours. At the 1991 World Cup in Tokyo, she did not reach the finish line over 10,000 m.

In 1992, the Houston Marathon served as the US elimination race for the women’s Olympic Games in Barcelona . Francie Larrieu Smith secured one of the starting places as third. She was named the flag bearer of the US team at the opening ceremony, and she came in twelfth in the Olympic marathon .

She has been national champion in the 1500 m or one mile seven times (1970, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980), twice in the 3000 m (1979, 1982), twice in cross country (1972, 1973) and once each 10,000 m and in the 10 km road race (both 1985). In the hall she secured four times over 1500 m (1975, 1977-1979) and twice over 3000 m (1977, 1981) the US title.

Francie Larrieu Smith is 1.65 m tall and weighed 48 kg during her playing days. Her older brother Ron Larrieu started in 194 at the Olympic Games over 10,000 m. Her marriage to the American sprinter Mark Lutz was divorced in 1978 after two years. Since 1980, she is married to Jimmy C. Smith, a professor of sports science at Southwestern University in Georgetown ( Texas ) for which she has been working as a trainer in 1999.

Personal bests

• 800 m : 2: 00.22 min, August 20, 1976, Berlin
• 1000 m : 2: 38.2 min, July 12, 1976, Montreal
  • Hall: 2: 40.2 min, January 18, 1975, Los Angeles (former world record)
• 1500 m: 4: 05.09 min, August 6, 1976, College Park
  • Hall: 4: 09.8 min, March 3, 1975, Richmond (intermediate time, former world record)
• 1 mile: 4:27.52 min, June 30, 1979, Philadelphia
  • Hall: 4: 28.5 min, March 3, 1975, Richmond (former world record)
• 2000 m : 5: 47.5 min, July 14, 1976, Montreal (former world record)
• 3000 m: 8: 50.54 min, May 25, 1985, San José
  • Hall: 9: 02.4 min, February 17, 1974, San Diego (interim, former world record)
• 2 miles: 9: 44.2 min, August 1, 1972, San José (former world record)
  • Hall: 9: 38.1 min, February 27, 1981, New York City
• 5000 m : 15: 15.2 min, July 2nd, 1988, Eugene
• 10,000 m: 31: 28.92 min, April 4, 1991, Austin
• 10 km road run: 31:49 min, July 4, 1992, Atlanta
• Marathon: 2:27.35 min, April 21, 1991, London

Web links

• Francie Larrieu Smith in the database of World Athletics (English)
• Francie Larrieu Smith in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• USA Track & Field Hall of Fame entry
• A Long Run Gets Longer - Francie Larrieu Smith, who burst onto the world track scene in 1969, is now 39 and has made her fifth US Olympic team - this time as a marathon hopeful , portrait of Kenny Moore in Sports Illustrated , 22. July 1992

Footnotes

1. ↑ gbrathletics: United States Championships (Women)
2. ↑ gbrathletics: United States Indoor Championships (Women)
3. ↑ Francie Larrieu Smith XC Camp: ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: Francie Larrieu Smith )
4. ^ Southwestern University: Cross Country: Coaching Staff