Regina Jacobs
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Regina
Jacobs on her way to a 1,000m American Record at the 1999 Maine
Distane Festival. |
(Last Updated 9/00)
Regina Jacobs' has been running at a high level longer than some of her
competitors have even been alive. And at age 37, she's just hitting her
peak. One of the most
decorated U.S. runners of all time, Jacobs resume includes four Olympic
teams, two World Championship 1,500m silver medals (1997, 1999), a World
Indoor 1,500m gold medal (1995), nine U.S. Outdoor 1,500m championships,
three U.S. Outdoor 5,000m titles, a World Indoor 3,000m bronze medal (1999)
and American Records at 5,000m (14:45.35, 2000) and 1,000m (2:31.80, 1999)
outdoors and 1,000m (2:35.29, 2000) and 3,000m (8:39.14, 1999) indoors.
She started running at age four, tagging along while her mother and cousin ran to lose weight. By age 13, she ran 2:09 in the 880 yards, to break Mary Decker Slaney's national age-group record. Jacobs ran in her first Olympic Trials in 1980 -- at age 16.
Jacobs attended college at Stanford University where she ran well, but never won an individual NCAA championship. Her best finish actually came in cross country her senior year, when she was the runner-up at the NCAA Championships.
In 1987, Jacobs won her first National Championship title at 1,500m, running (4:03.70). She finished second at the 1988 Olympic Trials in a PR 4:00.46, making the Olympic team. She won the 1992 Trials at 1,500m and went on to win the next two Olympic Trials ('96, '00) at that distance.
Though she has always been a top competitor on the national level, Jacobs didn't become a factor on the international scene until recently. She attributes her up and down performances to low iron levels, which she didn't discover and treat until 1993.
After winning both the 1,500m and the 5,000m (the latter in American-Record time) at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, Jacobs seemed poised to be a gold medal contender at the 2000 Olympic Games. Unfortunately, a respiratory problem forced her to withdraw from the Games just weeks before the competition was set to begin.
Stats
Birthdate: 8/28/63
High School: Argyll Episcopal Academy, North Hollywood, CA (1981)
College: Stanford (1985)
Height: 5-6
Personal: Married to Tom Craig (who also serves as her coach), Poodle
named Floyd.
Club: New York Athletic Club
Current Residence: Oakland, CA
Links
NBCOlympics.com
Bio (2000)
NBCOlympics.com
- Athlete's Voice (2000)
USATF Bio (2000)
Bio from HSI (2000)
IAAF Bio (1999)
Trackandfield.com Bio (2000)
Regina Jacobs is Fulfilling Mom's Dream (Sacramento Bee, 2000)
Regina Jacobs Shines at Olympic Trials (2000)
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