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ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHONNovember 2, 2003Rodgers RopNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Q. Did you think you were going to win the race before the race? RODGERS ROP: No, you can not think of this until you cross the finish line, so you are not aware if you are going to win or you are going to lose. Q. Were you confident coming into the race? RODGERS ROP: I was confident coming into the race but I was not sure what position I was going to be. Q. When you and Martin broke away, when it came down to the two of you, were you confident then that could you win? RODGERS ROP: When he broke away I knew for sure he was going to win because I was feeling tired. Q. When the two of you were together you felt that he was the stronger when the two of you were side by side? RODGERS ROP: No, I didn't feel that he was stronger, but after reaching a certain stage, I feel that he was going to win because he was stronger. Q. What mile was that? RODGERS ROP: The last mile. Q. That's when you thought he would win? RODGERS ROP: Yes. Q. The women's pace was a very fast one, were you surprised that no one in the men's group decided to take it out a little harder? RODGERS ROP: I can say because of the way the people, the women started earlier than us, when the weather was still favorable for the marathon. After -- when we started it was getting hot, so that's why the women run faster than us. Q. We were told that it was the same temperature, so -- so you felt it was warm conditions, did you? RODGERS ROP: Yeah, it was warm. Q. Why is it that no one took the pace on? 1:05:38 at halfway, 25 runners there, why do you think no one really wanted to go at it? RODGERS ROP: I think nobody was confident enough to take the pace. Q. Not you? You weren't confident enough? RODGERS ROP: I was but everybody was watching me so I had to stay behind him. Q. You wanted to wait and let others do the work? RODGERS ROP: Yes. Q. But we saw at one stage on the telecast when you were sort of looking at them, what were you doing? RODGERS ROP: I wanted them to push at me. Q. You ran up First Avenue, straight long straight, you ran 4:40, 4:42, 4:42. That's when the race came apart. You couldn't keep it up any longer? RODGERS ROP: I could not keep it any longer because I was -- (inaudible). Q. Having put in those three fast miles, did you then think, I will let someone else do it now? I have reduced the field from this number to a few less? RODGERS ROP: Yeah, sure. Doing that was my aim to reduce the group, then after doing that I said, let others come and do. Q. When they were coming up the road right out here, Central Park South, you moved to the right side, to the left side of the road. Why did you move? Why did you not stay behind Lel and draft from him? You moved to go back another little truck? RODGERS ROP: (Inaudible) I just wanted to go to the other side, I don't know. Q. Did he accelerate then or were you just feeling too tired to move? RODGERS ROP: When he saw that I was going behind, he knew that I was tired and he could accelerate. Q. Did you know you were doing it or was your mind okay then? Were you very, very tired, mind tired? RODGERS ROP: Yeah, sure the mind told me that you are now tired and really, I was feeling tired. Q. Plans for the spring and for Athens? Are you hoping to be selected for Athens? RODGERS ROP: If I am going to be selected then I will prepare myself. Q. What marathon are you thinking of early spring? RODGERS ROP: I am thinking maybe London. Q. Are you good friends with Martin Lel, who won today? RODGERS ROP: He's my friend, before he joined -- we were training together. He comes from my area. Every time we are together. He is my friend. Q. Did you wish him well as he left you today? RODGERS ROP: Sure, because he was the strongest and he was the best. I wish him well. Q. What did you say to him? You were talking when you were running, near the end, not the very end, but when the race came down to the two of you. What were you saying to each other? RODGERS ROP: I thought this man was strong so I was asking him, how do you feel? because I wanted to push with him and to break away from the other people. End of FastScripts... |
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