TRACK AND FIELD : Padilla Still Has Talent but Lacks an Event

Doug Padilla is an accomplished runner who is particularly suited for either 3,000 meters or two miles.

However, he’s a man without an event in the Olympic Games, World Championships, or even in the The Athletic Congress meet, the U.S. outdoor championships.

“So I have to go up to 5,000, but in the past, I haven’t had the strength for that distance,” Padilla said.

Nor is he quite fast enough to be a world-class contender in the mile or 1,500 meters, even though he had a personal best mile time of three minutes, 54.2 seconds in last year’s Jack in the Box Invitational at Drake Stadium.

However, Padilla finds his niche on the indoor circuit, where the 3,000 or two miles is sometimes part of the program.

He set an American record for two miles of 8:52.09 seconds last February in The Times/Eagle indoor games at the Forum, breaking his own record.

He has also recorded the fastest 3,000 outdoor time by an American, 7:35.84 in 1983.

Someone suggested that he should try the steeplechase, a recognized international event, which is contested over 3,000 meters.

“Sure, but they put those little problems in there,” he said dryly, referring to the barriers and water jump in the race.

Padilla, who competed for Brigham Young, is youthful looking at 33.

He plans to compete through the 1992 season now that he’s reasonably healthy.

Padilla, who lives in Orem, Utah, has suffered from asthma and allergies since he was 7 years old.

“I had taken everything there is to try for allergy and asthma treatment,” Padilla said resignedly.

So, two years ago he sought relief in homeopathy, and he says he’s healthier than he has been since 1986.

Homeopathy is a medical specialty based on the principle that “like cures like.”

The dictionary definition: “The theory, or system of curing diseases with very minute doses of medicine, which in a healthy person and in large doses would produce a condition like that of the disease treated.”

Unclear? Let Padilla try to explain.

“Homeopathy has a belief that anything that does harm to the body, if diluted to a sufficient point, there is a dilution where it will be a benefit to you.

“Standard medicine maintains it’s just a placebo.”

Or, as Padilla told Track & Field News: “The idea behind homeopathy is that for everything that can be a detriment to you, there’s another concentration that can be a benefit. It’s kind of along the line of a vaccination.”

In any event, Padilla said he was constantly tired from standard allergy injections, adding that he hasn’t had any side effects from homeopathic treatment.

So, while near the end of his career, Padilla is looking forward to career-best performances, such as another fast mile time May 20 in the Drake Stadium invitational meet.

Pollen--more than people--has been his most constant adversary.

It has been difficult to get excited about the javelin since it was redesigned in 1986, changing the center of gravity, so it wouldn’t soar as far as the old model.

One would yawn at throws of 280 feet, remembering that East Germany’s Uwe Hohn held the world record with the old javelin at 343 feet 10 inches.

However, Texas sophomore Patrik Boden is reviving some interest in the event, threatening to break the revised 300-foot barrier with the new javelin.

He set a world record of 292-4 March 24, breaking the previous record of 287-7 held by Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia.

Boden, a native of Sweden, warmed up for his record performance with a throw of 271-7 in a triangular meet at UCLA March 17.

“It’s unrealistic,” said the 22-year-old Boden of his throw. “I had no idea I was going to throw this far. This is crazy.”

“It’s a shotputter’s nightmare,” UCLA’s Brian Blutreich said.

He wasn’t referring to dropping the 16-pound ball on his foot, or tearing a muscle as he spins around the ring.

Hand injuries are a shotputter’s nemesis.

Blutreich tore ligaments in his throwing hand in 1986 and reinjured it in 1988.

“Take a look at the human hand. There isn’t much supporting it,” said Blutreich. “You have guys who weigh 290 or 300 pounds who are very explosive, like Randy Barnes. Hundreds of pounds of pressure are going on the hand, and the hand isn’t meant for that.”

International Amateur Athletic Federation rules prohibit shotputters from taping their hands, a ruling that bothers weightmen since jumpers and sprinters are allowed to tape their ankles.

Track Notes

UCLA’s Steve Lewis pulled up at the 250-meter mark of his 400-meter race Saturday in a dual meet with California at Drake Stadium. Lewis, the Olympic gold medalist in the 400 at Seoul in 1988, reinjured his right hamstring. It was the same injury that prevented him from competing in the NCAA meet last year. However, UCLA sprint coach John Smith, a former world-class quarter-miler, says the injury isn’t serious. “He just tore some scar tissue, which is normal,” Smith said. “I don’t think he’ll be out for more than a couple of weeks.” . . . USC’s 400 and 1,600-meter relays teams were disqualified after winning at the Stanford Invitational Saturday for passing out of the zone.

USC track Coach Ernie Bullard says the Pacific 10 is proposing to reduce scholarships by 10% in non-revenue sports. Football and basketball wouldn’t be affected, of course. As it is, there are only 14 scholarships available for 21 events in men’s track. Conversely, women are granted 16 scholarships for 17 events . . . Hurdler Greg Foster suffered a foot injury during the indoor season, but it’s not as serious as first reported and he’s already training for the major meets in the outdoor season.