Gold Medal Still Gives Cunningham a Big Lift

Tara Cunningham’s life didn’t change dramatically after the Sydney Games, where she became the first women’s Olympic weightlifting champion.

Cunningham -- formerly Tara Nott -- traveled more and spoke to more children’s groups than she had before her triumph in the sport’s Olympic debut for women. But with no tours or endorsements awaiting her, she soon slipped back into her old routine. And that was fine with the Stilwell, Kan., native.

“If I were doing this for money, I’d be doing it for the wrong reasons,” said the 5-foot-1 Cunningham, who weighs 115 pounds and competes in the 48 kg class.

“I don’t think I’m any different. People have been very excited or supportive when I show them my gold medal, and I love to share it with people. Kids are just so excited. They always want to hold the gold medal or put it on. When they can touch it, it becomes real to them. Certain ages might not know anything about weightlifting, but it inspires them to dream.”

Cunningham is hoping to reprise her dreams this summer at Athens. To get there, she must maintain or improve her No. 2 national ranking at the Olympic trials this weekend in St. Joseph, Mo.

The United States can send three male and two female weightlifters to Athens. Athletes are ranked by comparing their best combined lift total in designated events to the world team qualifying total and stating the result as a percentage. For Cunningham, the qualifying weight is 162.5 kg. She totaled 175 at last year’s Pan Am Games, so her percentage is 107.69. Cheryl Haworth, a bronze medalist at Sydney in the 75+kg class, is No. 1 at 108.08% and Cara Heads of Costa Mesa, who competes in the 75 kg class, is third at 101.11%

“It really comes down to who can perform at the Olympic trials,” said Cunningham, who was seventh at last year’s world championships and won the U.S. title in March with a total of 165 kg. “Sometimes the trials become more stressful than the Olympics themselves.

“I’ve had a little struggle with a shoulder injury, but it seems like I’ve gotten it under control. I feel like I’m coming back to where I should be.”

A former gymnast and member of the U.S. under-16 and under-19 soccer teams, Cunningham began lifting in 1996 after she didn’t make the Atlanta Olympic soccer team. Her athletic ability allowed her to adapt quickly, and she owns an array of U.S. records. She has lifted 82.5 kg in the snatch (181.5 pounds), 102.5 kg in the clean and jerk (225.5 pounds) and 185 kg (407.48 pounds) in total weight.

At Sydney, where she matched her U.S. record for total weight, she became the gold medalist after apparent winner Izabela Dragneva of Bulgaria was disqualified for using a banned drug. The medals were redistributed four days later, but she skipped the ceremony to watch a teammate compete. “I don’t think standing on the podium symbolizes what happened there,” she said. “It would have been part of my experience, but 10 years from now it’s going to say I won the gold medal.”

Cunningham is married to aspiring Olympic wrestler Casey Cunningham, whom she met as they trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. They moved to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., but have been apart since she returned to Colorado Springs two months ago to prepare for the trials. She finds each separation more wrenching.

“I think I’ve been home five months of the 10 we’ve been married,” she said. “Sometimes I’m gone a week or a month, but we both know there’s an end in sight and we’re enjoying this.”

Athens will be her Olympic finale if she qualifies, though she might compete nationally for another year. “We’d like to start a family and have some normalcy,” said Cunningham, who will be 32 next week. “We’ve made huge sacrifices and I’ve done this for eight years, but there are so many other wonderful things I’d like to do.”

In the men’s competition, superheavyweight Shane Hamman is ranked No. 1 at 106.96%. Oscar Chaplin III, who competes at 85 kg, is at 103.65%, followed by Chad Vaughn, who competes at 77 kg, at 103.10%.

Romania Revives

Two years ago, Romania didn’t have enough fit gymnasts to send a team to the European women’s championships. Quicker than you can say Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian women rebounded to win the European team title last week at Amsterdam, a good omen for their prospects in Athens.

Romania won the team title, edging the brilliant but erratic team from Ukraine and injury-depleted Russia. Romanians also won three of four individual events. Catalina Ponor, 16, led teammate Alexandra Eremia in a 1-2 finish on balance beam and won the floor exercise title, and Monica Rosu won the vault. Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina, last year’s world all-around champion, won her sixth consecutive European uneven bars title but finished fourth in the all-around after falling.

Alina Kozich of Ukraine, 16, scored a 9.462 on floor exercise to win her first European all-around title, with 37.262 points. Daniela Sofronie of Romania was second, with 37.224 points, followed by Elena Zamolodchikova of Russia with 37.149 points.

Here and There

Six resident-athletes of the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista qualified for Athens by winning the Pan Am canoe/kayak championships last week in Brazil. The four-person kayak team of Kathy Colin, Marie Mijalis, Lauren Spalding and Carrie Johnson qualified for the K-4 500-meter race, and the men’s two-person team of Rami Zur and Jeff Smoke qualified for the K-2 1,000-meter race. Johnson, of La Jolla, and Zur also qualified for individual events. Johnson will compete in the women’s one-person 500-meter race and Zur in the men’s one-person 500-meter race.

World indoor shotput champion Christian Cantwell has entered the Home Depot Invitational track and field meet May 22 at Carson. Also in the field are Sydney Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson, Sydney bronze medalist John Godina and Reese Hoffa, who competes wearing a wrestling mask and calls himself “The Unknown Shotputter.” Hoffa is losing his anonymity since he finished second to Cantwell at the world indoor championships in March at Budapest, Hungary.

Dieter Ruehle of Burbank, who supervises the music at Laker and King games and other events at Staples Center, was appointed to play live and recorded music at the men’s and women’s Olympic basketball tournaments. However, his repertoire will differ from NHL, NBA or WNBA games.

“I was told the local organizers and the International Olympic Committee don’t want the Games to be Americanized, so I’m working on gathering international music from the 18 countries that will be represented,” said Ruehle, who performed similar duties at the Salt Lake City Olympic hockey tournament. “I’m very excited.”

Only 98 days until the Athens Summer Games.