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Calvin Smith Following His Dad's Advice

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By PATRICK O'NEILL

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 3, 2008

EUGENE, Ore. - Calvin Smith, the dad, spoke to Calvin Smith, the son, on the phone Wednesday. It was the eve of the most important race of young Calvin's career, tonight's 400-meter final at the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials at historic Hayward Field.

When your father is a former world record-holder, world champion and Olympic medalist, it's good to take his advice.

"I asked him, 'Did you sleep OK last night?,'" said the elder Smith, who is still involved with the sport as an assistant coach at Wharton.

The 20-year-old University of Florida sophomore told his dad he slept fine.

"You're better than I was," Smith, who won the bronze medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1988 Games, told his son.

Gators track coach Mike Holloway said the younger Smith gets his confidence and calm demeanor from his dad.

"Since I met him, he has been a very composed, even-keeled young man," Holloway said. "That's from his dad. He's not going to jump around and scream."

By virtue of making the trials final, Smith said his son is "at the brink" of greatness in one of U.S. track's most competitive events. "Now it's a matter of staying focused."

Smith has followed his father's advice so far. He made it through the first two rounds, running 45.43 in Monday's semifinal, the sixth-fastest time. Although American coaches can take any sprinter from the final to Beijing to run relay legs, Holloway said Smith did not come to the trials to land a relay berth. He needs to finish in the top three to earn an individual spot.

"He wants to go to Beijing to compete in the 400," Holloway said. "When he's focused on the task at hand, great results will follow."

Minutes after his semifinal race, Smith was breathing heavily but smiling. In both races, he wore his Gators uniform, orange in the quarterfinal and white in the semifinal. On Tuesday, Smith said he had received about 15 congratulatory calls.

"I'm feeling good," he said.

Of course, tonight's final was on his mind. With 2004 Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt, who recently defeated Wariner in Berlin, in the final, Smith faces two of track's great runners. Both have run faster than 44 seconds, much better than Smith's 45.14 personal record.

Smith said he has a plan, and he has been running the final repeatedly in his mind.

Smith's description of his dream race goes like this: "I get out fast, faster than I usually do, and when I come around the turn, I kick like I usually do, but 20 meters sooner," Smith said, "and I come into the home stretch and try to stay relaxed and just run all the way though the line ..."

And how does it end?

"Me getting third place."

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