 (www.furmanblueshoes.com) Oliver won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in the 110 meter hurdles.
Olympic Medalist David Oliver to Speak at Blue Shoes Event
By Press Release
OCTOBER 02, 2008GREENVILLE, S.C.David Oliver, the bronze medalist in the 110 meter hurdles at this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, will be the featured speaker during the Blue Shoes weekend at Furman University Oct. 10-11.
Oliver will speak Friday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Furman Amphitheater. The Blue Shoes picnic will include a full pasta dinner and a live band, “Sons of Crosby.” In case of rain, the event will be moved to the Lyles Alley Gym.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, high school and collegiate teams, and coaches. Proceeds from the program will go to the university’s Blue Shoes Track Scholarship program, which supports all Furman men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field athletes.
As part of the weekend festivities, the university will host the Furman Corporate Shield Cross County 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Oct. 11. The race/walk, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will be held on the cross country course of the Furman Golf Club, which has hosted two NCAA Division I Cross Country championships. Cost is $20 for those who register before Oct. 10 and $30 for those who sign up after that.
Oliver claimed the bronze medal in the 110 meter hurdles in his Olympic debut in Beijing. He qualified for the Olympics in impressive fashion, finishing first with a time of 12.95 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Oliver had the fastest time in all four heats, including a wind-aided 12.89 seconds in the semifinals. It was the fourth-fastest time ever run under any conditions. He is also the 2008 USA Indoor champion.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Oliver is a former football player and track star at Howard University, where he graduated in 2004. He won four MEAC championships in the 110 meter hurdles during his college career, and is the only two-time All-American in any sport from Howard.
Oliver is the latest prominent track figure to participate in the Blue Shoes program. Other speakers have included 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist Tommie Smith and 1972 Olympic Gold medalists Dave Wottle and Frank Shorter. At the Blue Shoes event in the spring of 2007, runner Alan Webb became the first person to break the four-minute mile (3:57.83) on a South Carolina track.
For more information, visit the Blue Shoes website at www.furmanblueshoes.com
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