Wysocki Does a Number on Decker

Ruth Wysocki said at a track luncheon Tuesday that Mary Decker was revealed to the public as the person she really is in the Olympic Games here last summer.

In the most controversial incident of the Olympics, Decker, the American favorite, collided with South African-born Zola Budd, running for Britain, in the 3,000 meters.

Decker went down, fell into the infield injured, and was unable to continue the race. Later, she bitterly blamed Budd for the collision.

Wysocki, who had upset Decker in the 1,500 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials, was asked to comment on the unfavorable reviews Decker received after berating Budd.

“I should qualify by saying that Mary has done a lot of good for women’s track and field and called attention to events that didn’t get attention before,� Wysocki said. “I have to admire her talent, her records and overcoming injuries and such.

“However, the attitude that she portrayed after that fall is an attitude that we, as competitors, have seen all along. And, in a way, some of us are relieved that the public knows the Mary we all know. While she has done a lot of good, she is not ideal.�

Wysocki, who has been competing against Decker since both were teen-agers, also said that Decker should apologize to Budd.

In a tearful interview after the 3,000, Decker said that Budd had been the cause of the collision. She said the same thing the next day in a national television interview when given an opportunity to recant.

“I hope that she does regret some of her comments,� Wysocki said. “I know that she had to be hurt and frustrated (after the race) and some of that was seeping through. I would like to see her come back and apologize to Zola. I really feel for this young girl who held Mary as an idol (only) to be verbally abused by Mary the way she was.

“I think Mary has to prove herself again . . . be a little more polite.�

Wysocki and Decker will meet in a 2,000-meter race Jan. 18 in the Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena.

Now that Wysocki has expressed her feelings about Decker, besides beating Decker in the trials, it has the makings of a grudge race.

No one should get too excited. Decker is a veteran indoor runner who holds world records. Wysocki has competed in only one indoor race.

“I’m not expecting a whole lot,� Wysocki said. “It’s just an experiment.�

Wysocki will compete in an indoor race in Japan next Tuesday before returning here for the Sunkist meet. It will be Decker’s first race since she fell at the Olympics.

Wysocki was virtually unknown before she beat Decker in the trials. Her name caused an identity problem. As a youngster, she was known as Ruth Kleinsasser. Later, she was Ruth Caldwell before remarrying and becoming Ruth Wysocki.

Not only did Wysocki beat Decker in the trials, but her winning time of 4 minutes 0.18 seconds was more than 12 seconds faster than her previous personal best.

Asked how her life has changed since beating Decker in the trials, Wysocki said: “If anything, things are a little bit in my favor because now, all of a sudden, I’m a nice guy and she’s the sourpuss or crybaby. Maybe my image was enhanced more than it was before by comparison.�

You might gather from all of this that Wysocki and Decker aren’t friendly, but Wysocki said that she doesn’t really have a relationship with Decker.

“We’ve both been around about the same length of time,� said the 27-year-old Wysocki. “There was a stage when we were 14, 15 or 16 when she was more intense and obviously had success and I didn’t. I was more into going to high school and being a little more average-type of person.

“It seemed when she was at the top I was down, and vice versa. So it’s interesting that we’ve gone through the same things, but not at the same time. We don’t see each other that often.

Wysocki said that she gets upset with Decker because of the “games that she plays.�

“For instance, we were on the bus from the warmup field to the stadium during the trials and she asked me, ‘What company are you running for now?’ I had on a Brooks T-shirt and shoes at the time.

“Then, she’d say, ‘How is your apartment in Fountain Valley?’ She knows that we (Ruth and her road racer husband, Tom) moved from Fountain Valley years ago. I had a hard time with that.�

Wysocki said that she heard after the Olympics that Decker wanted to be friends with Budd, was sorry about what had happened and wanted to hold hands with Zola in the closing ceremonies.

“Yet, there is a road race coming up in March in Phoenix, and Mary has a three-year contract to appear in this race,� Wysocki said. “When it was recently announced that Zola would be running, Mary immediately withdrew.

“Things like that upset me. I don’t like her to play games with me. So I tend not to associate (with her). I do my own thing and she does her own thing. She’s doing what she thinks is right for her and I’m doing what I think is right for me. If the paths cross, they cross.�

The paths will across again Jan. 18, as they have intermittently over the years since both were youngsters.