Contact: Andy Lee: [email hidden] Website: www.usacycling.org
BEK NAMED U.S. SPRINT TRACK PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Familiar Face Returns to USA Cycling With Eye on Athens
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (October 24, 2003)‹USA Cycling announced today the appointment of Andrzej
Bek as the Sprint Track Program Director for the U.S. Cycling Team. A familiar face to USA Cycling,
Bek returns after successfully holding a similar position from 1986-Œ88, and again from 1994-Œ99.
Bek¹s responsibilities are simple to mold Olympians out of the current crop of talented American
track sprinters a task all to familiar to him.
Bek led the U.S. Cycling team to two silver medals in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. as the
coach of Marty Nothstein and Erin Hartwell who placed second in the men¹s sprint and one kilometer
time trial respectively. Bek¹s successful experience as a coach and director compliments his storied
past as a competitive cyclist that brought him a bronze medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich,
Germany on the track.
Bek returns to USA Cycling after one year as the Director of the Saturn Cycling Team where he led
the team to arguably its best season ever, capturing both the individual and team titles in the USA
Cycling National Racing Calendar Series.
Director of Athletics for USA Cycling, Steve Johnson, is excited about the return of Bek to USA
Cycling and the potential he brings with him. "I am very excited that Andrzej has agreed to join us
as we rebuild our sprint track program. Not only is he intimately familiar with the unique
challenges of the American cycling system; but he also brings a needed combination of international
coaching and organizational experience to the effort."
Tom Schuler, General Manager of the Saturn Cycling Team echoed the comments of Johnson when
supporting Bek¹s new appointment. "Andrzej contributed an immense amount to the success of the
Saturn Cycling Team in 2004. Andrzej brought a level of commitment and focus to the team and all our
athletes responded to his intensity with incredible results, I give Andrzej all the credit for
motivating our guys. I know that Andrzej will shine in his new position with USA Cycling. Based on
my 12 months with Andrzej, the USA Cycling Team and its athletes are very fortunate to have Andrzej
on board."
- - -
----------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Gladu - Cycling Photojournalist & webmaster of "the 'drome" Email: mikeatvelodromedotcom
Online: velodrome.comvelodrome.comOpen ↗
================================================================