For UCLA women’s track coach Jeanette Bolden, being at the top comes naturally.
So when it came time to name the 2008 U.S. women’s head track and field coach for the Beijing Olympics, it was no surprise Bolden was selected.
Her achievements as an athlete and a coach are many, and there are no more qualifications that could be desired from a coach than what she has to offer.
Building a legacy
While Bolden is most known for her 1984 Olympic performance, she was also a part of the U.S. Olympic team four years earlier. In 1980, the U.S. boycotted the Olympics held in Moscow, and no American athletes were given the chance to compete.
This setback only fueled Bolden’s Olympic dreams.
“I got a taste of what it was to be an Olympian,” Bolden said. “I felt that Olympic adrenaline, that drive, that determination that I needed to work hard for the next four years.”
With four more years to train and improve, Bolden turned to UCLA. During her time as a Bruin, she helped lead the women’s team to their first ever outdoor NCAA title in 1982. The team won the title again in 1983, but Bolden was sidelined by a hamstring injury and unable to race.
In her time here, she racked up five All-American honors, a collegiate world indoor record in the 50 meters (6.13) and a fourth-place spot on the all-time Bruin 100 meter list.
Through this all, another Olympic chance loomed large in the future.
“A lot of times as an athlete, your goals are achieved on a yearly basis,” Bolden said. “In track and field, the highest goal only comes around every four years; that’s your ultimate goal.”
In 1984, she saw this goal realized when she once again made the U.S. national team and this time, there would be no boycott.
Not only would the Olympics be held in the U.S., but they would be on Bolden’s home turf.
“To have the Olympic games in Los Angeles, to have my family there, to be on my stage ““ it was something I’ll never forget. It was a dream come true,” Bolden said.
Bolden was set to compete in the 100 meters and as a member of the 4×100 meter relay team.
“I was the first American to run,” Bolden said. “I was in the first round of the 100 meters, the very first event of the day, and I remember walking out this kind of dark tunnel at the Coliseum and walking out into the stadium. All the sun, the flashing bulbs of everyone’s cameras, the yells and screams of “˜USA, USA,’ I lost focus a little bit. I was like, “˜Wow, I’m actually at the Olympic Games.’ It didn’t hit me until I walked out of that tunnel.”
Bolden says she gathered herself after her coach yelled her name and she was able to remember what she came to do. She advanced through the preliminary rounds of the 100 meters and found herself in the finals, where she took fourth.
“I was disappointed, but my mom and my dad really made me realize I had another opportunity,” Bolden said. “Most people don’t get a second chance to medal and I was able to do my best for the four-by-one team.”
She took this second chance and converted it into a gold medal. After four years, she was able to solidify her place at the top of the podium and see her dreams realized.
A cut above
After finishing her time as a competitor, Bolden looked to make the transition in her life into coaching.
She returned to her alma mater, where she began work with the women’s track and field team and continued for the next 16 years. Bolden said that she “went through all the ranks to get where I am now.”
She started out as a volunteer coach, then became a restricted earnings coach, then assistant coach and finally landed at the head coaching position where she is now.
It was apparent that she was a very talented coach, and she would continue to prove this through the years.
“She has been arguably the most successful head women’s coach in the nation over the past 15 years,” distance coach Eric Peterson said.
Her success as UCLA’s coach led her to be named Coach of the Year in 2004 by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Besides 2004, she has also been named the West Region Women’s Coach of the Year nine times, as well as the Pac-10 Women’s Coach of the Year 10 times.
As a coach, she has seen the Bruins win three NCAA titles: 2000 and 2001 indoor titles and the 2004 outdoor title. She called the 2004 win her greatest coaching achievement.
“We won two indoor titles, which was great. I was very happy with 2000, 2001, but for us to turn around and win the outdoor title; we had been a bridesmaid year after year after year,” said Bolden.
“If you take all the years I’ve been second, third or fourth at the NCAAs, it’s like going to the Final Four eight years and never winning the title. It was a little frustrating, but well worth the wait when we won.”
Besides the NCAA titles, Bolden has helped continue the UCLA track and field legacy that has earned it national recognition. This includes 10 Pac-10 championships ““ eight of which were in a row ““ and beating USC 13 straight years in dual meets.
Bolden has also coached standout individual athletes, including gold medalist Monique Henderson. Henderson medaled in the 4×400 meter in the 2004 Olympics and won the 2005 NCAA title in the 400 meters.
Another Olympian under Bolden was Sheena Johnson, who took fourth in the 400 meter hurdles in 2004 and won two NCAA titles in the 400 meter hurdles in 2003 and 2004.
Currently, Bolden has two NCAA champions on her team, juniors Nicole Leach and Rhonda Watkins. Leach took home the NCAA 400 meter hurdle crown in 2007, and Watkins took home the NCAA indoor and outdoor long jump crowns in 2007.
With so many accolades both in her own athletic career and in coaching, Bolden still names her student athletes when asked what her biggest track and field achievement is overall, and she places an emphasis on “student.”
“Having a good graduation rate,” Bolden said when asked what she is proudest of. “I can almost count on one hand how many haven’t graduated, and I’ve been here for 14 years. Even if it takes them a year or two more than it should, knowing that my kids who come through women’s track and field graduate.”
Juggling two teams
Although Bolden has had a lot of responsibility added this year, she has handled everything with poise and has not let the integrity of either Team USA or her UCLA team be compromised.
“There hasn’t been a situation where those (national team) commitments have gotten in the way of our progress and development as a team,” Peterson said. “Jeanette has handled it remarkably well. It’s been seamless.”
Bolden said that normally Wednesday is her off day from UCLA coaching and that is when she handles her national team responsibilities. These include everything from conference calls to e-mails to reading documents and staying up-to-date with potential national team members.
There have also been times when an overlap has allowed Bolden to take care of her UCLA team and keep up with the national team.
“I went to Penn relays with my UCLA team,” Bolden said. “So while my athletes were sleeping, I was up in the morning with some potential members of the U.S. team at Penn relays watching their relay practice.”
With just two weeks between the NCAA championships and the start of the Olympic trials in late June, Bolden’s summer will be packed with track and field.
The track and field portion of the Olympic Games is scheduled to run from the September 15 to September 23. Bolden will arrive in Beijing on August 17.
Before this, she will be at the national team training site 30 minutes outside of Beijing preparing her team.
“The only thing is that I’m going to miss my family,” said Bolden. “I’m going to miss my husband and my twins ““ their birthdays are in August, and they’re celebrating in June because Mommy’s leaving.”
Besides missing her husband, Al, and her twins, Anthony and Kimberly, Bolden said she is ready to go.
“I’m just really humbled and proud that this is my opportunity. I am excited and pumped and stoked and ready to go; I’m chomping at the bit now.”