New necklace fits Lopes-Schliep

Olympic bronze medallist returns home

September 18, 2008

By Brad Kelly

WHITBY -- The new necklace that Priscilla Lopes-Schliep brought back from China is a little more cumbersome than most dainty pieces of jewelry she has worn in the past.

But this one, a bronze medal from the 100m hurdles at the Olympic Games in Beijing, will be something to behold a long time into the future.

"It's right beside me," she says with a laugh of the medal, during a phone interview as she made her way into Toronto on Wednesday. "Wherever I go, people want to see it and I want to show people.

"It's with me now, but once it quiets down, I will put it away in a safe place."

The Whitby resident is back on Canadian soil, having returned from Europe where she opted to head off to following the Olympics to compete in some Grand Prix events. While the schedule was a bit of a hectic one, it served as a prelude to what she was about to return to. All of the major sports teams in the Toronto market, the Raptors, Blue Jays, Argos and Maple Leafs, have been in contact to honour her in some form.

And the reception from the media and fans has also flattered the 25-year-old.

"It's amazing," she says of the attention an Olympic medal garners. "I'm doing some radio and some TV shows, just kind of letting everyone know about my experience and how it's been going.

"It's very exciting and the respect is there. It's really phenomenal to be a part of and get recognized on behalf of the country."

Not quite as exciting though as that Tuesday night at the National Stadium when Lopes-Schliep was awarded third place in a photo finish in a time of 12.64. The medal was the first won by a Canadian track and field athlete since Donovan Bailey's gold back in 1996 in Atlanta.

While the aftermath of the celebration, ensuing medal presentation and media interviews all seem like a blur, the Whitby resident finally got some time that night, actually in the early morning hours of the following day because of the 10:30 p.m. start time of her race, to sit and reflect with her husband Bronsen and coach Anthony McCleary.

"The medal sunk in the night of, with my husband and coach," she recalls. "We were talking about what we have gone through, all the ups and downs and how it has paid off, and now going home with an Olympic medal.

"And now that I've been home, I've had people come up to me and say 'I've seen your race. Can I have your autograph?' So it's pretty cool to be recognized by fellow Canadians."

She vows that there are more Olympics in her future, including the 2012 Games in London. That was part of the reason she decided to head over to Europe from China instead of coming home, culminating with a sixth place finish in an IAAF Grand Prix final. The experience and exposure will help down the road.

"I felt I might as well stay back and run and get the exposure and the experience I need to help me get stronger and help me get ready for the next Worlds, the next Olympics.

"It helped me get used to the surroundings and be a better athlete in the long run."

Her immediate plans are to stay around Whitby until mid-October, before returning to her home away from home in Lincoln, Nebraska. As for training, there won't be much of that over the next month, as she takes a much-deserved break.