Steve Prefontaine 4

With todays athletes and the damands of big money and big contracts Pre felt there was more to his sport than competing and winning. Athletes in his sport struggled to make ends meet when training/ competing while Europeans enjoyed compensation. Pre fought hard against the inflexable AAU to allow track&field athletes to gain some allowence.
But while doing so he didn't forget the fans that appreciated his feats as the greatest American distance runner of his day. It was his closeness to the people that made his death 'tragic'. He didn't make imself inaccessable to the fans or the public. From being the first 'promoter' for the fledgling company NIKE to visiting inmates at the State prison in which he launched a running program within the walls, in his short 24 yrs he made a big impact in trying to bring his sport up to date and in many ways his legend is still inspiring this generation to belive that the running is 'cool'. In a certain way Pre's death helped to GAIN popularity to running and thus the boom of the mid- 70's

I never believe that any athlete's death is regarded as 'devastating' to the impact of that sport as a whole since basketball, football or race car driving will continue to be played out but that the death of that person as a friend, son,daughter, has a more 'devastating' impact to a family member or friend.
Very few athlete deaths impacted their sport over the long haul like Pre's.
Remember: track&field encompases in its purity all the fundementals of most other popular sports- running,jumping and throwing.