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Diana Pickler

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Chat with track and field head coach Rick Sloan and Olympian and Cougar alum Diana Pickler Friday at 10 a.m PT.

Moderator: Good morning Cougar fans and thank you for visiting wsucougars.com and today's online chat with Olympian and recent Washington State University graduate Diana Pickler and track and field head coach Rick Sloan. Diana and Coach Sloan, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to join us this morning.

Rick Sloan: It's great to be here. Diana and I thank you for your questions and we look forward to answering them.

Moderator: Okay, let's get started

Molly (Laramie): How do you prepare for all of the distractions and overwhelming excitedness of competing in your first Olympics?

Diana Pickler: I think by being prepared and the training beforehand. I want to use the excitement of the competition as adrenaline. Distractions are only distracting if you allow them to be.

Tim (Boise): Which event have you most improved in? Also, what score do you think it will take to medal at The Olympics? Thanks and great job!

Diana Pickler: Thank you Tim, I appreciate it. I feel like I have improved in all of my events, but I take the greatest satisfaction in my improvement in the 800, not so much physically but mentally. The event has challenged me since high school and it has taken me a long time to break through. I think a score of around 6,500 or higher will medal. That's my guess.

David Tucker, Bellingham, Wa: First, congratulations to both you, Diana for your great accomplishment, and Coach Sloan for maintaining our quality track and field team thru the years. I watched as much of the Olympic Trials as was shown. Question for Diana. When you are in Beijing, how do you maintain a proper food diet that you are used to here in the U.S. while training?

Diana Pickler: Thank you David. They are going to have American chefs brought in for us. That is going to help a lot in staying in my normal routine. I try to eat as healthy as I possibly can all the time. I always eat spaghetti the day before and the day in-between events. I hope the chefs make spaghetti; otherwise, I'm going to check out the Italian buffet. :)

Lake Tapps, WA: Hi Diana, With all the air quality issues in Beijing, what adjustments will you and Coach be making to your training program? - (Robin and I will be watching!)

Diana Pickler: Thank you for your question. That has been a question that has been asked a lot. We don't change our training because of the weather. It is something everyone has to deal with. To be honest, it's the last thing in my thoughts. It's more about staying hydrated in the humidity.

Rick Sloan: We are trying stock up on good, clean Pullman air before we leave.

seattle: do you have any good luck charms, good luck letters or anything that you will take to beijing with you?

Diana Pickler: People like to bring me good luck cards before a meet. I always like to bring those cards with me. I brought all of my good luck cards and flowers to the Trials. It makes me feel more at home and very comfortable.

RCougs - University Place: Diana - where have you been training in Texas? Wondering/hoping it has been somewhere hot and muggy so you might be at least a little accustomed to Beijing's heat and humidity. Good Luck!

Diana Pickler: It is very hot and muggy in Texas, but I'm training in Pullman. With the exception of going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I've stayed here after I graduated. We've had some hot days here, which has been good, and given me a little taste of what it will be like in Beijing. Thank you!

RCougs - University Place: Coach Sloan - do you get any special access to the Track and Field venue as the former coach of our Coug Olympians? Are you involved currently in coaching any of the Cougs? This is a bit off topic, but did you travel to Poland for the World Juniors to watch/coach Jeshua?

Rick Sloan: That's a great question. I will get into the stadium with a ticket like everyone else; however, once in the stadium the U.S. Team coaches will provide me a "Coach's Box" pass, so I will be able to have contact with Diana during the competition. Currently, the only Cougar Olympian I am working with is Diana. I did not travel to Poland, Coach Macdonald went to Ohio with Jeshua for the U.S. Junior Championships and we let the United States coaching staff take care of Jeshua in Poland. Jeshua represented the Cougars and the United States admirably.

Karl (Tacoma): Was there a practice, race or other event when you fell in love with the sport, or when you knew you might not be too bad at track? When you thought you could make the national team?

Diana Pickler: Karl, thank you for the question. I was in gymnastics from age seven and that was my first love, but then I started track in eighth grade. It was my freshman year in high school where I began to love track. That's when I got into a track club to pursue it more seriously, and that's when I started to compete in the heptathlon. I loved the event from the start. In 2006, at my first U.S. Senior Championships in Indianapolis, I was fifth in the heptathlon with a score of 5,855. Afterward, Coach Sloan and I talked about where I could improve just a little in each event, and then I could get my score to the 6,000 level. That's when I got a glimpse of being able to compete at an international level.

Paul (Seattle): Two part question--the first for Diana: Was this part of the plan to skip meets going into the Olympics (notice there's a meet in London where they're doing a quadrathlon) Second part is for coach Sloan--has Ebba Junmark been selected for Sweden's team based on her mark from last year & from this indoor season?

Diana Pickler: Paul, impressive stuff knowing about the quadrathlon! There was a good rest period before and following the Olympic Trials, both emotionally and physically, and we felt it was more important to re-establish a training base prior to the Olympic Games. If I am well-prepared in my training, I have always competed well. The London meet was just going to be too close for when I had to leave for Beijing.

Rick Sloan: With regard to Ebba, as of today, I've still have not heard. But it doesn't appear likely that she will be selected.

Paul (Seattle): Coach Sloan, as a former olympian yourself, what advice do you have for diana to help her stay focused in Beijing, while still soaking in the majesty of the olympics?

Rick Sloan: Paul, Diana does an outstanding job of staying focused for competition, but I am sure that the Olympic Games will provide a new level of input. My advice to her is to not lose sight of her purpose in Beijing (competition) but to enjoy the Olympic experience to the fullest. Many people will say that it is just another track meet but I can tell you from experience...IT'S NOT.

Karl (Tacoma): Was there a practice, race or other event when you began to think you really had a good shot at making the national team?

Diana Pickler: In 2007, at my competition at the Texas Relays when I went from 5,855 to 6,205. That's when it became a reality of knowing that I can be a legitimate threat to make the Olympic Team.

CanadaCoug - Vancouver: Coach Sloan - Is it difficult finding the time to work with Diana with all of your responsibilities as head coach?

Rick Sloan: It is something that I have been able to manage. Diana will sometimes train alone in the morning and sometimes with our team in the afternoon. I have been able to successfully balance all of my responsibilities as head coach, and still provide her and the WSU team the attention they deserve.

ol Coug: Diana do you train alone or do you have someone that trains with you throughout the year. and coach sloan how excited are you to go back to the olympics and what athletes now do you have that may have a good chance of making the 2012 olympic team

Diana Pickler: I train in the morning in some of my events and then I will come back in the afternoons and also do some training with the team. I will run with the boys to help me push me in the workouts.

Rick Sloan: I am extremely excited to be back in the Olympic Arena. It is a special environment. As far as the 2012 team, Diana will be a definite contender as well as current Cougs Jeshua Anderson, Matt Lamb, Anna Layman and Ebba Jungmark and hopefully others.

Paul (Seattle): Follow up to RCougs question--after the opening ceremonies, will the two of you stay in Beijing, or train in Dalian?

Diana Pickler: I will be at the training camp in Dalian beginning Aug. 2. On Aug. 8, I travel to Beijing for the Opening Ceremonies and remain there for my final preparation before competition begins on Aug. 15.

Moderator: We have time for one more question.

Pullman: Congrats again diana, im sure you've heard that a million times but truly congrats. My question is, now that u are an olympian, has that changed your perspective on your level of drive? what im asking is, does this experience make you hungrier in the matter of training and improving those marks?

Diana Pickler: Thank you very much. I really do appreciate that. As I continue to improve, my goals and perspectives change. I'm pleased with what I have done but I am never satisfied. That's what feeds the hunger. The quote "go as far as you can and when you get there you will be able to see farther" comes to mind.

Moderator: Okay. Thank you Coach Sloan and Diana for all of your great thoughts. Best of luck in Beijing.

Diana Pickler: Thank you. I've had a great career at Washington State and I want to thank all of you loyal Cougs for your great support. Go Cougs!!!

Moderator: Thank you to everyone for your questions. Remember, to get all the information about WSU Athletics, go no further than wsucougars.com, the official website of Cougar Athletics. Please check back to wsucougars.com for future online chats.