But, selective memory being what it is, never down. At age 16, he told his mother he would go to the Olympics one day. Pre's following four years at the University of Oregon established a legacy. The already powerful track program prospered, with Steve Prefontaine its most famous member. He trained hard, raced savagely, continued to break new ground.
Sport is entertainment.
These days, that means color-coordination and the prancing of prima donnas who carefully orchestrate their competitive spats. With Pre, the entertainment was pure, knife-edged, transcendent. Wait'll you see what I do this time. He never let them down, taking on any rival in any circumstance, sometimes seeming to be on the brink of disaster and then, just when you thought it was over, dredging and grasping a final something from a place deeper than the pain, deeper than the self-doubt, deeper than despair. He would rally, and he would win.