Stevens Point Area Senior High graduate Curt Clausen is putting himself in position for a run at a medal in the 2000 Olympic games.
At the World Championships in Seville, Spain, Clausen turned in the greatest American racewalking performance in more than 25 years, finishing fourth in the 50-kilometer racewalk (3:50:55).
Battling heat, dehydration and cramping in the late stages of the race, Clausen held on for fourth after passing the 40K mark in an American record time of 3:02:18.
"I didn't drink enough, but I drank enough to win," Clausen said.
Clausen passed the 20K and the halfway mark of the race in second place, but the cramping started to take its toll at the 38K mark.
"I still had 10 beats to give on my heart rate monitor, but my thigh started cramping badly," Clausen said. "At that point, I wanted to make sure I finished the race."
Russia's German Skurygin won the race in 3:44:23. Ivano Burgnetti of Italy took second (3:47:54) and Nikolay Matyukhin of Russia was third (3:48.18).
Clausen's fourth place finish was the best performance by an American since the 1972 Olympics, where Larry Young won a bronze medal in the 20K racewalk.