Track Phony of the Month

[tandfman]

Richard Peters.

I made the US Olympic team in 2004 for hurdles.

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archi ... enter.aspx

Incredible!

[Daisy]

Ah but:

I didn't get to go, ‘cause I had colon cancer, so now I'm trying to get back up there as an elite runner.

Funny that he would think this explains his absence in Athens without realising his absence at the trials would prove him wrong. What are the chances he didn't have cancer either.

I wonder if he has even run a hurdles race?

[Daisy]

The claims on his facebook page are even worse.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard- ... 114?v=info

Elite Hurdler – USA Track & Field Olympic Team Member - 00/Present
110m High Hurdle & 400m Hurdle U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion - 2004
National Junior Olympic Track & Field Champion (Sacramento CA) - 07/01
Winston R. Macdonald Track & Field Athlete of the Year - 2001

Richard Peters, 29 born in Montreal and raised in Western Massachusetts, has been running track & field, cross-country, marathons and relays since the age of 14.

During his middle and high school years Richard was undefeated in both the high and low hurdles with multiple school, state and division records. By 2001 he was competing at the national level and became the Track & Field “Athlete of the Year” which launched his career as an elite runner and member of the USA Track & Field Team.

[lonewolf]

Who is Richard Peters and how dumb does he think people (other than that reporter) are ?.

[lonewolf]

Seems one's career as an elite athlete would have to launched long before being name "Athlete of the Year" or whatever..
Has no one called him on this?..undefeated throughout HS with multiple state records..
He wears an Olmpic uniform to practice?.. Does he still wear his HS letter jacket?
This in no way affects my past, present or future and not much riles me but consider me riled..

[tandfman]

It's difficult to tell from all of this whether this guy is mentally ill or is simply a charlatan. Maybe that depends on whether he really believes this stuff himself.

[Conor Dary]

It's difficult to tell from all of this whether this guy is mentally ill or is simply a charlatan. Maybe that depends on whether he really believes this stuff himself.

Wow, of all our examples we have found, this guy really takes the prize for all time nuttiness.

[Conor Dary]

Again, to point out the obvious, how can a 'reporter' write crap like this? How hard is to google something like this and find out it is nonsense.

[kuha]

Frankly, it's so idiotic that it's hard to take it seriously enough to be upset. He might as well have said that he was the first miler under 4 flat AND the first shot-putter over 70 feet.

[Conor Dary]

Frankly, it's so idiotic that it's hard to take it seriously enough to be upset. He might as well have said that he was the first miler under 4 flat AND the first shot-putter over 70 feet.

I agree. The guy is such a nut, how can you take it seriously. But the 'reporting' is typical for what passes for journalism these days. Political in particular.

[tandfman]

It's difficult to tell from all of this whether this guy is mentally ill or is simply a charlatan. Maybe that depends on whether he really believes this stuff himself.

Wow, of all our examples we have found, this guy really takes the prize for all time nuttiness.

You're right. My subject line should have been Track Phony of the Year. (The decade is still young, but I wouldn't be surprised if this one holds up.)

[lonewolf]

I poked around in that website. Someone beat me to it in declaring this guy a liar. I posted a seconding accusation of fraud or incompetence.

[berkeley]

I poked around in that website. Someone beat me to it in declaring this guy a liar. I posted a seconding accusation of fraud or incompetence.

I disagree with everyone on this thread. This guy has inspired me to the point that I'm going to enter the Olympic hurdles myself. If I come down with colon cancer, leprosy or any other major disease in the interim, hopefully they'll let me keep my uniform too.

[Cooter Brown]

Apparently, he ran in another OG since he says he actually wore the uniform in the Olympics.

The "article" doesn't mean much. It's just a tongue-in-cheek "interview" with the person who checks in the most at various places around town. I'm sure if you look at past interviews that most of them give stupid answers.

What's creepy is his allegations on his Facebook page which are apparently there to drive donations to support his fundraising efforts.

[lonewolf]

What's creepy is his allegations on his Facebook page which are apparently there to drive donations to support his fundraising efforts.

Yep. Apparently you cannot trust everything on Facebook.

[tandfman]

Apparently you cannot trust everything on Facebook.

Is this what first gave you that clue?

[Daisy]

his Facebook page which are apparently there to drive donations to support his fundraising efforts.

I don't have a problem with him raising money by running marathons for charity, even with his lies, but you have to wonder how much the charities actually see. If any.

[Master Po]

He has a page, w the profile as reported above, on this fund raising site --

http://funds.gofundme.com/RichardPeters/RaceRelief

Regarding the specific claim:

"...I became the 2002 National Junior Olympic Hurdling Champion..."

and the similar claim for 2001 noted above, from one of the other links,

we should at least give the actual 2002 and 2001 JO hurdling champions (boys) their due, as follows:

2002
80m (midget) -- Keare Smith
100m (youth) -- Tony Dellavalle
200m (youth) -- Willis West
110m (intermediate) -- Jason Richardson
400m (intermediate) -- Jason Richardson
110m (young men) -- Kenneth Ferguson
400m (young men) -- Kerron Clement

2001
80m (midget) -- Ashtyn Lamb
100m (youth) -- Dennis Martin
200m (youth) -- Trey Fletcher
110m (intermediate) -- Jeffrey Porter
400m (intermediate) -- Aries Merritt
110m (young men) -- Jerod Void
400m (young men) -- Bershawn Jackson

A few prominent names here, and -- no surprise -- no sign of a Richard Peters anywhere in the results, at the national meet, or at the New England Association meet. Not that this would be a shocking, given what else has been reported here already. It would be more surprising if the guy were actually in the results somewhere.

Footnote -- one thing I love about the profiles on the "Go Fund Me" web site is that they are noted as being "Facebook verified." Wow. That settles it for me! I'm sending in my $$ now!

[lonewolf]

He states born in Toronto. Wonder if he is a US citizen which, I believe, is a requirement for the US Olympic team.

[Rye Catcher]

He's planning to run for office as the first canuck to be Pres of the USA. He might make it too.

[Gebrucilassie]

In one of his quotes he claims to be a professional track and field athlete as well as model and photographer. Since he doesn't show up any where on the IAAF athlete bios I find this humorous. Plus he implies he is a Saucony athlete> I wonder what Saucony thinks about this.

[gh]

They think it Saux

[Daisy]

The claims on his facebook page are even worse.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard- ... 114?v=info

Elite Hurdler – USA Track & Field Olympic Team Member - 00/Present
110m High Hurdle & 400m Hurdle U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion - 2004
National Junior Olympic Track & Field Champion (Sacramento CA) - 07/01
Winston R. Macdonald Track & Field Athlete of the Year - 2001

Richard Peters, 29 born in Montreal and raised in Western Massachusetts, has been running track & field, cross-country, marathons and relays since the age of 14.

During his middle and high school years Richard was undefeated in both the high and low hurdles with multiple school, state and division records. By 2001 he was competing at the national level and became the Track & Field “Athlete of the Year” which launched his career as an elite runner and member of the USA Track & Field Team.

He is now getting a ton of flack in the comments section of the article tandfman posted. Also, he has now rewritten his facebook page and is claiming that it never said what I copy and pasted above. The 'corrected' version is now seen as:

National Junior Olympic Track & Field Competitor (Sacramento CA) - 07/01
Winston R. Macdonald Track & Field Athlete of the Year - 2001

Richard Peters, 29 born in Montreal and raised in Western Massachusetts, has been running track & field, cross-country, marathons and relays since the age of 14.

During his middle and high school years Richard was undefeated in both the high and low hurdles with multiple school, state and division records. By 2001 he was competing at the national level and became the Track & Field “Athlete of the Year”.

So now there are shades of reality and he defends himself in the comments section of the blog with the following post:

RPeters said:
its amazing how you keep saying "The Internet, the Internet, the Internet" blah blah blah blah..

YOU COPIED AND PASTED MY PROFILE AND ALTERED IT TO REFLECT YOUR LIES NOT MINE... Just like you made multiple fake profile names and commented 100's of times...

I have not even posted ONE comment on any other blog.. AND I DID go to the Junior Olympics... if you were following all the links and messages people posted you would know that

GET A LIFE

Your Ignorant Harassment is YOUR DISEASE NOT MINE...

August 1, 2011 2:42 PM


Read more: http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archi ... z1TooLcilC

In summary, caught red handed and can't take the heat.

[Daisy]

His real credentials:

http://www.usatf.org/events/2001/JuniorOlympics/results/regional/Region1.asp

Region 1 Championships
6/22-24/2001, University of Maine - Orono, ME

Young Men's 110 Meter High Hurdles 39"

Finals - Results - Saturday 06/23/01
PL ATHLETE NAME YR TEAM TIME
== ========================= ================ ==========
1 Benjamin, Tamman '84 Hall's Expre 15.69 NWI
2 Peters, Richard '83 Unattached 15.98 NWI
3 Ogbonna, Ikechi '84 Hall's Expre 16.49 NWI
4 Sampietro, Scott '83 Unatt-CT 22.46 NWI

Young Men's 400 Meter Int Hurdles 36"

Finals - Results - Saturday 06/23/01
PL ATHLETE NAME YR TEAM TIME HT
== ========================= ================ ===== ==
1 Hammond, Douglas '83 Unattached 56.66 2
2 Peters, Richard '83 Unattached 57.00 2
3 MACBETH, Adam '84 Unattached 57.06 2
4 Dalton, Justin '82 Unattached 57.93 2

2001 Junior Olympic National Championships - Full Results

7/24-29/2001, Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex, CS - Sacramento, CA

Men 110 Meter Hurdles Young Finals
1 Jerod Void NEW WAVE TRA 13.88 0.7
2 Dexter Faulk 03-VELOCITY 13.90 0.7
3 Bershawn Jackson 04-MIAMI NW EXPRESS 14.24 0.7
4 Selim Nurudeen 12-RISING STARS 14.32 0.7
5 Linnie Yarbrough 06-MUSIC CITY TC 14.72 0.7
6 Marcus Lesley 07-ANGELIC FLYERS 14.82 0.7
7 Nick Kopec ALAMEDA CC 14.87 0.7
8 Jonathan Walker 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 15.12 0.7

Men 110 Meter Hurdles Young
8 Advance: Top 1 Each Heat plus Next 4 Best

1 Dexter Faulk 03-VELOCITY 13.98Q -1.2 2
2 Jerod Void NEW WAVE TRA 14.11Q -1.3 1
3 Linnie Yarbrough 06-MUSIC CITY TC 14.24Q 0.5 3
4 Selim Nurudeen 12-RISING STARS 14.30Q 0.9 4
5 Jonathan Walker 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 14.37q 0.9 4
6 Bershawn Jackson 04-MIAMI NW EXPRESS 14.64q -1.3 1
7 Marcus Lesley 07-ANGELIC FLYERS 14.69q 0.5 3
8 Nick Kopec ALAMEDA CC 14.70q 0.5 3
9 Darnell Talbert 15-ALEX LIGHTNING 14.72 -1.3 1
10 Kenneth Bracely 07-ANGELIC FLYERS 14.76 0.9 4
11 Aaron Wells 13-SEATOWN EXPRESS 14.80 -1.2 2
11 Basil Steele 10-BIG RED EXPRESS 14.80 -1.3 1
13 Ronnie Miller ELPASO WINGS 14.91 -1.3 1
14 Dante Ray 12-TRACK HOUSTON 14.95 0.5 3
15 Jeremy Dallas SILVER SPRIN 14.99 -1.2 2
16 Erich Smithson 02-WNY JETS 15.02 0.5 3
17 Derek Casey 08-UNATTACHED 15.10 -1.2 2
18 Alonzo Nelson DASHERS 15.14 0.9 4
19 Jeffrey Santana 16-ALEX VANDYKE TC 15.15 0.9 4
20 Nick Santana 16-ALEX VANDYKE TC 15.26 -1.2 2
21 Michael Dickerson 15-CAL QUICKSILVER 15.40 0.5 3
22 Wendell Woods FUTURE TRAC 15.46 0.9 4
23 Robert Liggins MEMPHIS HURD 15.54 0.9 4
24 Richard Peters 01-UNATTACHED 15.62 0.5 3
25 Philander Wade EAST CENTRAL 15.77 0.9 4
26 Chris Vorgang 13-UNATTACHED 15.82 -1.3 1
27 Ikechi Ogbonna 01-HALL'S EXPRESS 15.94 0.5 3
28 David Griffin TR UNATT 15.97 -1.2 2
29 Zack Middleton 11-TEAM IDAHO 16.17 -1.2 2
30 Tyler Gay ARDMORE 16.57 -1.2

Men 400 Meter Hurdles Young Finals
1 Bershawn Jackson 04-MIAMI NW EXPRESS 50.86
2 Adrian Findlay PANTHERS 52.49
3 Jonathan Walker 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 52.67
4 Manny Diaz ELPASO WINGS 52.95
5 Kory Williams HALLMARK TC 53.15
6 Jeremy Burton 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 54.12
7 Selim Nurudeen 12-RISING STARS 55.53
8 Rashad Gardner 03-CHES STRIDERS 56.05

Men 400 Meter Hurdles Young8 Advance: Top 1 Each Heat plus Next 2 Best
1 Bershawn Jackson 04-MIAMI NW EXPRESS 52.00Q 6
2 Jeremy Burton 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 53.42Q 4
3 Adrian Findlay PANTHERS 53.53Q 3
4 Manny Diaz ELPASO WINGS 53.76Q 5
5 Rashad Gardner 03-CHES STRIDERS 53.96Q 1
6 Jonathan Walker 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 54.09Q 2
7 Selim Nurudeen 12-RISING STARS 53.43q 4
8 Kory Williams HALLMARK TC 53.95q 3
9 Siddiqu Muhammad 07-LV CHEETAHS 54.06 5
10 Steven Mann BOMBERS 54.41 2
11 Sergio Daniel 03-CITY OF ATLANTA 54.58 1
12 Lionel Collins JACKSON JAGU 54.66 3
13 Bernard Quinton NEW WAVE TRA 55.34 6
14 Linnie Yarbrough 06-MUSIC CITY TC 55.36 2
15 Jeffrey Santana 16-ALEX VANDYKE TC 55.44 2
16 Alonzo Nelson DASHERS 55.69 4
17 Kory Pearson NORTHWEST TR 55.98 6
18 Matt Willis 15-QUIET FIRE 56.04 5
19 Jean Middleton 07-FIRESTARTERS TC 56.20 1
20 Michael Dickerson 15-CAL QUICKSILVER 56.24 6
21 Erich Smithson 02-WNY JETS 56.27 5
22 Chris Waldron CHAUTAUQUA S 56.29 6
23 Robert Liggins MEMPHIS HURD 56.98 6
24 Chris Gamble GLENWOOD SPR 57.06 4
25 Drew Babcock 15-UNATTACHED 57.49 1
26 Sean Barfield S.E.T.A. 57.59 4
27 Kevin Diestel ALAMEDA CC 57.84 3
28 Chris Vorgang 13-UNATTACHED 58.45 5
29 Adam Benson NAT'L SPORTS 58.94 2
30 Marques Zak 12-WINGS 59.03 3
31 Douglas Hammond 01-UNATTACHED 59.09 2
32 Tyler Gay ARDMORE 59.40 2
33 Richard Peters 01-UNATTACHED 59.48 3
34 Brandon Tolson DASHERS 59.66 3
35 Marcus Pryor 04-MIAMI NW EXPRESS 1:00.26 1
36 Jesus Hernandez ELPASO WINGS 1:00.43 5
37 Gregory Kratz CORNHUSKERS 1:00.50 4
38 Jesse H. Boulton 16-A CHEETAH STORM 1:01.34 1
39 Michael Hougen 08-PAUL BUNYAN 1:03.97 5
40 Matthew Roberson 13-SEATOWN EXPRESS 1:09.77 1

http://www.usatf.org/events/2001/Junior ... esults.asp

And he is really pissed at being caught.
https://www.facebook.com/rikripley?sk=wall

[Daisy]

Letsrun all over him too.
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read. ... 227&page=0

And he forgot to rewrite his linkedin account bio. At present it says the following:

Honors and Awards:
I am a former National Track & Field Champion. USA Track & Field and Olympic Team Member. I have ran in 7 marathons, 8 half marathons and was training for the 2004 Olympics (Hurdles). I am a colon cancer survivor since August 15th 2004 and going strong.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/richard-peters/22/835/774

And he forgot to rewrite his twitter account bio. At present it says the following:

I am a Professional Photographer and National Track & Field Champion. USA Track & Field and Olympic Team Member and colon cancer Survivor

http://twitter.com/#!/rikripley

And googled has already cached his fraudlent claims. So it's pretty obvious he quickly changed that facebook page after being discovered.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... google.com

[Halfmiler2]

Richard Peters, 29 born in Montreal and raised in Western Massachusetts, has been running track & field, cross-country, marathons and relays since the age of 14.

During his middle and high school years Richard was undefeated in both the high and low hurdles with multiple school, state and division records. By 2001 he was competing at the national level and became the Track & Field “Athlete of the Year” which launched his career as an elite runner and member of the USA Track & Field Team.

I'll give him that he may have been undefeated in the h.s. low hurdles around Y2K.

[Marlow]

I'll give him that he may have been undefeated in the h.s. low hurdles around Y2K.

Hey, I WAS undefeated in HS low hurdles (180) in 1969!!
And my record will NEVER be broken (went to 300H shortly thereafter!) !

[Daisy]

Well since this resurfaced I checked back on his facebook and this is his latest excuse:

Richard Peters
Hummm I don't recall ever saying I physically went to the Olympics... I specifically remember being sick with Cancer at that time... Before these posts bothered me but now their ignorance and changing peoples words just make me laugh...

4 hours ago

Missing is that he claimed to have won the Olympic trials at 110m hurdles AND 400m hurdles. I guess he 'forgot' that bit.

His claims:

Elite Hurdler – USA Track & Field Olympic Team Member - 00/Present
110m High Hurdle & 400m Hurdle U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion - 2004

[Master Po]

Well, I need to correct myself, on one point. When I perused the JO results for 2001 (per RP's facebook claims about being a JO champion that year) and 2002 (per RP's gofundme web site profile claims about being a JO champion that year), I did not read all the results deeply enough. I read through 2002 results, and skimmed 2001 too quickly, thus missing his name in the 2001 results. I did post above that I did not see his name in there at all for either year -- obviously, he wasn't champion, as he claimed (and now disavows), but I said his name wasn't in the results at all, when in fact it was.

[Master Po]

Pursuing this guy's resume a bit further -- not that it's really necessary -- I was curious about this item:

Winston R Macdonald Track & Field Athlete of the Year

which he listed as winning in 2001. Not that this should be shocking to anyone on this thread, but I have searched for this award, and can't find any mention of it anywhere (other than what RP listed).

Any ideas? (Other than the idea that it's bogus, which is my idea.)

[mcgato]

Any ideas? (Other than the idea that it's bogus, which is my idea.)

My guess is that it was a high school award for best TF athlete. He probably gussied it up a bit.

Oh, did I mention that I won the Rutabaga Award in 1978 as the MVP of my HS XC team. Yes, the prize was a rutabaga.

[Master Po]

Nice award, mcgato! I assume you no longer have the rutabaga. Makes me wonder if there has been a thread on here about the strange, obscure, or the awards or prizes any of us have won, or otherwise been granted. The rutabaga award would likely be near the top of the list.

[Pego]

In the 6th grade I received some academic achievement prize. It was a marble plaque sponsored by a local chemical plant named Dynamit Nobel that is chiseled in marble. Based on RP claims, that makes me a Nobel laureate, no?

[tandfman]

Absolutely! Congratulations!

[Conor Dary]

In the 6th grade I received some academic achievement prize. It was a marble plaque sponsored by a local chemical plant named Dynamit Nobel that is chiseled in marble. Based on RP claims, that makes me a Nobel laureate, no?

Certainly better than an Ig Noble Prize.

http://improbable.com/ig/