2Lt Paul Gensic Selected For World Class Athlete Program

A 2005 graduate of the Academy, Gensic was a three time All-American.

Paul Gensic.
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Aug. 22, 2005

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Former Air Force pole vault standout 2Lt. Paul Gensic was accepted to the U.S. Air Force World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), which gives high-caliber athletes the opportunity to continuing training in their sport after graduation from the Academy, while preparing for a berth in the Olympic Games.

A 2005 graduate of the Academy, Gensic was a three time All-American and named the Academy's Most Valuable Male Athlete as a senior. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native holds the pole vault records at the Academy, clearing a career-best 18'0½" during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Gensic spent most of his collegiate career ranked among the nation's elite, highlighted by a third-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships.

"This is a huge honor for Paul and for our program," Air Force head coach Ralph Lindeman said following the announcement. "For the next three years, he'll be able to dedicate himself full-time to reaching new heights in the pole vault."

"The Air Force's WCAP program is normally a two-year program leading up to each Olympic Games, so for Paul to enter the program a year early carries with it added responsibilities," Lindeman continued. "He'll be expected to continue to improve and represent the Air Force in major competitions nationwide, as well as the United States in international competitions."

In addition to training at the Academy alongside his former teammates, Gensic will serve as a volunteer coach and administrative assistant with the Air Force track and field program.

ABOUT THE WORLD CLASS ATHLETE PROGRAM
Every Olympic cycle, the Air Force sponsors 20-30 athletes to train for a berth in the next Olympic Games. Athletes for this program must be of Olympic caliber: that is, the National Governing Body (NGB) must recognize the athletes chosen for the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) as having a legitimate chance at attaining an Olympic berth.

Athletes who meet the criteria are then placed in a special duty assignment preceding the Olympic Games. The initiation of this program was in 1995, modeled after the Army's existing program. It was developed after seeing a decline in the amount of Armed Forces members achieving International athletic prowess; specifically, the number of Olympic medals awarded to these members.

What does this mean for track and field athletes? Simply put, high caliber athletes graduating from the Academy have a unique opportunity to continue training in their sport. Not only do you get the time to train the way an elite athlete needs to train, but you also get all of the support. A section of Air Force services called AF Sports selects these athletes and takes care of all the equipment, training supplies and travel for the athletes. The athletes choose where they would like to train to get the best benefit from coaching and training partners.

This is an excellent opportunity for Air Force graduates to continue to participate in athletics. Since 1998, over 30 athletes have been chosen for the WCAP. Of these, 10 were track and field athletes ranging from the marathon to the decathlon. All of these athletes now have the unique freedom of serving the military as an elite athlete.