Fanelli akakwaniriswa nokuda kwamaratoni paUnited States Olympic Trials muBuffalo, New York yakaitwa pana May 24, 1980. Akapfeka hembe yaiva nemashoko okuti "Mugwagwa Unoenda kuMoscow Unoguma Pano" kuti apikisane nokurambidzwa kwemitambo yeOlympic yeZhizha neAmerica, akasvetukira mberi pakutanga uye nokumhanya kwemakiromita 11 akanga awedzera kutungamirira kwake kupfuura boka racho kusvika kumamita 150. Fanelli akayambuka pakati penzira muna 1:04:39, asi akavamba kunonoka pashure pokudanidzira, "blister patsoka yangu yokuruboshwe!" Akachengeta kutungamirira kwemakiromita 15 asati adonha shure uye akapedza ari panzvimbo yechi22 (2:16:49). Fanelli akataura kuti akaisa nhanho yokukurumidza kuitira kuti vakwikwidzi vatatu vokuAmerica, Tony Sandoval, Benji Durden, naKyle Heffner avo vakamhanyira pasi pe 2:11:00 munhangemutange iyoyo, vose vaizova nenguva dziri nani kupfuura mukwikwidzi weOlympic, Waldemar Cierpinski weEast Germany uyo akamhanya 2:11:03 muMoscow
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