EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (November 1, 2000) - The Women's Sports Foundation is accepting applications for grants from its 2000 Travel and Training Fund. This is the 16th consecutive year that the Women's Sports Foundation has provided financial opportunities for female athletes and teams who reach national, international, or regional ranking in their sports.  The grant helps relieve some of the financial burden on athletes, allowing them to focus on training.  Funds awarded can help defray expenses for traveling to competitions, purchasing specialized equipment, and coaching and training.    In the past 15 years over $1 million has been awarded to more than 225 teams and 850 individuals. Previous grant recipients include Olympic medalists Brooke Bennett (2000 gold in swimming); Tara Nott (2000 gold in weightlifting); Maureen O'Toole (2000 silver in water polo); Picabo Street (1998 gold in alpine skiing); Nikki Stone (1998 gold in aerial skiing); Michelle Kwan (1998 silver in figure skating); Michelle Akers (1996 gold in soccer); Mary Ellen Clark (1996 bronze in diving); and Kristi Yamaguchi (1992 gold in figure skating).    "When I first started weightlifting, I applied for the Travel and Training grant to help pay for my trips and competitions," said 2000 Olympic gold medalist and former Travel and Training recipient, Tara Nott. "Receiving the grant gave me extra confidence knowing that the support of the Foundation was behind me. I know that there are a lot of young girls out there, especially in weightlifting, that do not have a lot of opportunities. This program helps give those girls a chance."    "The Travel and Training program has helped produce hundreds of champions over the last 15 years, and we are honored to provide the opportunity for female athletes to maximize their potential," said Foundation President Nancy Lieberman-Cline.    Grant applications for the 2000 Women's Sports Foundation Travel and Training Fund are available now and can be obtained by calling 1-800-227-3988, by e-mail to wosport@aol.com, or by visiting www.WomensSportsFoundation.org. Deadline for the applications is November 15, 2000. Winners will be notified in February 2001.