American sprinter Allyson Felix’s training is all geared toward the finish line in the 200 metres and 400m at the Rio Olympics.
Schedule permitting, she hopes to be in the starting blocks for both races.
Problem is, those events are scheduled to happen 75 minutes apart.
To facilitate Felix’s pursuit, USA Track and Field recently petitioned the governing body of the sport to amend the Olympic track programme that currently has the 200m preliminaries taking place just over an hour before the 400m final in Rio on August 15.
That would leave little opportunity for the six-time Olympic medallist to recover.
She will not be deterred, though, should the rescheduling not happen. She still plans on attempting to make the US squad in both events at the Olympic trials in June and go from there.
“I think she can make the team in both. I think she’s capable of medalling in both. I think she has a great opportunity to win gold medals in both,” her long-time coach, Bobby Kersee said.
“She’s very dedicated to it. She’s committed to the challenge.”
A change to the schedule is not without precedent, even at this late date.
Michael Johnson campaigned for a rearrangement of the 200m and 400m events leading up to the 1996 Summer Games at Atlanta.
The programme was altered, and he became the first male to win both at the Olympics.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said four months ago that the Olympic track programme remains flexible.
USATF chief Max Siegel went to bat for the 30-year-old Felix by contacting the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to set the wheels in motion for a switch.
“Such an achievement would elevate the sport at the Games, and as a federation we owe it to her and to the sport as a whole to make the request,” Siegel said.
They are currently in a holding pattern. An email was sent to the IAAF to determine the next step.
Sebastian Coe, the head of IAAF, said over the summer that the organisation would be willing investigate such a schedule change.
Kersee has Felix working as though this kind of double could take place.
They started training in October, and Felix will run a limited indoor schedule this winter to stay race sharp.
She may also decide to compete at the world indoor championships in Portland, Oregon, in March.
“I don’t want her to sit around,” Kersee said. “So we’re treating indoors more like spring training.
“We’re going to perform a couple of times and shut it down and get ready for outdoor.”
“I’m just going through our major channels – asking the powers that be to talk to the other powers that be,” he said. “I’m a better track coach than politician.
“It’s been done before. It’s nothing new. If you look at the history and look at the schedule, you know what’s fair and you go from there.”
* Associated Press
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