Felix still undecided on Rio plans
Print Edition
ALLYSON Felix will not decide whether to try a sprint double at next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics based on her performance at the world championships, she said yesterday.
The Olympic 200-meter gold medalist will be moving up to the 400 for Beijing with the possibility of doing both at the Rio Games, schedule permitting.
“I would love to have the opportunity to have the choice to be able to do it regardless of what happens here,” American Felix said at a news conference.
“As of now I think the schedule is like it is here so it is something we will have to see.”
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach offered a bit of hope later.
“The Olympic program has been defined in principle, but if we have a special case where we can help an athlete, we would still be ready to discuss,” Bach told a news conference. “It would have repercussions on others. (We will) have to see if it would be possible or not. I can’t tell you what the outcome of such a discussion would be.”
The move is not without precedent. The 1996 Atlanta Olympic schedule was revised to permit sprinters to compete in both the 200 and 400 and American Michael Johnson and France’s Marie-Jose Perec both successfully completed the double.
Felix decided not to try the 200-400 double in Beijing because she would have needed to run the 400 final an hour after the 200 semifinals on August 27. The 200 final is the next day.
The schedule for the 2016 Olympics, as announced by the IAAF, is not much friendlier.
The most decorated female in athletics history would have to compete in the first round of the 200 75 minutes before the 400 final under the current Rio schedule.
She and coach Bob Kersee chose to run the 400 over the 200 here because of the challenge.
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