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SPORTSFriday 19 February 2016
With Rio schedule change, Allyson Felix seeks 200-400 double
RACHEL COHEN In this Aug. 28, 2015, file photo, women’s 400-meter gold med- that victory in London, Felix of workouts. She’ll be doing
AP Sports Writer alist Allyson Felix celebrates on the podium at the World Athlet- probably wouldn’t be try- late-night and early-morn-
NEW YORK (AP) — If all goes ics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing. ing the 200-400 double. ing sessions to mimic the
according to plan, Allyson “That 200 gold was some- turnaround at the Olym-
Felix will run a semifinal of Associated Press thing I had wanted for so pics.
the 400 meters around 8:45 long, and it was such a Felix is racing the 60 at Sat-
p.m. on Aug. 14. About 13 start is not great; that’s al- — if I’m going to do it, it’s rocky, up and down road urday’s Millrose Games to
hours later, she’ll race in ways posed a huge chal- going to have to be now.” to get there,” she said. work on that not-so-great
the preliminaries of the 200, lenge for me,” said Felix, And now that she finally “Once I did get it, I was start.
then she’ll have another 13 who has also won three re- earned that elusive Olym- able to say, It will be her last indoor
hours or so before the 400 lay Olympic gold medals. pic gold medal in the 200. ‘Hey, I want to challenge meet of the season as she
final. “I’ve always known that I Felix had to settle for silver myself more and not set plans to skip the world in-
It’s better than the origi- have potential in the 400, in 2004 and 2008 despite limits for myself, see what I door championships.
nal schedule for the Rio and it’s been in the back of winning three straight world can do.’ I’ve always been She came to track and
Olympics, which had the my mind. I’m 30 years old titles in the event. If not for that type of competitor. I field late, so she doesn’t
200 prelims and 400 final just want to know. I want to have many memories of
in the same evening ses- see what I could handle.” Michael Johnson’s record-
sion to essentially make Felix attempted the lon- setting 200-400 double at
doubling up on the two ger double at the 2011 the 1996 Atlanta Games
events unworkable. Inter- world championships and that captivated American
national track and field of- won silver in the 400. But fans at a U.S. Olympics. Fe-
ficials agreed last month to in the 200 final, the fatigue lix is seeking to become the
move up the 200 prelims to showed and she faded to third woman to accomplish
give the 30-year-old Ameri- third, snapping the streak the feat.
can star a chance to com- of three straight world titles. She had always planned
pete in both. At last year’s worlds, she to enter both the 200 and
It still isn’t exactly going to ran just the 400 because of 400 at this summer’s U.S. tri-
be easy. the schedule — and won. als, where the Americans’
“Just happy for the op- The 400 may be her newest depth makes a spot in Rio
portunity to go for it, even challenge, but a first Olym- no guarantee even for an
though it’s going to be re- pic gold medal in it isn’t Fe- athlete as gifted as Felix.
ally challenging,” Felix said lix’s main goal. But when she got a call
Thursday. “The 200 is my baby; that’s from her brother saying the
She hopes that someday the race that I love,” she IAAF was going to change
the 200 and 400 rounds said. “The 400 — we have the order of events, the
will never overlap, as is a love-hate relationship. I chance to make history felt
the case for the 100 and would love to defend my that much more tangible.
200. At the 2012 London title in the 200. But I’m em- “It’s awesome to know that
Games, the shorter double bracing the 400 more (than if I am able to make it, it’s
was the one Felix tried. She before).” going to be a little better
won gold in the 200, her Practices now seek to rep- schedule,” Felix said. “It’s
signature event; even with licate the demands of the motivating to know that it
a personal best in the 100, overlapping schedule in is real.
she was just fifth. Rio. There are a lot of in- “I just have to do my
“With the 1-2 double, my tense back-to-back days part.”q
U.S. Olympic team expects Krzyzewski to be the coach in Rio
BRIAN MAHONEY not coaching this summer. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski speaks with an official during ized at Duke University
AP Basketball Writer “I was aware that Coach the second half of the team’s NCAA college basketball game Hospital but rejoined the
USA Basketball chairman planned to have knee re- against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 17, 20th-ranked Blue Devils the
Jerry Colangelo expects placement surgery imme- 2016. Duke won 74-73. next day and has been
Mike Krzyzewski to lead the diately after Duke’s season with them since, including
Americans this summer, was completed, but at Associated Press for their victory over No. 5
and the coach says he has no time have Coach and North Carolina on Wednes-
“every intention” of being I ever discussed him not consecutive Olympic gold He missed a game earlier day.
in Brazil. coaching the USA National “Our medical team here
Krzyzewski plans to have Team this summer,” Colan- medals and two straight this month after feeling ill at Duke and I expect a full
left knee replacement sur- gelo said. recovery following the re-
gery following the comple- “I remain 100 percent con- world championships. and was briefly hospital- habilitation process, and
tion of Duke’s season, and vinced that there is no bet- I have every intention of
Colangelo told NBA TV dur- ter coach to lead the U.S. coaching the United States
ing All-Star weekend in To- as it looks to successfully National Team in Rio at the
ronto that he was “thinking defend its Olympic gold 2016 Olympics,” Krzyzewski
about what ifs” if Coach medal in Rio and represent said.Duke, depending on
K’s health prevented him the United States in a man- its success in the NCAA
from returning. ner all Americans will be Tournament, will have its
But Colangelo said Thurs- proud of.” season end anywhere
day in a statement that Krzyzewski, 69, has been from March 17 to April 4.
“at no time” have he and the U.S. coach since 2005, The Olympics are sched-
Krzyzewski discussed him leading the Americans to uled to start Aug. 5.q
