Olympic hopefuls who train in the typically cool and cloudy Northwest say they’re prepared for extreme heat during the final weekend of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials.
The temperature at Hayward Field in Eugene could reach 106 degrees on Sunday afternoon during the finals of middle-distance races. That includes the men’s 1500 meters, in which Josh Thompson of Portland competes. Thompson says his Nike team spent several months this spring training on a black track at altitude in Park City, Utah.
“During practices sometimes it will be really hot, the track is hot. In between reps I’d go in the shade for the rest time and come back out, maybe pour some water on my face or my head to cool off at least a little bit,” said Thompson. “But every run basically in Park City has been kinda hot. Just being up there has been great preparation for this event.”
U-S Olympic trials organizers shifted the long distance 5-K and 10-K races this weekend from the afternoons to the cooler mornings, but not the shorter races.
Chanelle Price is an 800 meter Olympic hopeful who trains with Oregon Track Club Elite in Eugene. She said “we’re all going to have to be very smart. It does feel a lot cooler on the track for some reason. So, I think we’ll be OK. I think I’ll be OK because I used to train in Phoenix, Arizona. So, as long as we’re hydrated and take our time warming up, we’ll be OK.”
Heading in to Day 9 of the Trials, 10 athletes with Northwest ties at these Olympic trials have secured places on Team USA bound for the Tokyo Games.