Wednesday, August 24, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Running commentary
By Charlie kanzig
Correspondent
The Olympics have been
a highlight of my summer,
and I went all out to be
able to watch as much live
through online streaming as
possible. That says a lot for
a guy that does not typically
watch sports on the screen,
but when it comes to track
and field and a bunch of ath-
letes with ties to Oregon, I
was not about to miss any
action.
Of course, I did get chas-
tised by my sister Shawn
who regretted that I twice
posted results that she was
waiting to watch during
prime time. What was I to
do but celebrate when for-
mer Oregon runner Matthew
Centrowitz controlled the
1,500 from start to finish and
became the first American
to win that Olympic race
in 108 years, which is only
eight years shy of the start
of the modern Olympics
themselves?
I had a particular fond-
ness for “Centro” because
his father’s career at the
University of Oregon over-
lapped with my time there
as a student. He was an
Olympian, which is why
his son has a tattoo across
his chest that reads “Like
father, like son.” I witnessed
Matthew being interviewed
during the Olympic Trials
and now wished I had asked
him a couple of questions
myself in the media mixed
zone while I had the chance.
I remember being struck by
his poise and the passion he
expressed about his goals
and became a fan. As he
held off all challengers in
last Saturday’s finals, I, for
the first time in my life, was
standing in front of my tele-
vision cheering vigorously,
willing him to the finish.
Other former Ducks and
athletes with ties to our state
brought home medals as
well, which made watching
the Games more captivating
than normal for me, espe-
cially after seeing them up
close at the Olympic Trials
in Eugene. For Galen Rupp,
who grew up in Portland, to
take home a bronze medal in
the marathon was stirring.
My thread of connection to
him goes back to my own
high school days, when his
mother was a standout run-
ner at La Salle High School
in Milwaukie and she would
toe the line for the 3,000
meters in Capital Conference
track meets along with the
boys, most of whom she
could beat.
Rupp’s coach, Alberto
Salazar, also a University of
Oregon runner during my era
in Eugene and Olympic qual-
ifier in the 10,000 (1980) and
marathon (1984), had quite
an Olympics as his other star
student, Mo Farah, defended
both his 5,000- and 10,000-
meter titles, earning his third
and fourth gold medals. It
must be satisfying as a coach
to see your athletes achieve
such heights.
Tate Metcalf can certainly
attest to that as he watched
his former champion ath-
lete at Mountain View High
School, Ashton Eaton, win
his second consecutive gold
medal in the decathlon.
Metcalf spent over a week
in Rio and took in as much
as he could manage. A full
article on his exploits should
be in next week’s Nugget.
Eaton’s wife, Brianne
Theisen-Eaton, picked up a
medal of her own, bronze,
in the heptathlon represent-
ing her native Canada. Other
athletes with Oregon ties
winning medals included
former Ducks Phyllis Francis
(gold — 4x400 relay) and
English Gardner (gold —
4x100 relay), Evan Jaeger,
Bowerman track club (silver
– 3,000 steeplechase) and
21
photo by charlie KanziG
Matthew Centrowitz at the olympic Trials in eugene.
Paul Chelimo, U.S. Army-
Portland (silver — 5,000
meters) among others.
It was the best show-
ing for American distance
runners in recent history
after nearly complete domi-
nance by runners from East
Africa. In the marathon,
three women placed in the
top 10 and two men finished
in the top six. One woman
and one man medaled in the
steeplechase and the 1,500,
and many others made the
finals. It’s cool that a major-
ity of the runners represented
base their training in Oregon
through the Oregon Track
Club, the Bowerman Track
Club, and the Oregon Project.
In an age in which doping
allegations and suspensions
are commonplace for track
and field athletes, I am keep-
ing my fingers crossed that
the American distance run-
ners are competing cleanly
and fairly. All the inspiration
that I felt from these Games
will come crashing into the
trash bin if it is later dis-
covered that cheating ruled
Rio 2016. I want to keep
my enthusiasm for the sport
alive. It’s only four more
years until Tokyo 2020 after
all.