4 Wednesday, August 5, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Running commentary By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent I don9t watch much on television when it comes to sports 4 or anything else for that matter, 4 but the Summer Olympics usu- ally keeps me riveted to the screen. Especially when it comes to the track and field and the marathon. The Tokyo Olympics were origi- nally scheduled to start last week, but the pandemic has postponed the Games until 2021. Given the way the pandemic is going, and the toll it has taken on the health, economies, and stamina of the world, I won- der if they will happen at all before 2024. A recent poll showed that only about half of the Japanese population thinks it9s a good idea to hold the Olympics next year. But the pandemic has not thwarted the training and aspirations of some elite runners training here in Oregon, many with the Beaverton-based Bowerman Track Club (BTC), who missed the chance to com- pete in the 2020 Olympic Trials, but will hopefully get the chance next year. The BTC conducted three intra-squad meets at Jesuit High School earlier this month and the results were as fast (or faster) than some Olympic Trials races from 2016. The meets 4 which were unpublicized and included no spectators and held to strict health guidelines 4 produced a Canadian record, an American record and some of the fastest times ever run on American soil. I find this to be remarkable given all of the circum- stances the athletes, and the entire world, have been dealing with for the past many weeks. Maybe everyone was ready to do something amazing after months of shutdowns, interruptions, and disappointments. Shelby Houlihan, a 2016 Olympian, broke her own American record for 5000 meters on July 10 by more than 10 seconds, lower- ing the mark to 14:23.92. Her BTC training partner and fellow Iowan, Karissa Schweitzer, also ran under the previous record, finish- ing in 14:26.34. The pair now rank 12th and 14th all- time in the world. The world record is held by Tirunesh Dibaba, who ran 14:11.15 in 2008. In the men9s 5000, Canadian Moh Ahmed, ran a stunning 12:47.2 to lower his own national record by almost 11 seconds. Lopez Lomong placed second in 12:58.78, which was the ninth fastest time ever run by an American. The world record for the event was established in 2004 by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele Make us your natural & organic foods destination! Located in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, Bend Open every day, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Isolated shopping hour: 6 to 7 a.m. • Large organic produce selection • Huge organic & natural selection storewide • Meat cut & ground fresh daily • Huge bulk-foods department • All your favorite local brands & items • Only 20 minutes from Sisters • Proud to be 100% locally owned DEEP TISSUE LASER THERAPY GE T BACK TO THE ACTIVITIE S YOU ENJOY TODAY DRUG-FREE | SURGERY-FREE | PAIN RELIEF LASER THERAPY RELIEVES PAIN & INFLAMMATION ASSOCIATED WITH: SPRAINS & STRAINS LOW BACK PAIN DISC ISSUES SHOULDER & KNEE NECK PAIN TENNIS ELBOW PLANTAR FASCIITIS AND MUCH MORE! in 12:37.35. July 21, at the third intra- squad meet, Ahmed took a turn at the 1500 meters, along with eight of his BTC teammates in what they termed to be a