The BulleTin • Wednesday, June 16, 2021 A7
TRACK AND FIELD
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I’m a gay
man who has been in an on-
again/off-again relationship
for three years. My partner
still lives at home with his
mother. He has never left
the home, aside from a four-
month period when he and
his mom weren’t getting
along.
My issue is, aside from
never fully committing, my
partner, “Damien,” seems to
always find a way to abandon
me when I hit a rough patch.
I lose my job and I’m low on
money? He yells at me and
leaves. And he manages to
not return until I’m “back on
my feet.”
When the coronavirus hit
and I had all my bills paid
but nothing to eat, I finally
had to say, “Hey, can you get
me something?” We go to a
burger place, the line’s long
and he complains nonstop
about the wait. We leave and
go to my place to hang out.
Then he leaves and calls me
and talks about what he’s go-
ing to eat. I hang up.
Before, when I was home-
less, even though he doesn’t
have a place of his own, he
never offered any help. If
I say, “I know you’re really
guarded with your money,”
he becomes enraged. And
when he hears about my dif-
ficulties, he talks down to me
and mocks the situation I am
in. He attributes his never
leaving home to his fam-
ily helping him and caring
about him. The fact that I’m
not in a situation like his im-
plies my family doesn’t care.
Can you help?
— A Lot Wrong in Texas
Dear A Lot Wrong: I’ll try.
It’s time you recognized that
Damien is NOT your “part-
ner.” Partners HELP each
other when they are in trou-
ble. The sooner you lose this
person, the sooner you will
start to feel better. Damien is
all about Damien. His char-
acter is fully formed. You
can’t change him, and neither
can I. Leaving Damien may
help you become more inde-
pendent — and that’s a good
thing. Trust me on that.
Dear Abby: I love my wife
dearly. We’ve been married
for 21 years. I’m frustrated
with how she dresses for
work and when we go out.
Her idea of fashion is wearing
clothes that are too large in
size for her. I don’t like going
out in public with her when
she dresses that way. Granted,
she put on some weight after
our third child, but she still
has a nice, shapely figure. I
have seen women with sim-
ilar body shapes who wear
closer-fitting clothes, and
they look great. How can I
convey that her style is unflat-
tering without upsetting her?
— Frustrated With Frumpy
Dear Frustrated: Your wife
may dress the way she does
because she’s self-conscious
about her weight or simply
because she thinks loose-fit-
ting clothes are more com-
fortable. Because you feel
they don’t flatter her, start by
asking why she’s dressing the
way she does. Tell her you
think she is beautiful and
that the items she is choosing
don’t do justice to her “nice,
shapely figure.” You might
even volunteer to go with
her to help her choose some
things, if she’s interested.
But if she isn’t, let the sub-
ject drop because, ultimately,
she’s going to wear whatever
she wants.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Georgia Nicols
Runner says tainted burrito led to test for banned substance
Associated Press
Shelby Houlihan, the American record
holder in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, was
banned for four years after failing to prove
that tainted pork caused her positive test
for an anabolic steroid, sport’s highest
court said Tuesday.
Houlihan blamed a pork burrito bought
at a Mexican street food truck when she
revealed her doping case in an announce-
ment on her Instagram account Monday.
A case that went ahead in secret for five
months was published days before the
start of U.S. Olympic track and field tri-
als in Eugene, where the top three in each
event earn a spot to the postponed Tokyo
Games. Houlihan finished 11th at the 2016
Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the 5,000 me-
ters.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport con-
firmed Tuesday its panel of judges “unan-
imously determined that Shelby Houlihan
had failed” to prove how the anabolic ste-
roid nandrolone got into her system.
The case was fast-tracked with the con-
sent of all parties to be heard on June 4
by video link with the court in Lausanne,
Switzerland. The verdict was announced
without a detailed verdict.
It stayed confidential until Houlihan’s
own announcement of the positive doping
test and ban that runs to January 2025. It
also rules her out of the 2024 Paris Olym-
pics and the first track worlds to be held in
the United States, next year in Eugene.
The 28-year-old Houlihan said she re-
ceived an email from the Athletics Integ-
rity Unit (AIU) on Jan. 14, notifying her
that a drug testing sample returned a find-
ing for nandrolone.
She said she’s since learned it has “long
been understood by WADA (World An-
ti-Doping Agency) that eating pork can
lead to a false positive for nandrolone,
since certain types of pigs produce it natu-
rally in high amounts. Pig organ meat (of-
fal) has the highest levels of nandrolone.”
Houlihan made a list of all the food she
ate leading up to a Dec. 15 test that de-
tected the anabolic steroid.
“We concluded that the most likely ex-
planation was a burrito purchased and con-
sumed approximately 10 hours before that
drug test from an authentic Mexican food
truck that serves pig offal near my house in
Beaverton,” Houlihan wrote. “I notified the
AIU that I believed this was the source.”
An email and text were left with her
agent.
Charlie Neibergall/AP file
Shelby Houlihan crosses the finish line as she wins the women’s 5,000-meter run at the U.S.
Championships athletics meet, in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2019. Houlihan, the American record
holder in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, posted on social media that she’s been banned for four
years following a positive test for what she concluded was a tainted pork burrito.
Houlihan added that “although my lev-
els were consistent with those of subjects
in studies who were tested 10 hours after
eating this source and WADA technical
guidelines require the lab to consider it
when analyzing nandrolone, the lab never
accounted for this possibility. They could
have reported this as an atypical finding
and followed up with further testing. The
anti-doping experts I have reached out to
say they should have. I did everything I
could to prove my innocence.”
She said she passed a polygraph and
had a hair sample analyzed by toxicolo-
gists.
“WADA agreed that test proved that
there was no build up of this substance in
my body, which there would have been if I
were taking it regularly,” Houlihan wrote.
“Nothing moved the lab from their initial
snap decision. Instead, they simply con-
cluded that I was a cheater and that a ste-
roid was ingested orally, but not regularly. I
believe my explanation fits the facts much
better — because it’s true. I also believe it
was dismissed without proper due pro-
cess.”
Houlihan said she was informed last
Friday that CAS “did not accept my expla-
nation of what had occurred and has sub-
sequently banned me from the sport for
four years.”
The court said in a statement its judges
decided by a 2-1 majority the athlete had
not proven her claim that her case and
sample were improperly managed.
“I feel completely devastated, lost, bro-
ken, angry, confused and betrayed by the
very sport that I’ve loved and poured my-
self into just to see how good I was,” Hou-
lihan wrote.
She set the American 1,500-meter re-
cord of 3 minutes, 54.99 seconds at the
world championships in Doha, Qatar, on
Oct. 5, 2019.
Last July, Houlihan broke the U.S.
5,000-meter mark with her time of
14:23.92 in Portland.
“I want to be very clear. I have never
taken any performance enhancing sub-
stances,” Houlihan wrote. “I’m not inter-
ested in cheating. I don’t do this for the ac-
colades, money, or for people to know my
name. I do this because I love it.”
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
MOON ALERT: There are no restrictions to shopping or important deci-
sions today. The Moon is in Virgo.
Hayward
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021: You
are forever youthful. You are also persuasive! You are a visionary with high
ideals who can be restless at times. You have a sharp, critical, incisive mind
and you’re witty. This is the time to let go of whatever is no longer relevant in
your world. This is not a time of loss. It’s a time of lightening up.
Continued from A5
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Today you’re energetic and full of ideas! Go ahead and share your
thoughts with others because you’re an initiator and you might start some-
thing rolling. You also might take a short trip. You will certainly learn some-
thing new and possibly meet new faces. Tonight: Surprise with a pet.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
As the financial wizard of the zodiac, of course you’re focused on
money, earnings and moneymaking ideas. This is a good day to take stock of
your assets so you know what you own and what you owe. When it comes to
money, information is power. Tonight: Watch your kids.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
You’re vibrant, energetic and enthusiastic! Enjoy schmoozing
with others because good things will tend to come your way today — this
includes people and favorable circumstances. Take a moment today to al-
phabetize your blessings, because appreciation is a powerful thing. Tonight:
Unexpected company.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
With Venus in your sign, you feel friendly and sociable to others; never-
theless, you’re happy to take a backseat, hide or work alone because you feel
comfortable being behind the scenes. Like your symbol the Crab, sometimes
you’re happy to hide in your shell. Tonight: Unexpected short trip?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Enjoy interacting with others and meeting friends and members
of groups today because you feel friendly and sociable! In particular, you
will enjoy the company of younger people, either in person or online. Why
not share your dreams for the future with someone to get their feedback?
Tonight: Guard your possessions.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Take advantage of the fact that others are impressed with you now,
especially bosses, parents, teachers and VIPs. (It’s smoke and mirrors.) Since
this is the case, now is obviously the time for you to make your pitch and go
after what you want. Tonight: You’re restless!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
You want to feel a sense of excitement and adventure today. You
want to shake things up a little! You also will enjoy learning something new
that is unusual and fascinating. How can you do this? For starters, do some-
thing different! Tonight: Secrets are revealed.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Lately, you’ve been feeling intense. This means you have been more
reactive to others, especially in discussions related to shared property, inher-
itances, taxes and debt. Suddenly, everything matters! Everything is black
and white! This will fade soon. Tonight: A surprising counter.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Today you probably will have more objectivity regarding your closest
relationships, including partnerships and spouses. This will give you an ex-
cellent chance to get a better idea of your style of relating to those who are
closest to you. Tonight: Freedom matters.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Get as much done as possible today, because not only do you have the
energy to work hard, you also have the desire to get better organized. This is
a great combo, which will lead to wonderful productivity in whatever you’re
doing, especially if it’s work-related. Tonight: Travel changes.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Because you are in a playful, lighthearted mood, find opportunities
to enjoy yourself today, as well as to enjoy the company of others, especially
children. Sports events, social outings, online meetings, whatever works for
you will be a rewarding experience. Tonight: Check your assets.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
If you can take care of some home repairs today, this will please you.
Others might have an important family conversation, especially if it involves
making plans for the family or your home. Possibly, you want to cocoon at
home and hide. (However, with Venus in the picture, you want to entertain.)
Tonight: Someone close will surprise you.
Delayed for a year when the 2020 Tokyo
Games were postponed due to the pan-
demic, the Olympic Trials still will adhere
to certain COVID-19 safety protocols,
including limiting capacity at 12,650-seat
Hayward Field to under 9,000 and the
elimination of the free community festival,
which was held on the field adjacent to the
stadium during previous Olympic Trials.
That’s just the new-world reality, though
the usual high expectations for meet orga-
nizers haven’t changed.
“Our mission is to create a world-class
experience for the athletes, our fans and
the community,” Reilly said. “We’re not de-
viating from that in the least, and it’s the
framework from which we try to make all
of our key decisions in hosting the event.
There are some things that must be im-
plemented in order to conduct this large
event safely.
“It’s not going to be the same that it was
in 2016; it doesn’t mean it’s not going to
be a world-class experience, it just means
that the way we deliver that is going to be
different.”
However it happens, the athletes are
ready, said Will Claye, a two-time Olympic
silver medalist in the triple jump and 2016
bronze medalist in the long jump, who is
entered in both events at the Olympic Tri-
als.
“I feel like it’s going to be a one-of-a-
kind Olympic Trials because for one, we
haven’t been around that many people for
I don’t know how long,” Claye said. “I can’t
even fathom the feeling it’s going to be in
there, but I’m just excited to be able to get
out there and compete in front of all those
fans. We get our best turnout in Hayward
and those people there are very knowl-
edgeable of the sport and so you start a
clap in that stadium, you get it rocking. I’m
just looking forward to doing that and put-
ting on a show for those people.”
The fluid nature of the pandemic’s se-
verity and the often abrupt changes to
COVID-19 restrictions and protocols have
made it a challenging year for athletes and
meet organizers alike.
Howard Lao/For The Oregonian
Oregon’s Kemba Nelson wins her heat of the 100 meters on Day 2 of the NCAA Outdoor Track &
Field Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene. The 10-day U.S. Olympic Track &
Field Trials begin at Hayward on Friday.
It’s hard to prepare for uncertainty,
said Donavan Brazier, the American re-
cord-holder and reigning world champion
in the 800 who lives and trains in Portland.
Brazier was an 18-year-old college fresh-
man when he competed at the last Olym-
pic Trials and failed to make the U.S. team
for Rio de Janeiro.
“The closer (the Olympic Trials) get the
more surreal it feels because even three
months ago we didn’t know if Tokyo 2020
was going to happen,” he said. “But now
the Trials are here and it’s been five years
since 2016, and me personally, I have some
things to redeem.”
Reilly said preparations for the meet be-
gan with a plan built around the idea that
everything was back to normal and there
were no COVID-19 restrictions.
Once they had that in place, they created
plans for several alternative scenarios.
“What does it look like if there’s no spec-
tators? What does it look like if there’s 20%
spectators? What does it look like if there’s
50% spectators?” Reilly said. “What we’ve
been doing since January is trying to antic-
ipate what’s the reality going to be in June
on the ground.”
Three weeks ago, he assumed they were
set with capacity at between 600 to 2,000
each day. Then the number of people
who are vaccinated in Lane County rose,
the risk levels dropped and, suddenly, the
Olympic Trials was given the green light
for thousands more spectators.
“That’s a fundamentally different op-
eration that had to be implemented in a
very short time,” said Reilly, pointing to
the need for bus companies to handle the
spectator shuttles, additional security staff,
additional security screening infrastruc-
ture, etc. “You gotta move really quickly to
do that and that’s the sprint we’ve been in
for three weeks.”
Just when he was starting to feel the drag
of planning for months, he witnessed the
scene at Hayward Field for the NCAA meet.
“I’m getting a second and third wind
here,” he said. “It’s a lot of work and a lot
of sleepless nights to deliver the Olympic
Trials for the 600 spectators. I think we
would all rather have those sleepless nights
for having a full stadium and creating that
energy.”