COVID-19 Strikes But Track And Field Athletes Fight Back

Sandi Morris Pole Vaulting / Flickr

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year-long delay significantly impacts everyone involved in the Olympics, especially the Track and Field community which has the most events and athletes at the Summer Games.

The postponement means another year of training for all the runners, jumpers, and throwers hoping to compete in the Olympics. Many athletes will attempt to take advantage of this time to get in better shape; however, the coronavirus will hinder their ability to practice and deplete their finances. The athletes will have to alter their lifestyles to remain healthy during the virus outbreak.

Despite the disease’s disruption to their hopes and dreams, the majority of the athletes realize that delaying the Games was the right decision. Saving lives is more important than sports.

“Needless to say, I was really looking forward and my shape is good at the moment but for now we have to look at the bigger picture and do whatever it takes to beat the coronavirus,” Rio 2016 200m silver medallist Dafne Schippers posted on Instagram. “Let's hope for the best and let's make sure we'll celebrate even harder in 2021!”

Tianna Bartoletta is an American sprinter and long jumper who has won three gold medals and participated in two Olympics. She offered encouragement to all athletes while echoing a similar sentiment as her fellow runner.

“Dreams have NOT been cancelled,” Bartoletta tweeted. “Only delayed. Stay in it. Stay safe. Stay focused.”

Staying focused during a time like this won’t be easy with the threat of COVID-19 looming large. Some Olympians have to use all their resources on essential needs and can’t afford to pay for any equipment. The United States is giving athletes financial aid to increase their training capabilities while social distancing.

“To assist in bridging the gap between now and when restrictions are lifted and normal weight room access can occur,” the USA Track and Field organization announced, “the USATF and the USATF Foundation are partnering to allocate each Tier and [Talent Protection Program] athlete a stipend towards the purchase of simple, portable weight training equipment that they can use at home or at the track.”

Athletes’ strength, power, speed, and stamina will decrease without proper training. These attributes are especially key for track and field athletes who specialize in being the fastest and strongest.

“All sports where speed and explosiveness are required are going to be affected after two weeks,” sports scientist Lars Donath said to the Deutsche Welle media company.

Silver medallist pole-vaulter Sandi Morris is adapting on the fly to prepare for 2021. Her father is making a pole-vaulting pit to help her train during quarantine. Unfortunately, Morris has to travel over 600 miles and rent a house to be able to use it. Those expenses are more significant now that she has no income.

“[Morris] was concerned how she would support herself through the pandemic and the postponement, with no opportunities for appearance fees and prize money on the horizon,” Juliet Macur, et al. of the NY Times reported.

This is an unprecedented time filled with uncertainty for the whole world. The track and field stars have embraced the challenge of living in a pandemic while still preparing for the Games. They are not giving up or making excuses and look forward to proving themselves next summer.

Andy Jiang also contributed to this article.

HSMSE's Best Track and Field Athletes Face Off In The City Championships

HSMSE’s Indoor Track and Field team competed Saturday, February 22nd at the 2020 PSAL City Championships at the Armory in Washington Heights. At the meet, HSMSE’s boys’ and girls’ teams placed 12th and 21st respectively in the city.

This marks a season-ending event for the HSMSE Flying Dragons in which their star players’ skills were displayed on the city’s greatest stage. Thirteen HSMSE athletes competed in a total of six events against other top schools in the city.

Among the most significant performers in the City Championship was junior Whralston Anderson. He finished second in the triple jump with a distance of 42-5 ½, beating his previous school record by two feet.

Additionally, Anderson tied for second with a 5’-8” high jump. His performances were the Flying Dragons' only top-three finishes in the meet. His triple jump score made him the only HSMSE athlete who qualified for this year’s state meet.

Also, the girls’ pole vaulting team had an outstanding performance. In the event, junior Sophie Levine earned fourth place with a height of seven-feet and eight-inches. Additionally, sophomore Lara Bernard and freshman Penelope Larkin tied for fifth, both with a height of seven-feet and two-inches.

According to coach Thomas Henning, the key to his athletes' success was perseverance and consistency. He believes their stellar performances weren’t anything out of the ordinary; it was the outcome of hard work and commitment.

“People did very much as I expected,” he said.

He also noted sophomore Jillian Darcy’s improvement, who managed to qualify for the city championships for her incredible endurance as a runner. At the meet, she placed 11th in the 3000 meter run with a time of 11:42.67, a minute and nine seconds behind first place.

“She did very well at the end of the season,” he said.

The team's accomplishments have led their school to a new athletic frontier. There is no doubt that the Flying Dragons' boasting multiple medalists was even more impressive with less than 500 students in their school's population. The team looks for an even brighter future next season, with a plan to recruit even more potential champions and train harder than ever before.

- Luis Andino also contributed to this article. 

The Best Pace is a Suicide Pace and Today is a Good Day to Die

     The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering Flying Dragons cross country team, “are a very tight group,” says head coach Thomas Henning. From practice to practice and meet to meet, they are always pushing each other to do the very best that they can. They have been running at the school for the past few years and although they aren’t a PSAL team, they love what they do. One of the most important values of the Flying Dragons is team spirit.

    The Flying Dragons have a very rigorous training regiment and this camaraderie is what keeps them going. They practice five days a week and run both long and short distances. The team runs on a variety of different surfaces such as grass, asphalt and dirt trails, because cross country meets span a variety of different running terrains. They do crazy things like running around in spirals on the surface of a hill; it builds up the muscles in your ankles which helps on the rough competition trails.  Kleant Daci, a runner on the Flying Dragons put it best, “You run ‘til you die and then keep on running.”

    Team companionship is the key for success in the sport of cross country, and thankfully for the Flying Dragons, this is not something that the team lacks. Everybody really gets along and they treat each other like family. When the team goes to meets, this is especially important. Daci says the Flying Dragons, “welcome each other like brothers and sisters, when someone needs an extra push we give it to them.” This is what makes the Flying Dragons such a great team; everyone is always having a fun time.

HSMSE Flying Dragons. Photo Courtesy of Thomas Henning

    Not only do they train hard and support each other throughout the year, the runners of the Flying Dragons love what they do. “It’s just a great feeling,” says Daci. Some people have also taken up leadership roles within the team. These leaders aren’t necessarily the fastest runners, but are the ones who are there for the team. They help the people that need it and really motivate the team to do better than their best.

    The main goal of the Flying Dragons is to improve their times, and many have done so. The top runners aren’t necessarily the ones who improve the most. Players such as Sam Braverman were able to improve their pace by 45 seconds, while others made similar improvement.  Improving your time is tough, but with enough effort, a love of cross country running, and support by your teammates, it becomes much easier.

    The HSMSE Flying Dragons have a great relationship with each other that helps them to improve their times. They always are supporting each other and helping them along the rocky road. For them, the key to success is support from their peers, having a good time, and running as fast as they can. As Steve Prefontaine once said, “The best pace is a suicide pace, and today is a good day to die.”

To learn more about the Flying Dragons visit their website.

Contributed to by: Greg Sakas, Timothy Jacobs and Amora Meas.