“A lot of teams that wanted to come next month freaked out because it was an important part of their preparation, the altitude training was snapped up and they asked themselves, ‘Are the Olympics even possible?’
The games did not take place as they were postponed to 2021. It was a blow to all athletes, of course, and even when some pandemic restrictions were relaxed, travel was difficult and many associations decided not to risk it. But other groups took the plunge and made their way back to Flagstaff, including the Bowerman Group – the dominant Olympic trial last month – which, according to Anthony, brought in 18 athletes.
The Canadian team also returned, including what distance coach Heather Hennigar referred to as the “final phase camp” from late June to mid-July.
Flagpole over St. Moritz?
“We looked for opportunities in Canada during the pandemic when we couldn’t travel, but they just don’t have the altitude infrastructure you need, between 6,000 and 8,000 feet,” Hennigar said. “At the moment there are only two locations worldwide – St. Moritz, which is a little lower down but has a great infrastructure – and Flagstaff.
“Flagstaff is our choice,” she said. “We have a relationship with Sean and the city. It’s got the height, the infrastructure, the facilities, access to endless trails, Hypo2, everything. Flagstaff is a well-known figure. Most of our athletes have used this over the year and years before. If there is a medical problem we can access everything we need plus the lower range in Sedona. It’s difficult to get this combination anywhere else. “
Comments are closed.