This Olympic journey began long ago; and like most adventures, it took a detoured path I have traveled all too frequently. A frantic call from Bobby Kersee, just 112 days ago, announced that Allyson thought she broke her ankle in an ill advised gym workout. It seemed my path to the Olympics with Allyson and Bobby had suddenly reached a dramatic dead end.
After 3 1/2 months of nearly daily treatment and rehab oriented strength and conditioning training sessions with Allyson Felix, my 35 year journey with elite Track and Field athletes had transformed a dead end into a long hike up to the very top of the Olympic Stadium in Rio for the 400m final last night.
After 3 decades working with Bobby, the steep trek to the seats of the upper deck with him was a familiar journey. We have taken those steps many, many times together. It was emblematic of both this season challenged by injury, and the 35 year journey we have taken together to the heights of the Olympic podium over 50 times before: we were tired, confident, but more than a bit anxious.
NBC SPORTS Rio Olympic 400M Start
While Allyson was nearly 100% healthy and her track workouts proved all the rehab and the water workouts had been productive to get her ready; I have learned anything can happen when you put the best in the world on the track at the same time vying for the most coveted prize in all sports: Olympic Gold!
We climbed to the upper deck before to watch Jackie Joyner, his wife, and Flo-Jo, his sister in law, as well as many other athletes he has coached and treated. When Bobby's athletes vie for Olympic medals; he sees from this vantage point atop Olympic Stadiums around the world, "The Big Picture," even when his athletes can't.
While Allyson Felix lay on the track after a last second desperate dive across the finish line by Miller, of the Bahamas, denied Felix the Gold medal; I am sure the Silver medal, and her new GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) title were of little consolation to her.
NBC Sports 400m Photo Finish Rio
However, by the time the finish was replayed on the big screen at the stadium, the reality of her accomplishment came into perspective for us.
With this Silver, her 7th Olympic medal, Allyson had surpassed her mentor, the great Jackie Joyner Kersee, as the most decorated track and field athlete of all time. While we all hoped it was Gold; and after injury threatened her ability to perform here at all, this was an accomplishment to celebrate!
NBC SPORTS ALLYSON FELIX 400M SPRINT FINALS
We slapped backs and exchanged hugs before heading down to check in with Allyson.
Deep below the stadium track as she waited in Doping Control to give her sample, Allyson and Bobby exchanged hugs, and through misty eyes he told the disappointed defending 400m World Champion and newly minted GOAT, "If you don't want the Silver medal, you can give it to us!" He went on to tell her that after working through a season of uncertainty threatened by injury, she should be proud to have made it to the Olympic final and that close to the Gold.
NBC Sports A controversial Win for Miller
A bit later Allyson told the press "I think I'll have to look back at that, it's a little bittersweet now. I'm a competitor. I went for it. I think in the moment, it's painful." She went on to say she had regrets about the first half of the race. "I think I should have been a bit more aggressive, I might have let it get a bit away from me. I just feel emotionally and physically drained," she said. "I don't think I've quite had a year this tough, I just really wanted it."
In that Kersee had to agree. It was a challenging season but if she ran the race Bobby had wanted, she wouldn't be charging to the lead in the final meters. Although he was disappointed that she didn't surge at 150 meters and not let Miller get ahead, it was hard to fault Felix after all the hard work an dedication to her craft that she showed us these last 110 days. She is one hell of a competitor and a true champion in our book.
For me, personally, it's text like the one I received from our champion this morning that puts this long journey in perspective: "Thank you Bob! That (encouragement) definitely means a lot coming from you. Again, thank you for EVERYTHING. I appreciate you guys putting the dream team back together to help me get through all of this".