2016 U.S. Olympic Team Marathon TrialsFeb 18, 2016 by Lincoln Shryack
Pat Rizzo Tells Of Second-Rate Experience At Olympic Trials
Pat Rizzo Tells Of Second-Rate Experience At Olympic Trials
Pat Rizzo competed in his third career Olympic Trials Marathon this past Saturday in Los Angeles, and now the 32-year-old is making waves for a blog post he
Pat Rizzo competed in his third career Olympic Trials Marathon this past Saturday in Los Angeles, and now the 32-year-old is making waves for a blog post he penned for RunnerSpace afterwards that details a less-than-spectacular championship experience, which Rizzo says is the worst he has ever encountered in his 10-year career.
Most alarmingly, Rizzo says that extra measures were not taken to ensure athlete safety despite the race taking place in "red flag" conditions. We spoke to Rizzo today and he said that certain athletes that dropped out of the race reported that they had to walk a mile before they could receive medical attention.
61 men and 49 women failed to finish the race on Saturday.
In the blog, Rizzo says that a neutral aid station that was mentioned as possibly being added to combat the hot conditions was never added.
Rizzo said that he has emailed USA Track & Field AAC chair Dwight Phillips on the matter this morning and is still waiting for a response.
Rizzo’s post also discusses everything from personal fluid declarations being due four days before the closing of the qualifying window, a $15 fee to ride a shuttle to and from the airport ("never witnessed something so nickel-and-diming unprofessional", he says), and an insufficient supply of water for the athletes after finishing the 26.2 miles.
Rizzo claims that there was no water or food for athletes in the finish area besides the single bottle of water he was given after completing the race. However, a fully stocked tent near the finish line reserved for VIP spectators and officials, including executives from USATF and the USOC, did not permit athletes to enter, he says.
Additionally, he says that water bottles given to athletes by USATF for use during the race featured a Coke label, despite IOC Rule 50 prohibiting bottles from having any commercial advertisements. Rizzo says he was forbidden from filing an appeal on the matter.
The 2:13 marathoner concludes his blog saying that “I have never felt so slighted at a championship race, or any race, in my 10 years of racing post-college.”
Most alarmingly, Rizzo says that extra measures were not taken to ensure athlete safety despite the race taking place in "red flag" conditions. We spoke to Rizzo today and he said that certain athletes that dropped out of the race reported that they had to walk a mile before they could receive medical attention.
61 men and 49 women failed to finish the race on Saturday.
In the blog, Rizzo says that a neutral aid station that was mentioned as possibly being added to combat the hot conditions was never added.
Rizzo said that he has emailed USA Track & Field AAC chair Dwight Phillips on the matter this morning and is still waiting for a response.
Rizzo’s post also discusses everything from personal fluid declarations being due four days before the closing of the qualifying window, a $15 fee to ride a shuttle to and from the airport ("never witnessed something so nickel-and-diming unprofessional", he says), and an insufficient supply of water for the athletes after finishing the 26.2 miles.
Rizzo claims that there was no water or food for athletes in the finish area besides the single bottle of water he was given after completing the race. However, a fully stocked tent near the finish line reserved for VIP spectators and officials, including executives from USATF and the USOC, did not permit athletes to enter, he says.
Additionally, he says that water bottles given to athletes by USATF for use during the race featured a Coke label, despite IOC Rule 50 prohibiting bottles from having any commercial advertisements. Rizzo says he was forbidden from filing an appeal on the matter.
The 2:13 marathoner concludes his blog saying that “I have never felt so slighted at a championship race, or any race, in my 10 years of racing post-college.”