Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Alums Simpson, Coburn Ready To Race In Rio
August 11, 2016 | Track and Field, Alumni C Club, Neill Woelk, Olympians
Former CU stars hit track this weekend
All the hard work is done. Four years of training and racing, four years of long runs in the cold and heat, four years of track workouts, time in the training room, injuries and recovery, are in the books.
All that's left for Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn, two of the University of Colorado's most-decorated track and field athletes, is another competition on the world's largest stage.
Friday evening, Simpson will line up for her third Olympics when she runs in the first round of the 1,500-meter competition at Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Saturday morning, Coburn will walk to the line for her second Olympic competition when she races in the first round of the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
If Simpson advances through the first round, she'll race again in Sunday's semifinals, with the finals scheduled for Tuesday evening. If Coburn advances past the opening round, she'll race again in Monday morning's finals.
Both traveled to Rio earlier this week. They aren't staying in the Olympic Village; instead the training partners arranged accommodations for themselves that are closer both to the training facility and Olympic Stadium. Thus, instead of a bus ride to both facilities that might be as long as an hour — or more — they'll be roughly 20 minutes away.
Knowledge of such logistical issues is just one of the benefits that comes with being an Olympic veteran. Having a veteran coach such as CU's Mark Wetmore, who is intimately familiar with the process, is also a huge plus. It means few surprises and distractions during a week guaranteed to provide ample opportunity for both, which translates into more time to concentrate on the task at hand.
That task, of course, is putting forth their best effort possible.
"Now that I'm eight or nine years removed from my first Olympics, I think that time helps us have a greater understanding for what we've experienced," said Simpson, who finished ninth in her first Olympics in the steeplechase in 2008 in Beijing, then advanced to the semifinals of the 1,500 in London in 2012. "I appreciate the opportunity more than I did in 2008 and even more than I did in 2012. My respect for the Olympics is growing and so is my ability to focus in on one thing and eliminate all the distractions. Â I remember my first Olympics experiencing all the firsts that come with going to the Olympics, and I think it's important for every athlete to absorb that and take it in. Â And now being years removed from that, I can focus strictly on my performance."
Coburn, who finished ninth in 2012 in London in her Olympic debut, also believes the distractions will be limited and her concentration on the race improved.
"This time around, it's less about the Olympic experience and more about the Olympic race," Coburn said. "I can focus more on the nine minutes on the track, seeing what I can do there and trying to make it as similar to other race experiences that I've had, and less about the Olympic hype and moment."
Even though both competitors have ample experience in international competitions, they also know the Olympics are different — both from the perspective of the competitors and from that of fans. People who are normally only nominally interested in track and field become avid followers every four years.
Thus, even competing in the Olympics becomes a benchmark in the eyes of the general public.
"I think that Olympics are just so universally recognized and understood for the value that it brings to the status of an athlete's career, and that's unparalleled by any competition that we compete in," Simpson said. "The heightened level of international viewership and broadcasting brings an extra level of value to the event and pressure to the athletes. Â So I think excelling at the Olympic Games is a special mark for an athlete's career."
Both runners train under the guidance of Wetmore and CU assistant coach Heather Burroughs. They both own times among the top 10 in the world this year heading into the Games, with Coburn holding the American record in the steeplechase — a mark previously owned by Simpson.
They both also believe they are headed into their races at their peak. Each had excellent spring seasons, culminating with victories in the U.S. Championships.
"I would say that I'm as fit as I've been in the last two years, and I think the difference between 2014 and 2015 to now is that I have more confidence in my tactical championship racing," Coburn said. " I learned a few lessons last year in Beijing (at the World Championships) that I'm hopefully going to use.  I feel like my fitness is pretty much the same, but I need to improve where I am mentally — and most of the difference for me will be improving tactically."
Simpson owns a World Championships gold and silver medal, and she would no doubt like to add an Olympic medal to her collection.
"I don't think you can fill me up with more motivation," she said. "But  I do understand that the opportunity to stand on the line is never a guarantee and you have to take the most from each opportunity. There's going to be some years where luck goes your way and other years where it doesn't."
Both racers also have their strategies clearly lined out, something they've each discussed at length with Wetmore. The plan is simple: advance past each round, then race for a medal.
"It's great to make it out of the first round, and it's great to make it out of the semifinals," Simpson said. "So in order to not jinx that and respect the process, we don't talk about the final until you've made it to the final."
Even with the international accolades both have earned, they also know that an Olympic medal is a standard that is unmatched in the public eye.
"A gold medal at the Olympic Games is really the pinnacle of the sporting world," Simpson said. "It's not the pinnacle of running or of the women's 1,500 meters, it's the pinnacle of athletic achievement in the world. Along the way there are different benchmarks that you dream of and hope for and work for, and the gold medal at the Olympic games is the superlative."
OTHER BUFFS IN RIO: Two other competitors with strong Colorado ties will be competing in Rio. Former CU sprinter Jeremy Dodson will be competing in the 200 meters, with his first race scheduled for Tuesday morning. Colorado graduate Flora Duffy, meanwhile, will be competing in the women's triathlon on Aug. 20.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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