Delayed 2020 Olympics May Give Utah Runner Second Chance To Qualify
Jul 23, 2020, 7:19 PM | Updated: Feb 12, 2023, 6:01 pm
FILE: Jared Ward of the United States competes during the Men's Marathon on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Sambodromo on August 21, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
MAPLETON, Utah – The 2021 Olympic Games will begin one year from Thursday, provided global COVID-19 pandemic conditions improve. For Utah Olympian Jared Ward, training for the Games is not a sprint. It’s a literal marathon.
“It’s very high stakes,” Ward said.
The Utah native specializes in going the distance — 26.2 miles to be exact.
After a sixth-place finish in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Ward had his sights set on Tokyo 2020 — but he did not qualify.
What happened?
“Man, I have been asking myself that the last four months since the trials,” Ward explained. “This year, I was supposed to make the Olympic Team and I think I had an off day on the wrong day.”
Now, he might be able to try again to qualify for the Games. There is talk that there could be another qualifying race for the now-2021 marathon runners.
“Those decisions haven’t been made yet,” Ward said. “For the sake of the guys and girls that had that perfect day in Atlanta and they made that team, I would feel so bad for them if that was taken away from them.”
Ward is staying in shape, just in case.
“I would take any opportunity that came my way and I would race hard for it,” he said.
No matter what happens, he is focused on whatever comes next.
“If there is another Olympic qualifier race, I want to be ready for that. If there’s not, I want to be ready for the Boston Marathon or the New York City Marathon.”
