There was fairly a furor over the early departure of Fiona O’Keeffe, US, who gained the U.S. Olympic Trials on February 3, 2024. Fiona O’Keeffe was clearly in ache from the beginning of her marathon sojourn. There had been rumors of a US marathoner being injured as Jess McClain, 4th within the 10,000m and marathon, was known as about to go to Paris.
Fiona O’Keeffe’s untimely withdrawal earlier than the 5k mark shouldn’t be unprecedented. Within the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Deena Kastor, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, was pressured to drop out resulting from a late harm. Equally, Magda Lewy didn’t end in Beijing, with solely Blake Russell managing to finish the race (ending twenty third). The pattern continued within the 2012 London Olympics, the place Shalane Flanagan completed ninth, Kara Goucher tenth, and Des Linden dropped out. In Rio 2016, Shalane Flanagan completed sixth, Des Linden seventh, and Amy Cragg ninth. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics noticed Molly Seidel clinching the Olympic bronze medal, Sally Kipyego ending seventeenth, and Aliphine Tuliamuk not ending.
That is Fiona’s interview together with her administration staff, KIMBIA. We thank Fiona O’Keefe and KIMBIA for offering the context on her DNF and want her a speedy restoration.
KIMBIA, #1, How did the lead-in to Paris go for you?
Fiona O’Keeffe: For the final 5 weeks or so main into it, we bought in a extremely strong coaching block at Mammoth Lakes. I used to be logging good marathon mileage, getting in good lengthy runs, and preparing for the hills. I used to be feeling good concerning the coaching and the place I used to be at. Issues weren’t excellent, however they by no means have been, and it was a great physique of labor that I used to be proud of.
KIMBIA, #2, When did the difficulty come up?
Fiona O’Keeffe: I did my final actual observe exercise on Friday (August 2), and that was a great exercise. I felt sturdy, with no points, after which on Saturday, on my run, I began tightening my left hip. I didn’t overthink it, however the next Sunday, it was worse throughout the run. I used to be presupposed to run 90 minutes, however I ran 80. I believed, OK, we’re simply being good. However then strolling round the remainder of the day didn’t really feel superb, in order that’s when it began. We determined to come back again to Paris. We have been up in Strasbourg. We returned to see the medical doctors and physio and tried to organize for the race.
KIMBIA, #3, What did they let you know?
Fiona O’Keeffe: That’s the factor that’s a bit of complicated. It appears like no one’s been capable of pinpoint it to date. I’ve seen a number of completely different individuals, and the Physios appear to primarily assume it was a difficulty of how my hips have been aligned. I had an ongoing tight calf, probably compensation as a result of it was the other. That’s the perfect clarification I’ve been capable of get. Later within the week, I noticed the USATF physician and bought an MRI executed. Their learn on the MRI was that there was no proof of muscular harm or something within the bone. So, going off that data, it was like: OK, primarily based on our data, there’s not going to be additional harm from operating on it, so we might as nicely try to see what’s attainable.
KIMBIA, #4, On these ultimate days, have been you capable of run?
Fiona O’Keeffe: I might run some. It was not pain-free, however I bought a pair extra remedies. The final one was Friday morning, and I felt fairly a bit higher strolling out of that workplace, so we have been considering: OK, we’ll take the remainder of Friday off and see how that remedy settles. Hopefully, it units in in a single day. Then, the following day, we’ll run, and hopefully, we’re good to go. So I did run Saturday morning, simply a few miles, and it wasn’t excellent, actually. However the deadline to declare or not for the race was Friday night. The deadline had handed, and it could have been too late to sub in an alternate at that stage, and I used to be like: OK, if this can be a nerve or one thing, possibly it’ll reply, and I’ll get up on race morning, and it’ll quiet down a bit of approach into the race, or maybe I’ll get up, and it’ll really feel completely different. I didn’t wish to have that remorse of not having tried and never having given myself an opportunity.
KIMBIA, #5, How have been you feeling on the morning of the race and within the race?
Fiona O’Keeffe: It was excruciating. It felt like my physique wouldn’t let me run the way in which I wanted to from the get-go. I did a brief warm-up and didn’t really feel like there was a lot level in persevering with on if I couldn’t compete successfully. I believe I made it a few mile into the race, and we knew it was attainable I’d drop out; I believed I’d do it a bit of in a while in that case, however it was attempting to make an clever name for the day and the upcoming months.
KIMBIA, #6, What’s the next move from right here?
Fiona O’Keeffe: I would like to determine what precisely is occurring with my physique as a result of I really feel like I don’t have the solutions. I must know what the perfect remedy strategy is. After a marathon, I used to be going to take day without work now anyway, so it’s a great time to reset and begin assessing how I can prepare higher sooner or later to get to the beginning line absolutely wholesome and able to go.
