Athletes train to be prepared for the unexpected. Games rarely stick to the script and a race plan might only be good for a few strides before a wrinkle is presented.
That flexibility is getting deeply tested in these days of facility closures and general life disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even the act of training has been upended for University of Wisconsin athletes who have already experienced championship event cancellations and are seeing Olympic dreams postponed by a year.
With weight rooms closed and training table meals unavailable, top-level athletes are forced to be creative to continue their personal development.