Entering Olympic year, Canada's Ahmed, Knight won't follow exodus of Bowerman track athletes

Justyn Knight was so focused on his comeback from Achilles tendon surgery and having fun with new teammates that the rate Bowerman Track Club was losing professional athletes didn't cross his mind.

Calgary-born Grant Fisher of Michigan, the North American record holder in three distances, was the first of the recent departures on Oct. 19. He was followed by Cooper Teare (2022 U.S. 1,500-metre champion) and Elise Cranny, this year's U.S.women's champion in the 5,000 and 10,000.

In total, six athletes have left the Nike-sponsored club since it moved 175 kilometres southwest from Portland, Ore., to Eugene in the summer of 2022, coinciding with head coach Jerry Schumacher's decision to also guide the University of Oregon cross-country and track and field program.

"When people leave, they do it in the best interest for their career," Knight said in a phone interview from his Eugene apartment. "For me, joining Bowerman was best for my career."

Knight, a Toronto native, arrived on the scene in early October and isn't going anywhere, he told CBC Sports, after signing a multi-year contract in late July.

"Across the board my needs are being met here. I feel so supported and happy," said the 27-year-old Knight, who ran with a partially torn left Achilles tendon and placed seventh in the 5,000 final of his 2021 Olympic debut in Tokyo before having surgery this past June 1.

The comeback from Achilles tendon surgery continues for