Back down to earth!

I had such an inspiring time at the Olympic site in London a few weeks back that I felt a bit deflated the following day. I can remember having a similar feeling in the days after my big races; it can be hard to cope with the “come down”.

Team GB’s athletes might have been forgiven if they struggled to lift themselves for the Gateshead athletics meet, which took place very soon after the World Championships in Berlin. It’s hard to put in to words just how much a world class competition can take out of you, especially if you do well. I remember being totally shattered after winning gold in Barcelona; I really wanted to come home and thank the British fans with a good performance on home soil…at the same time, I wanted to crawl in to a corner and sleep for a week!

It was fantastic for athletes such as Jess Ennis to come home and race in front of their home fans. Most of our Berlin stars seemed to cope well in Gateshead, in stark contrast to my post-big-race performances! They got a great reception from an enthusiastic crowd and they thoroughly deserved their moment after years of hard work. I’m delighted that we’ve now got some names to follow as we count down to London 2012. But they’re not just great athletes, they’re great people, too, and it can only be good for our sport that we have these new characters to cheer on.

This business of coming home and picking yourself up to compete after a major championship – it does bring back some funny memories…In 1993, Linford Christie, Colin Jackson and I returned from Stuttgart to a rapturous reception. It was amazing. The three of us were competing in a “welcome home” event and as usual I was worrying that I might not have enough in the tank to do well in front of the people who matter most – the home fans. Somebody said “Hey, you guys! Look at the fantastic gold running suits we’ve made for you to race in!” Colin and Linford looked stunning in their new attire – their brown skin seemed to contrast beautifully with the material. I, on the other hand, appeared to be stark naked apart from my race number! Not a good look, I can assure you! Colin and Linford loved it and at least it took my mind off my exhaustion for a while. Embarrassment can be quite a strong pick-me-up when you’re feeling low on energy!


Bye for now

SG