That is the kind of article that Stuart Weir excels at. He loves writing in regards to the athletes he observes. In lots of instances, he has seen most of the European athletes over most of their total careers. His eager sense of commentary and his great sense of irony come to play in these articles. Please take pleasure in Stuart’s second preview of the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships, March 2-5, 2023. RunBlogRun will likely be there!
Femke Bol able to shine in Istanbul
We’re solely on the finish of February however already Femke Bol has twice run an indoor sub 50 second 400m, 49.96 in Metz and 49.26 within the Dutch nationals in Apeldoorn. Six races, six wins earlier than reaching Istanbul and the European Indoors. Earlier within the winter I had the chance to evaluate 2022 along with her.
Femke Bol is a grasp (OK mistress) of an understatement! Once I requested her for her evaluation of 2022 – a yr during which she was second within the World Championship and received a relay gold, received European Championship gold at 400 hurdles, 400 flat and relay and received the Diamond League title, she replied: “I believe it was a fairly good yr. I’m fairly proud of it”.
She went on to elucidate that her preparations had not been nice for the yr: “In October/November 2021 I used to be scuffling with being sick and I obtained an damage – which I by no means do. However I believe it was the results of tiredness from the earlier season. What had occurred in 2021 was all new to me. Maybe I began with an excessive amount of motivation, too harsh on myself. Winter coaching is all the time onerous, a whole lot of work however this was totally different from what I used to be used to”.
Earlier than we contemplate what she achieved in 2021 and 2022, let’s return to the start. She began to do athletics when at seven or eight as a result of her brother was doing it. “It appeared enjoyable so I requested to do it. A whole lot of my mates have been there and we simply loved going to all of the meets and totally different competitions”. It was about 2015 when it ceased to be “simply enjoyable” and have become extra vital: “In 2015 I went to my first championship [European Youth Olympic Festival, Tbilisi after winning Dutch Under 18 champs in 56.14] and that was once I began to run 400. Qualifying for the championship made me assume that maybe I’ve some expertise. Possibly I can deal with the lactic. Once I found the hurdles; I discovered one thing I used to be good at. I preferred it and it was pure for me and I used to be operating loopy occasions.
From 2015, I began to take it extra significantly and never go to events and issues. Once I was 16 I began coaching in Arnhem [At the Dutch National Olympic Center] which is a 40-minute drive from the place I dwell and my dad and mom needed to convey me a number of days per week. I began to take it significantly as a result of I all the time wished to be the very best I could possibly be. I’m at a better stage now, and that’s nonetheless what I attempt to do”.
Once I requested her if she had set herself any targets at first of 2022, I used to be that her targets have been efficiency greater than medals: “I wished to be extra constant at 52 seconds and to remain at that stage”. She is such an achieved athlete, it’s onerous to do not forget that she is going to simply be 23 this month. Whereas she did run within the 2019 World Champs as an adolescent – seventh within the semi-final, it was actually on the European Indoors in 2021 that she first introduced herself, successful the 400 flat in 50.63, an achievement she describes as “enormous” and “my European breakthrough”. She defined that she knew from coaching that she was able to a quick race however doing it underneath championship stress, operating two 400s in a day and 4 in 3 days was a brand new problem. However one which she took in her stride.
Due to Covid, the interval between Doha 2019 and the 2020 Olympics, held in 2021, was unusual and she or he got here into the Tokyo video games with much less expertise than she would have had in regular occasions. She felt that it was in Tokyo that she skilled the best stage of competitors for the primary time and she or he got here away decided to remain at that stage.
When pressed about 2022, she did admit “After all, I wished medals and being European champion at 400h was an enormous objective for me” however then added – and I actually believed her – “however my actual goal in 2022 was to turn out to be a greater athlete and turn out to be extra constant”.
Partly 2 she is going to give her evaluation of 2022 – that fairly good yr – in additional element.
View all posts
