Pentathlon News
Riga report Day 5posted by J Bartu on11-06-2007
Sam is injured unable to compete. That means no British men in the Team Relay today. We have day to meet, reflect on previous performances and discuss the way forward. I get sometimes impression that people perceive going to the Games like a trip to Disneyland. What frightens me are athletes who experience one day success believing - I have done it all. Winning medal in the Games takes more than that. Winning medal in more than one Games takes a village. We are talking consistency of high standard, serious ambition, health, modesty, thousands hours of draining work, a bit of luck and talent. Beijing Games are still far away. In athletes life - 13 months are a century. Imagine Chinese team drilling, sweating, riding endlessly on all potential horses, going through assessments and no policy athlete selections, finding every bit of possibility to gain advantage on home soil, investing millions in research and support areas - should I continue? We have two names on the UIPM Beijing list, 2 Silver medals, promising team of both genders and positive energy to carry on winning. The MPAGB Selection Policy is strict. Athlete eligible for the Olympic Team selection must earn it, no much room for discussions left. Time is here to refocus on upcoming challenges. There will be two additional opportunities to qualify for Beijing this year. World Championship in Berlin, 14 - 22 August where the medal winners get chance to book a ticket. Then the World Cup Finals in Beijing, 15 - 16 September where only winner can start thinking about the Olympic Village. Men missed opportunity here in Riga therefore they are going to try to qualify for the World Cup Finals in Beijing first. Four British ladies are set tocompete for three places at the World Cup Finals in Beijing too. World Cup in Rome, 24 - 28 June, is just behind the corner - keep watching.
Womens Team Relay is coming up tomorrow. Team led by G. Harland together with H. Fell and K. Livingston are going to fight for medal in the closing event of the 2007 European Championship here in Riga, Latvia. Updates coming.
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