Great Britain's Eilish McColgan will 'give it everything' to get to Paris 2024 Olympic Games after year out injured
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Published 08/04/2024 at 22:52 GMT
Eilish McColgan is targeting a place at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as she continues her comeback from a year-long injury absence. A knee problem has kept the British 10,000m record holder off the road over the last 12 months. But she was back in action at the ASICS Festival of Running this weekend, and now hopes an eight-week block of altitude training can prepare her for Paris.
Eilish McColgan of Great Britain competes during the Athletics - Women's 10,000m Final on day 5 of the European Championships Munich 2022 at Olympiapark on August 15, 2022 in Munich, Germany.
Image credit: Getty Images
British long distance runner Eilish McColgan says reaching a fourth Olympic Games has been driving her through a year-long injury absence.
The 2021 European Champion endured a bittersweet 2023, as her attempt to race in the London Marathon for the first time was ended by a knee problem.
That came just months after she had broken the British women's 10,000m record, previously held by Paula Radcliffe.
But McColgan returned to action at the ASICS Festival of Running in Paris this weekend, which she believes was a big step forward in her rehabilitation.
"It was obviously a bit too soon for me to race properly as I am only just back into training again," she told Athletics Weekly.
"It’s a really unique event. It’s cool to be in Paris ahead of the Olympics and it’s been a pretty special week.
"I have had a very long term injury and had a lot of hesitation coming back into training and knowing if my body was okay again to run around the corners and in the rain and the cold.
"I suppose it was a little tester really, I haven’t ran any further in training than a 2km rep so getting to 5km today was a bit of a training run to see how my legs feel and everything was great."
McColgan has now pencilled in a six to eight block of altitude training, as she steps up her preparations for Paris 2024.
Should she get there, it would be the Scot's fourth Olympics, having previously competed in London, Rio and Tokyo.
It was at the latter of those events three years ago where she enjoyed her most successful Games to date, coming ninth in the 10,000m.
That was just months after her European gold, and was followed by the Commonwealth title over the same distance in 2022.
She admits the time on the sidelines has been unforgiving, but she is now desperate to hit the road in an attempt to get selected for Paris.
"I think mentally it’s tough because you just want to get back to doing what you love best which is running," she continued.
"When you are on the sidelines you are not even able to go out there in fresh air and clear your thoughts, of course it’s difficult.
"I always knew that I’d be able to get back. A lot of people perhaps didn’t think it was possible.
"Even some of the doctors I saw have said that it would be a challenge to get back, but I believe in myself and I know my own body and I know that I’ve got a good couple of years left in the sport at this level.
"To be at my fourth Olympic Games would be a huge achievement. I have my qualifying times but I need to show that I am in form and in fitness so that’s why I head to altitude on Monday.
"I want to head back to the next six, eight weeks of altitude and just base myself there all summer and see how far I can get. I know I run well from altitude so we’ve delayed that just to make sure that I’m fully running again.
"I want to be running everyday, I want to be doing track sessions and hard workouts before I go to my first training camp so I think that will really help boost my fitness and I’ll give it everything I’ve got.
"If I make it great and if I don’t make it then at least I know I’ve tried and gave it 100% to be there.
"If I can get down to 31 minutes at some point by the end of June that would be ideal and it would give me the best chance of selection. Maybe in the six to eight weeks we will try and find a road race to start myself off and then into the track season."
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The Olympic Games will return with Paris 2024, live on Eurosport and discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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