By Haile Gebreselassie
There is nothing to match the experience of an Olympic Games. Sport carries a huge sense of pride and it is never more obvious than at the Olympics. It is the world’s most famous sporting stage where you will see the world’s most talented athletes and where competition is at the highest level. So for any athlete, it will be one of his/her proudest moments.
At an Olympics, every element plays a significant role in your performance. We all have good days and bad days and no matter how much training and preparation we include, on the day, everything needs to work out perfectly in order to achieve success.
First of all, you need to be in very good shape, then you need to be lucky with uncontrollable factors such as the weather and finally, you have to believe – and there is something about competing for your country at the Olympics that makes believing in yourself easier to do.
Four years ago I set myself a goal, to compete at the Beijing Olympics, however, I took a decision earlier this year not to run the marathon and concentrate on the 10,000 metres. Although I love this event, running on the track is very different to the road – you have to get used to running on a curve for much of the time, the surface is much softer and you are wearing spikes. These changes meant that I had to adjust everything in my life, my training and competition schedule had to be adapted. It has been strange, but I am positive and excited about the coming few days. Last year, one of my biggest dreams came true, when I broke the world record for the marathon in Berlin. Since then, I have thought about nothing but my next goal – Beijing, and in a few days, I will be walking to the start line with only this in mind, I cannot wait.
My list of athlestes to Watch
Liu Xiang
China
110m Hurdles
Age: 25
As the reigning World and Olympic champion, and the most famous athlete in China, he will be involved in the race of the Games. Liu also won the world indoor title in 2008 and is an outstanding performer under pressure. His main rival, Dayron Robles, of Cuba, recently supplanted him as a world-record holder, clocking 12.87 seconds in June.
Andrew Baddeley
GBR
1500m
Age: 26
Baddeley is Britain’s best male middle distance prospect since Steve Cram and Peter Elliott, both Olympic silver-medal winners. This year, he has won the European Cup and the Oslo Dream Mile, exhibiting a powerful finishing kick that is the envy of the world. An honours student of Cambridge, Baddeley has put an engineering career on hold to pursue his dream of athletics success.
Abubaker Kaki
Sudan
800m
Age: 19
Only a teenager, but already World Indoor champion and World Junior record holder. Anyone who witnessed his performance at the Bislett Games knows the Sudanese teenager appears the man to beat in the 800 metres. In only his first 800 metres of the outdoor season he made a great impression, clocking 1 hour 42 minutes 69 seconds in the Norwegian capital. At the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, he won Sudan’s first gold medal and has since captured the world junior title. This young man is an exceptional athlete.
Obinna Metu
Nigeria
100m and 200m
Age: 20
Not one that many may have heard of, but, having won his Olympic trials in both the 100m and 200m, he has been hailed as Nigeria’s fastest man and will soon be an athlete most will know, from a country with an impressive sprinting pedigree. Metu is part of a global team of sportsmen called G4S 4teen, which supports young promising athletes in their quest to achieve their sporting dreams. The athletes in the programme are supported by myself and G4S – I have been following their progress closely and it is fantastic to see Metu having already qualified for an Olympic Games.
Allyson Felix
USA
200m
Age: 22
As a triple World Champion in 2007 (200m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay), Allyson is among the top two or three female athletes in the world. Unrivalled at 200m having won last year’s world title by the biggest margin for a Championship race held at that distance, and threatening to be even better over 400m, she will aim to win Olympic gold over the shorter distance, having won a 200m silver in Athens in 2004, aged just 18.
Gelete Burka
Ethiopia
1500m
Age: 22
Before deciding to take up running, Burka played soccer at school, and changing sports was a good decision, as in her first season of formal athletics, she won a bronze medal at the World Junior Cross-Country Championships in 2003. Two years later, she won the gold and in 2006, the Senior Short Course title. On the track, she favours the 1500 metres and is reigning African Champion and World Indoor Bronze-medal winner. Coming from a country where athletics is usually based around long-distance running, Burka’s achievement as a 1500 metres runner from Ethiopia is all the more impressive.
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Haile Gebreselassie is the global ambassador of G4S 4teen, helping 14 aspiring athletes achieve their sporting dreams. More information www.g4ssport.com
Source: timesonline.co.uk