Andrew Pozzi
Aged 32, Andrew Pozzi has introduced his retirement from the game. In 2018, he was the world indoor champion at 60m (having beforehand completed 4th twice). In 2017, he gained the European Indoor title. In 2020, he gained all seven indoor races – 17 indoor and out of doors races, 14 wins, and was second in two others – however COVID led to the cancellation of the World Indoors and the postponement of the Olympics. He was seventh within the Tokyo Olympics, his third Olympics, and took bronze within the 2022 Commonwealth Video games. His PR was 13.14 and seven.43 indoors. Sadly, his was a profession blighted by accidents.
In asserting his retirement, he stated: “After lacking the 2023 season with a severe damage, I’ve battled exceptionally onerous to return to the world stage and earn my place at what would have been my 4th Olympic Video games. In troublesome circumstances, I’m extraordinarily happy with the progress that I’ve made this season. Sadly, as I continued to construct and enhance upon my 13.23, it gave approach in coaching with one other severe ankle fracture. Damage has all the time been my biggest competitor during the last 17 years. Whereas my historical past has been affected by severe problem, I’m most happy with the resilience I’ve proven and the achievements I’ve amassed following such heartbreaks. I’ve determined that now could be the suitable time to retire from skilled athletics. It has been my biggest honor to reside out the goals of my 10-year-old self”.
I noticed him win the European Indoor title in Belgrade in 2017 and spoke to him afterward as he talked about profitable his first main medal: “Earlier than I even took my first stride, I noticed that everybody had acquired out forward, so my coronary heart stopped, however my head kicked into overdrive. I fought all the best way – it wasn’t fairly and messy, however from a poor begin, I assumed I fought by fairly nicely.”
“Successful is all the pieces – it’s simply been so lengthy. Clearly, my first senior crew was in 2012, so it’s 5 years now, and I haven’t actually moved on from that as a result of I simply couldn’t put the work in; I’ve all the time come to championships with actually minimal work and understanding that I wanted to seek out one thing once I acquired there – that is the primary time I’ve come into one having accomplished all the work.”
Successful the 2018 World Championship in Birmingham, UK, was notable for him: “To be a world champion in Birmingham makes the achievement tenfold higher. I’ve grown up right here during the last decade. These championships have been wonderful, and being the GB crew captain for these championships is the most important honor of my life. Each crew member has been good, and I’m delighted I may do it. In each interview, I stated I used to be in nice form, however I didn’t are available in with the quickest time; I used to be tenth or eleventh. So, to come back out and win with a good time is ideal. These moments have stored me going (by all of the accidents). I knew I may return and get to the highest”.
He defined his occasion to me: “The hurdles are so intriguing for me as a result of when you get previous hurdle one, your progress is interrupted each three strides by a hurdle. So, sometimes, one mistake is way more expensive within the hurdles than in some other occasion. If you happen to make a mistake early within the race, getting again up to the mark or your rhythm is way more troublesome. Even a small mistake, like clipping a hurdle, can mess up your rhythm and make you lose your pace. I discover it so intriguing due to that”.
Andrew was a fantastic athlete who achieved so much. With out the accidents, he would have achieved much more. As well as, he is likely one of the nicest individuals within the sport, all the time pleasant and able to chat.
