Sprinting to glory.
If yesterday was irritating for Group GB, day three ended on a excessive with two medals within the males’s 60. Jeremiah Azu Had taken bronze on the out of doors European Championships in Munich in 2022 within the 100m. The next yr he had been sixth within the European indoors. He made the Olympic crew however was DQed for a false begin within the 100m however got here again to take a relay medal.
A couple of years in the past he took the brave step to go away his house in Cardiff to go and practice in Italy with Marco Airale after which determined final summer time to maneuver again to UK. This week he acquired his reward with the gold medal and PR of 6.49.
Not many individuals knew his background that he had been born in Netherlands. He shocked and impressed on the press convention and after his 60 meter victory by talking Dutch. Nonetheless simply 23 he has his greatest years forward of him. He mentioned of his victory: “This morning I felt a bit flat earlier than the semi last then I noticed my household and we prayed. After I left them I used to be pondering, the place would I be with out these guys? They lifted me up. As soon as I noticed them it simply shut down any doubt, I walked into that warm-up space and felt superb simply by seeing them.
“Enormous second changing into a father, changing into European Champion. My son goes to have the ability to look again on this and see what his Dad was doing which is a tremendous feeling. If I wasn’t motivated sufficient already, it’s another excuse to go laborious, another excuse to stand up within the morning. All these little issues add up; I received by 3 100ths of a second and that’s the little variations he makes. We’re simply scratching the floor, that is solely the start. We have now a lot extra to go”.
Andrew Robertson is 34 and he has by no means run sub 10. He has at all times been higher on the 60 than the 100. His time for third place was 6.55. His evaluation of the night was: “I’ve been doing this sport for a lot of, a few years, competing at nationwide worldwide, beneath 23 junior youth. To lastly get the medal after laborious work, lots set backs, a whole lot of disappointments, a whole lot of laborious occasions. It wasn’t significantly an amazing run from me however that’s my aggressive nature and I’ve acquired myself in one of the best form ever. Not dangerous for a 34 yr outdated!
“I’ve by no means had a global medal and right this moment I can’t actually ask for extra; I’m very proud. It was an absolute stacked 60m right this moment. I went in with a season better of 6.61, and I didn’t even have the official qualifying time and I got here away with a bronze medal. Plus one the quickest occasions in Europe this yr. I’m very proud and really completely happy”.
