European Indoors

How problem-solving led Zoey to the podium

(Via the garage gym and reps in the woods at the bottom of the garden)

By Peter Jardine

With a fi rst class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Aberdeen, it should come as no surprise that Zoey Clark’s approach to the challenges posed by Covid-19 was to seek out practical solutions. In truth, the 26-year-old might have been forgiven for expressing her frustration at a lack of facility access or training partners for long spells of lockdown. Cancelled events didn’t help, either, in an Olympic year – be that fi rst 2020 or now 2021.

Instead, Zoey and long-time coach Eddie McKenna, looked upon the past 12 months or so as some kind of ‘problem-solving exercise’ to use her own words.

Winning a fi fth Senior International relay medal with GB and NI at the European Indoors in Poland, therefore, must be considered as another fi rst class effort from Clark.

A superb fi rst leg run of 51.83 from the Scot set the platform for Jodie Williams, Ama Pipi and anchor runner Jessie Knight to claim second place in an exciting track fi nale to the Torun 21 championships over the fi rst weekend of March.

The podium place was the fi fth in a Senior event at European or global level for Zoey – and she has age group medals from both European U20s and U23s, too. First, though, how did she cope with those many months of Covid-affected routines? ‘Like everyone else during Covid-19 and the periods of lockdown, we had to adapt and adjust to training,’ said Zoey. ‘We didn’t have facilities open or were allowed to access them during #stayathome. ‘When we knew we wouldn’t have track access, we looked at what we had. I went for a walk about my local neighbourhood near the house – just to see what might be useful. ‘I was really lucky to have some green spaces close to where I live and I could run in those green spaces. ‘We got a gym set up in the garage because I wanted to keep some strength and conditioning work going through the winter. I actually thought it was all quite fun because I looked on it as a problem solving exercise.’ Hence the reason both Zoey and Eddie were sharing photos and videos across social media during the past six months or so of tough gym sessions or sprint reps in icy/ snowy conditions in an Aberdeen park. ‘Quite simply, we assessed what we had (in terms of ‘facilities’) and what we could do to utilise that,’ she recalled. ‘It wasn’t ideal, of course it wasn’t. But we were determined to make the best of it.

‘We’re all used to fancy facilities but a number of aspects of athletics are quite basic – often you can just get out for a run. You don’t need a track to run.

‘If you can run up a hill, round a park or up a sand-dune then you can 100 percent maintain your fi tness. You just have to try and do that and stay motivated.’ Now Zoey hopes Poland can be the platform for a successful Olympic selection bid. Aggrieved to miss out on the individual selections for Torun, she won’t lack motivation chasing a qualifying standard of 51.35. It terms of the relays, it seems fair to say it would be foolish of Christian Malcolm and company to ignore the Scot’s ability to deliver so regularly in the team event. ‘I’d love to be an ‘Olympian’ – that is the dream for all athletes I think,’ she said. ‘It is the biggest prize in our sport in many ways and I’m ready to try with my heart and soul to make that team.

Track trio leave Torun with regrets

Candid might be the best way to describe the reaction of our three individual competitors at Torun 21 after their respective performances.

Andy Butchart and Neil Gourley both made fi nals while Guy Learmonth, competing at the European Indoors for the fourth time in his career, was eliminated at the semi-fi nal stage on this occasion.

All declined the option of offering up reasons or excuses for what they regarded as below-par outcomes.

Butchart for his part clocked a fast time in his 3000m heat on the Saturday morning in Torun and then came home in seventh place in the fi nal.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen added the 3000m title to his 1500m win on the Friday with a strong run. Andy clocked 7:52.15 and fi nished a couple of places ahead of his GB and NI team-mate, Jack Rowe.

Andy, however, was brutally honest with his post-race assessment, feeling he didn’t do himself justice on this occasion.

‘Firstly, it wasn’t good enough,’ he told British Athletics in Torun.

‘It was a really odd race in terms of there was just no space. I don’t know what the tactics were.

‘When the move went, I just wasn’t able to react and then when they get a jump on you, that’s it, it’s done. ‘It’s back to the drawing board. It’s good to be on the team and make a European fi nal again and be in the top eight, but I want to be in the medals and today was just not good enough, so it’s onto the next one.’

In many ways it was a similar story with Gourley some 48 hours prior to Butchart’s fi nal when he competed in the 1500m showdown.

Neil ultimately settled for 12th place in a race packed with controversy. Initially Ingebrigtsen looked to have taken the title in 3:37.56 from home favourite Marcin Lewandowski with the 1-2-3 the same as at Glasgow 2019.

A DQ decision against the Norwegian for stepping off the track then saw Lewandowski promoted to fi rst - before a subsequent successful appeal from Norway ensured Ingebrigtsen did indeed win another European title.

Neil had to contend with a bit of pushing on shoving right at the start but did work his way forward to fi fth place at one stage over the course of the race.

‘It is hard racing 1500m indoors when you don’t get it right,’ said Neil.

‘I didn’t get it right and I’m disappointed with the way I reacted. Things like that can happen off the line and there was time to recover and I didn’t.

‘I worked too hard to get back to where I was but all the same I don’t know why I couldn’t at least challenge for a medal there. I should have been able to recover. happened and they had to push it on. I needed to be there ready for that move and I was a good 30m back.’

Learmonth for his part missed out on a fi nal place as he fi nished fourth in his semi-fi nal on the Saturday evening.

After a strong run to win his heat the previous day, Guy had been hopeful of progress despite a tough qualifi cation process which ensured only the top two in each semi would progress.

Guy couldn’t quite get in touch with the leaders during the last lap and came home in fourth in 1:47.92 with the top four all 1:47 runs.

‘I wanted to be up near the front straight away,’ said Guy.

‘The fi rst 150m to 200m wasn’t where I wanted it to be and the race wasn’t what I expected. It’s very frustrating. I’ve prepared for everything, but I’ve been caught out today, so I’m disappointed in myself. We’ll just have to move on now onto the outdoors.

‘I opened up with an indoor PB straight away. I wanted to go on and run quicker indoors, but it hasn’t really materialised in the few races that I’ve had. Hopefully I can get a consistent outdoor season and run some quick times.’

If Torun 21 simply proves to be a trading post along the road to Tokyo and appearances at the Olympics, then the regrets will surely ease for Butchart, Gourley and Learmonth. scottishathletics