After smashing both her own and her mother’s personal best times, the fully fit 26 year old now runs without fear and a new found confidence.

We chatted with the British middle distance runner before she lines up with the best at the World Championships in London.

It’s been a great year for you so far, winning the 3000m bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships and at the start of July you took 12 seconds off your 3000m personal best at the Diamond League in Monaco. What’s made the difference this year?

I think it’s been the consistency in training. Since I started athletics, every year I have suffered a serious injury. 2015 was the point when we decided I needed to do something different to try and avoid anymore serious injuries. I had surgery at the end of that year but it was still very painful heading into 2016, so we changed my training and concentrated on cross training and only running once a day.

I managed to get through the full year without any major setbacks, which meant I had the whole of 2016 and then 2017 behind me. It takes that consistency in training to bring strength and improvements into your running. If you can put a year or a full winter behind you that makes all the difference when you reach the summer, and that is how you end up performing at your best and running PB’s.

Having made it into the final last year at the Olympic Games in Rio, what’s your goal for the World Championships?

I definitely think I am in much better shape than I was last year in Rio. I felt like I didn’t perform as well as I should have in the final, but this year I feel that I am at the next level.

I’ve not really had the opportunity to run a good 5,000m this year, but in the World Championships making the final is the first goal and after it would be to feature in the top eight.

At my absolute best I think I am capable of running a time that’s in the top six, and looking at Monaco I think it shows I am a lot closer to that than I give myself credit for.

It was difficult coming from the steeplechase into a new event, but I should be around the British athletes, European athletes and the American athletes. I think I need the confidence to realise that there is nothing stopping me from stepping up further and competing against the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes.

To reach the highest level there is a bit of a mental barrier that needs to be broken down, but athletes like Laura Muir are showing that it is possible to compete at the highest level.

I think you are right, once someone breaks that barrier, it makes it mentally easier for everyone else.

Going into Monaco if someone had said to me that I would have placed fourth and not far of second, I would have laughed. But actually, looking at the training sessions and the work I’ve put in over the last few weeks there is no reason I shouldn’t be up there.

That was the first time I said to myself just go for it, there’s nothing to lose, if you blow up, you blow up, but lets just try to compete. I went into that race with a lot more confidence than any other race and it paid off.

My aim now is to carry that momentum into London and to not be afraid of racing the top athletes.

You also beat the great Liz McColgan’s personal best in Monaco.

My mum always said that I was capable of beating her times. She thought it would be her 5,0000m first and was surprised that it was actually her 3,000m. Her 3000m time of 8:34 is a strong time and few very female athletes have gone under it.

It was amazing to break it and for my mum it was exciting to see all our hard work was paying off. My mum is such a big part of this journey with me and without her I wouldn’t be competing at this level.

Building on that, what’s your coach, mum, athlete and daughter relationship like?

As a child it was maybe hard to differentiate between your coach and mum, but as I have got older it’s much easier. The hardest part is probably that we now live in different continents. She lives in Doha, Qatar and I’m based in Manchester. I’m very independent now with my training, so it’s up to me to get out the door and be on the track. In actual fact, my boyfriend’s kind of taken over the role of coach, holding the stopwatch and shouting at my times.

Compared to when I was younger I was reliant on my mum being there, but with the help of Skype etc. our relationship works well even with the distance across continents. It’s probably because she is my mum and not just my coach, that we can maintain it, but I do try to get over to Qatar when I can so she can watch me train.

You loved the steeplechase, but you moved to the 5000m.

It was very difficult to leave the steeplechase behind because it was the event that introduced me to the international world of athletics and took me to the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

It was a forced decision to give it up. At the beginning of 2016 I could just about run, never mind attempt to jump. I could run through the pain but hopping was completely out of the question. As I said it was a forced decision to end up doing the 5,000m but I think its been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

How have you found the adjustment to 5000m?

The 5,000m is an an event that takes a couple of years to get the experience and the strength needed to maintain running well over the distance. It’s been a huge learning curve for me but one I’ve really enjoyed and I’m progressing quite nicely thankfully.

I always thought my future lay in long distance and possibly moving up to marathon. However, in the last couple of years I’ve realised that I’m a bit quicker than I first thought.

Even last year I thought I would have moved up to 10,000m, but actually my 1,500m and 3,000m times show that I have a bit more speed. So we decided to try and make the best of it, and stick with the 5,000m for now.

After a couple of years at 5,000m might you step up?

In the future I might look at the 10,000m, but at the minute I am only running on average forty five miles per week, which compared to a lot of other distance runners is absolutely nothing. I think because my training is quite unusual and different, running a 10k at the moment would be my absolute limit.

As I build up my mileage again over the next couple of years, I might be strong enough to look towards the 10,000m, but for now I am just trying to stay injury free and have that consistency in my running.

Looking at your athletics career to date, would you have done anything differently?

I probably would have liked to have made the switch to the flat a bit earlier too. It would have saved a lot of heartache with the injuries and the months and months I’ve spent out of the sport I love.

When I was younger I just wanted to run fast and hard, but now that bit older I’m a lot more sensible with my training. If I need to take a day off or mix things up I will.

Up to now, what have been your most memorable performances?

Winning my 3000m indoor (bronze) medal would be one of my best achievements so far. After working so hard for years and coming back from numerous injuries, its nice to finally have a medal to show for all the work. I’ve had to come back from a serious injury to compete in every major championship, so every time I’ve been able to do that has been a memorable performance, just for making it.

At the World Championships in 2013, I was injured but managed to come back and finish tenth in the world, that was my highest ever place at a major championships.

Tell us about your training and how it’s different?

I now cross train a lot, but if someone had told me three years ago I would be doing it every evening instead of going for a steady jog, I would never have believed them.

My cross training just steady cross training, not any specific sessions, and I’ve been amazed that I can replicate the same level of performance without running big miles. It’s allowed me to maintain my fitness without the added impact and risk of picking up injuries.

Training now for an athlete has to be about finding what works for you. Just because one person runs a hundred miles a week, doesn’t mean that you can run the same, everyone’s body is different.

There are of course people who can train hard everyday and never pick up an injury, but for me it’s about finding what works for you and that just comes with experience. It’s been a long process, but I’m finally in a place now were I know what works for me.

The best athletes in the world don’t just train hard, but they train smartly. They make the right decisions, knowing when to push hard and when to hold back with their training. I notice now on training camps that if athletes like Mo Farah need a day off, they take a day off.

When I was a youngster I would freak out if I had to miss that one session, but now with experience I know it’s a lot more than just one session, you have to look at the big picture and make those decisions based on how the body is feeling.

It’s a thin line and lot of athletes cross that line, but I have been trying my best to be on the right side of it.

I am fortunate that I have family and friends around me who have all been professional athletes. To be in a position to not only learn from their good experiences but also bad experiences has been invaluable.

The World Championships get underway this week, are you expecting a similar atmosphere to the Olympic Games in 2012?

London 2012 was an amazing experience for me, it was my first major championships. To go from no major championships to the Olympic Games was huge. The crowds, atmosphere and social media activity were all crazy.

Heading into this World Championships I have enough experience now to know that I am there to compete and to not get too nervous or worked up. Of course everyone does get nervous but you have to try and not let that become detrimental to your performance. I have amazing memories from 2012, so it will be nice to add new memories to that.

Do you have any set goals after the World Championships?

To be honest as an athlete I kind of go race by race, so at the minute I am only focused on the World Championships, but the second its over I will be thinking about the next goal. I plan to race in Birmingham and then in 2018 it’s the Commonwealth Games and the World Indoors.

Last question…what advice would you give to a track and field athlete searching for the right event?

Try everything. When I first joined my athletics club I started with the javelin, high jump and then the hurdles. I absolutely loved the high jump and did it for years. Up until I was 15 it was the high jump alongside my running training.

My advice would be, do not pick one event too early. Try a wide range of events and the one you are best at will most likely be the one you end up pursuing. Also join a club. A lot of people can be put off, thinking a club is only for the elite side of athletics, but its not.

You will be amazed to find so many like minded people with a wide range of abilities there. If it wasn’t for my club, there is no way I would be here right now. The social side and the friends I made through my club definitely kept me in the sport through the tough times.

It’s not always a straight line to success and unfortunately you don’t keep getting faster every single year. So, it’s important to have a club and the support of your club mates when things aren’t going your way. Find a club, try everything and enjoy it!

The post No fear: Interview with Eilish McColgan appeared first on Fast Running.

For any athlete it would be easy to get carried away with this form and place high expectations on oneself, especially when you’ve once been the fastest man in Europe over your distance.

However, Irish 400m athlete Gregan knows it hasn’t all been plain sailing up to now, and although quietly confident, he remains focused with his feet firmly on the ground as he goes through his final preparations ahead of the World Championships in London.

For Gregan it’s been four years without a personal best, but finally, after a lot of ups and downs he got to experience that joyous moment again running a 45.48 PB in Geneva at the start of this month. The time was also good enough to secure World Championship qualification.

That was the magic he and his team had long yearned for, and as the saying goes ‘good things come in pairs’, and they sure did. Less than two weeks later on a warm summer’s night, a packed Morton Stadium witnessed Gregan’s standout performance of 2017, as he smashed his personal best again running 45.26, over 0.20 quicker than in Geneva. “It was four years without a PB, so to come back and break it not once but twice was massive,” he said.

The July magic continued last weekend when Gregan retained his 400m Irish national title, winning in comfortable fashion in front of an adoring crowd. The Dublin native enjoyed the moment, but he knows this sort of form has long been expected of him, and although we commentators may get carried away with romantic headlines, he won’t allow himself to.

For Gregan all the achievements and accolades so far this year have been geared towards London, where he is ready to re-announce to the world, he’s back. “Last weekend was just ticking the boxes making sure I won the national championships,” says Gregan. When I was in London, I lived only a stones throw from the Olympic Stadium and seeing that stadium everyday I always had dreams of competing in it.”

Hey Mom….I just qualified for the World Championships!!! 45.48 in Switzerland today. . . . . #trackandfield #athletics #tracknation #track #400m #London #speed #PB

A post shared by Brian Gregan (@briangregan89) on Jul 1, 2017 at 11:35am PDT

Gregan’s experienced all the ups and downs imaginable for an athlete. A serious injury as a teenager, followed by national success at a young age, moving further afield in search of something more only to realise the grass isn’t always greener, self doubt, and then illness. It’s no wonder he thought about giving it all up, but through the difficult times, one man other than his family, has been there by his side, going through it all too, his coach and mentor John Shields.

Speaking about how he started in athletics and met Shields, Gregan said: “I first met John when I was 15. I was actually competing in the 400m hurdles at the Irish schools at the time. He was watching me hurdle and noticed I was sprinting and then stopping at the hurdle, but yet still fit to finish second, so he said to me, why don’t you just get rid of the hurdles?”

“That was it with the hurdles, and I then went on to win my first juvenile 400m title that year. Unfortunately I had a bad injury shortly after this, tearing my abductor and missed two full years of athletics. After I recovered from the injury I picked up the 400m again at junior level in school and haven’t looked back since.”

Fast forward to 2012 and an inform Gregan ran an Olympic B-standard of 45.61, but missed out on the Olympics Games in London because the Olympic Council of Ireland decided to only accept A-standards, even though other nations like Great Britian accepted athletes with B-standards, a difficult thing for any athlete to accept.

Putting that behind him, 2013 was Gregan’s best year up to that point, and at one stage he was ranked the number one indoor 400m athlete in Europe. He qualified for the World Championships in Moscow, making it into the semi-finals and followed that up with a fifth place finish at the World University Games.

Spurred on by this success and with ambitions of taking his craft to the next level, Gregan decided to change coach. At this stage he had been working with John Shields for eight years, but decided he needed a new approach and moved to John Coghlan. The following year was a decent year, but the change in coach and training hadn’t quite brought about the results Gregan had hoped for.

So, still in search of bringing his athletics career to new heights, Gregan decided to move away from familiar surrounding and headed to London, teaming up with Chris Zah and a new training group.

“The move didn’t quiet work out for me, and I kind of regret it a little bit. I still enjoyed the experience  but it just didn’t click with me. In fairness to the group over there, Chris Zah the coach and the set up was great, but I missed home and the medical backup I had in Ireland,” he explains.

After a year in London, Gregan moved back to Ireland and asked his former coach John Shields if he would coach him once more. “When I left he had taken it quiet badly. We had been working together for nearly eight years. It wasn’t an easy decision for me but I needed to try something different to go to the next level, ” he says. “When I returned John had really up-skilled himself as a coach, all self taught, I was amazed by his knowledge.”

Speaking further about teaming up with Shields again, he said: “I struggled at the start, but John’s been a mentor rather than a coach to me and he really kept me going through the tough times. The two of us have been through so much, we now know what works and doesn’t work and have a developed a good programme that suits both of us.”

After a few month’s finding his feet again it was Olympic year and like every top athlete Gregan had ambitions of making it to Rio, but at the beginning of that year Gregan was hit by another blow, picking up a mysterious virus while training in Florida.

“2016 was heartbreaking because it was the year of the Olympic Games. I’ve been to four world championships, two indoors and two outdoors but the one I haven’t been to is the big one. The one I’ve always wanted to go to,” he says, “but, I pushed myself like every athlete does, that little bit too much and unfortunately picked up a virus. I was in and out of hospital and unable to get any training in from the beginning of February until the end of July.

“This was very testing times for me and I really struggled. I definitely thought about giving it up. My family and friends were very good and Athletics Ireland too, but no one could figure out what it was. My bloods were ok, but if you took one look you knew I wasn’t fine. I was as white as a ghost and my resting heart rate was 20 beats above what it normally would be,” he explains. “When I went to training, John would just send me home because I was absolutely exhausted after five minutes of a warm up.

“The worst thing about it there wasn’t a timeline. If you pull a hamstring you know how many weeks you have to get back, but with this, I just had no idea. The deadline for the Olympics was coming up and I wasn’t even training. It was a difficult period for me and I didn’t know if I wanted to continue with the sport, but John in fairness has always been there and kept me going.

“Reflecting on it now, I would say sometimes you need the tough times to build character, you learn a lot in defeat and when things aren’t going well, more so than from victory.”

Gregan’s health eventually improved but by this stage it had taken its toll mentally and the motivation for the sport and training was dwindling.

However, something changed at the end of 2016. It wasn’t the next development in sports science or new training methods. It was simply go back to where it all began – the hurdles.

“I got fed up with it, ten years at the highest level of 400m took its toll.  I’d been to the World Championships and European Championships, and just needed a change. So this year, I said to John what about the hurdles? He thought it was a joke at first, but I said I needed to do something to get that motivation and love back for the sport. I’m one of those people who absolutely loves athletics, but its such a tough sport you need to enjoy it to progress,” he says.

“So we decided that we would just train for the hurdles all through the winter. Everyday we would come up and just throw a few hurdles out, do the drills and I was actually going pretty well. John was shocked, I had picked up the technique relatively quickly and I was starting to get a good stride pattern. Things looked pretty good with the hurdles and I was probably enjoying training more than I ever had, it was like being a child again and actually loving the sport for what it is.”

Gregan hugely benefited from the winter training, however a slight foot injury concerned him enough to put the hurdling on hold. Having recaptured the motivation and drive he had been seeking, it was time for the 400m again.

Now in the form of his life after a summer to remember, Gregan is primed to re-announce his return to the world of athletics, and what better place to do it than the World Championships in London. As an added incentive, the Irish athlete finally gets the chance to compete in the stadium he’s dreamed about from 2012. In a way, it will be somewhat of a homecoming for Gregan, as he returns to the city he once called home, and a stadium he once lived so close to.

The route taken to get this far, has been bumpy to say the least, but when he walks onto the London track, it will be the coach’s as much the athlete’s moment of glory.

The post Unfinished business in London for Gregan appeared first on Fast Running.

The medal upgrades follow the disqualification of the results of the original medallists after their sanction for anti-doping rule violations.

Britain’s Jessica Ennis-Hill will receive the heptathlon gold medal from the 2011 World Championships in Daegu.

Jo Pavey will receive a 10,000m bronze from the 2007 championships in Osaka. It will be her first ever World Championships medal, while the original bronze medallist, USA’s Kara Goucher will be promoted to silver.

Two time 400m world champion,Christine Ohuruogu, will receive two bronze and one promoted silver medal for the 4x400m from 2009, 2011 and 2013. Ohuruogu will become Great Britain’s most decorated ever female athlete.

The USA 4x400m women’s team will also receive gold for the 2013 Moscow World Championships..

In total, 11 individual athletes and five teams from across 11 events at four previous IAAF World Championships have accepted invitations to receive their reallocated medals in London.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe commented, “I’m delighted that the athletes are properly honoured for their achievements and what better way than in front of passionate athletics fans at a major championship. For those receiving gold medals their moment in London will be all the more special as they will hear their national anthem played. Whatever their nationality clean athletes worldwide will celebrate with them.”

The post Jessica Ennis-Hill among athletes to receive reallocated medals appeared first on Fast Running.

Although his rivals will have seen him in better shape, the eight-time Olympic Champion looks like he will be the one to beat going into a major championships.

Bolt started sluggishly before recovering to take the victory without overexerting too much energy, suggesting he still has more in the tank ahead of next month’s World Championships in London.

The Jamaican star looked a new athlete, compared to the one seen in Ostrava crossing the line in 10.06, last month.

After the race Bolt said: “It was good, I’m going into right direction, still a lot of work to do.

“I’m always here for the fans, and of course I will miss the vibe around the track. Mixed emotions always – happy for my career, sad that it is ending. Sub-10 is always good. It was an exciting race, lots of energy.”

USA’s Isiah Young finished second in 9.98, with Akani Simbine of South Africa in third place in 10.02. Britain’s CJ Ujah finished fourth in 10.02 as well, missing out on third place by hundredths of a second.

The post VIDEO: Usain Bolt runs his 50th sub-10 second race in Monaco appeared first on Fast Running.

In what is expected to be his last track races, World Champion Mo Farah, will aim to defend his 5000m and 10,000m titles in London, going for an unprecedented fourth straight world title in the 5000m, and a hat-trick of 10,000m world titles.

Scottish star Laura Muir has been confirmed for both the 1500m and 5,000m.

Also announced for two events at the World Championships is Katarina Johnson-Thompson. The British high jump recorder holder will compete in the heptathlon and high jump.

Despite withdrawing from the Anniversary Games in London due to injury, reigning long jump world champion Greg Rutherford has also been named in the 78 strong GB team.

Sprinter Adam Gemili misses out on a 200m place, but has been selected in the 4x100m relay squad.

British Athletics Performance Director, Neil Black said: “This feels bigger for us than Rio. London 2017 is the major global sporting event this year and will be the biggest occasion the country has seen since 2012. We’ve selected some incredibly talented athletes, and in many events there have been some close calls. It’s now up to them to grasp this opportunity and produce performances that will make the whole nation proud.”

In the men’s marathon, Andrew Davies has replaced the injured Robbie Simpson.

The Great Britian team for the 2017 IAAF World Championships:

MEN:
100m:
Reece Prescod (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
James Dasaolu (Lloyd Cowan)
CJ Ujah (Stuart McMillan)

200m:
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver)
Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)
Zharnel Hughes (Patrick Dawson)

400m:
Matt Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley)
Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan)
Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)

800m: 
Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg)
Guy Learmonth (Henry Gray)
Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg)

1500m:
Chris O’Hare (Terrence Mahon)
Josh Kerr (Joe Franklin)
Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman)

5000m: 
Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar)
Andrew Butchart (Derek Easton)

10,000m:
Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar)

3000m steeplechase:
Rob Mullett (Andrew and Amy Begley)
Zak Seddon (Jeff Seddon)

110m hurdles: 
Andrew Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist)
David King (James Hillier)
David Omoregie (Benke Blomkvist)

400m hurdles:
Jack Green (self-coached)

High Jump: 
Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan)

Long Jump: 
Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff)

Triple Jump:
Nathan Fox (Tosin Oke)

Hammer:
Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson)

Decathlon:
Ashley Bryant (Aston Moore)

20km Race Walk:
Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake)
Callum Wilkinson (Andi Drake)

50km Race Walk:
Dominic King (George Nibre)

Marathon Men:
Callum Hawkins (coach: Robert Hawkins)
Josh Griffiths (self-coached)
Andrew Davies (Steve Vernon)

4x100m relay:
CJ Ujah (Stuart McMillan)
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver)
Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)
Zharnel Hughes (Patrick Dawson)
Adam Gemili (Rana Reider)
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist)
Richard Kilty (Kevin Kilty)
Reece Prescod (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

4x400m relay:
Matt Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley)
Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan)
Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)
Delano Williams (Neil Harrison)
Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams)
Jack Green (self-coached)
Cameron Chalmers (James Hillier)

WOMEN:
100m:
Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)
Daryll Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)

200m:
Shannon Hylton (Ryan Freckleton)
Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan)
Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)

400m: 
Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna)
Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)
Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider)

800m:
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg)
Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow)
Lynsey Sharp (Terrence Mahon)

1500m:
Laura Muir (Andy Young)
Laura Weightman (Steve Cram)
Jessica Judd (Mick Judd)
Sarah McDonald (David Harmer)

5000m:
Steph Twell (Mick Woods)
Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan-Nuttall)
Laura Muir (Andy Young)

10,000m:
Beth Potter (Mick Woods)
Jessica Martin (Josep Carballude)
Charlotte Taylor (Helen Lehman-Winters)

3000m steeplechase:
Rosie Clarke (David Harmer)

100m hurdles:
Tiffany Porter (Jeff Porter)

400m hurdles:
Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)

High Jump:
Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin)

Pole Vault:
Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson)

Long Jump:
Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson)

Discus:
Jade Lally (Andrew Neal)

Hammer:
Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson)

Heptathlon:
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin)

20km Race Walk:
Gemma Bridge (Mark Wall)
Bethan Davies (Andi Drake)

Marathon Women:
Alyson Dixon (self-coached)
Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau)
Tracy Barlow (Nick Anderson)

4x100m relay:
Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)
Daryll Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)
Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)
Shannon Hylton (Ryan Frekleton)
Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan)
Corinne Humphreys (Darren Braithwaite)

4x400m:
Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna)
Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)
Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider)
Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)
Laviai Nielsen (Frank Adams)
Perri Shakes-Drayton (Chris Zah)

The post Great Britian team for World Championships announced appeared first on Fast Running.

The changes will give all athletes, and in particular stars South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk, and Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas. the opportunity of a 200m / 400m double.

The changes approved to the timetable of IAAF World Championships London 2017 (4 to 13 August) are as follows:

• Men’s 200m round 1 moved from day 5 (8 Aug) to day 4 (7 Aug)

• Women’s 200m round 1 moved from day 6 (9 Aug) to day 5 (8 Aug)

• Women’s 3000m steeplechase round 1 moved from day 5 (8 Aug) to day 6 (9 Aug)

IAAF President, Sebastian Coe commented: “This summer’s World Championships are close to my heart. 12 years ago London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. That decision led to the building of the Olympic Park and the stadium and a decision to keep the track after the Games. This in turn meant that London could bid for and host this summer’s championships. With just four months to go until competition begins, I look at the success story which is Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and am grateful to the LOC and so many other people for believing in and delivering this extraordinary legacy. I see a vibrant community space, the former athletes’ village redeveloped into housing and a series of world-class sporting venues being used by Londoners on a daily basis and hosting international sporting events. This was the dream we all had over a decade ago.

“I am also delighted that the Council today approved the 200m and 400m double. These double headers create great excitement among both athletes and fans.”

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