McCartney plays the waiting game
As Eliza McCartney plays a frustrating waiting game with a bruised heel ahead of the Diamond League finals, the Kiwi pole vaulter has consoled herself with some local wisdom at her base in Germany.
Speaking to Stuff from her training base in Leverkusen, McCartney said it remained touch and go whether she would be able to line up in the Diamond League finals in Zurich on August 30, with her participation hinging on the healing process in her foot.
‘‘Unfortunately it’s one of those injuries where you just have to wait and see,’’ McCartney said of the knock she picked up competing in the Birmingham Diamond League meet on August 18.
‘‘I could be better in a couple of days, and it could take longer. It’s just very bruised, and once the bruising goes I should be sweet .’’
After an MRI and X-ray both confirmed the contusion, but no bone damage, it has been a matter of rest, icing and waiting for the inflammation to recede.
‘‘I have learnt today in Germany they say ‘Abwarten und Tee trinken’ which means you just have to sit and drink tea,’’ said McCartney, in typically bright spirits. ‘‘Apparently that’s what I’ve got do – just play the waiting game.’’
The hitch so late in her campaign is hugely frustrating, especially after last year having to deal with a troubling Achilles injury that put the handbrake on her season.
‘‘I’ve been saying this whole season it would be successful if I can get to all my competitions injury free. I shot myself in the foot on that one,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s fortunate I’ve had such a successful season. It’s not the end of the world, a shame more than anything. But in the great scheme of things it’s just a minor blip.’’
McCartney has two events left on her calendar to bring the curtain down on a long season that required an early peak for the world indoors (fourth) and Commonwealth Games (second). The Diamond League finals are followed by the Continental Cup in Ostrava on September 8 and 9 where she and Tom Walsh will line up in the Asia Pacific team.
‘‘I’ve never done a Diamond League final and I’m hoping to still get there. It’s the experience of another big competition and there’s good prizemoney at that one.
‘‘I’m also excited about the Continental Cup. It sounds like a fun competition, and I’m really hoping I won’t miss out on that. It’s a couple of weeks away, so looking more likely.’’
Regardless of what plays out over the next few weeks, McCartney counts this northern season as a massive success after twice clearing over 4.90 metres and nailing the year’s second best vault, by just 1cm.
McCartney notched an Oceania record 4.92m in Mannheim, Germany, on June 23 and went even better in Jockgrim, Germany, on July 17 when she soared over 4.94m. Only American Sandi Morris, with 4.95m, has jumped higher in 2018, and only Morris and Russian great Yelena Isinbayeva have surpassed that mark all time.
That puts the 21-year-old Kiwi already in the midst of the greats of her sport, and still very much developing her craft.
‘‘I have jumped over 90 twice within a month. I am slowly working my way up there. It’s easy to have big expectations but to jump over 90 twice for the first time ever in one season is super exciting and shows I have some form of consistency at higher heights.
‘‘This season has proved I am technically improving a lot, and there’s more to come. It’s been awesome just proving to myself I can do this, I can go back to the longer runups and I can jump higher because it feels like for a long time I’ve had the potential to jump these heights, but having potential and actually doing it are two different things.
‘‘The season has been a success already, it’s just a bit annoying I only have two weeks left of my campaign and might have to sit them out.’’
McCartney will make a final call on Zurich by August 28 when she is due to fly out. Home is calling after a long season. She would just like to finish what she started first.
‘‘I have learnt in Germany they say ‘Abwarten und Tee trinken’ which means you just have to sit and drink tea. Apparently that’s what I’ve got do.’’ Eliza McCartney