The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
GB captain urges team to control emotions in bid for world glory
Great Britain captain stresses the need to control emotions at London games
British Athletics captain Eilidh Doyle has urged her team-mates not to freeze at the World Championships.
The 30-year-old Pitreavie runner wants the squad to savour the occasion of a home championships in London, which starts today.
British Athletics has a medal target of between six to eight, with Sir Mo Farah, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Laura Muir and Andrew Pozzi the best hopes.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Doyle reached the semi-finals of the 400 metre hurdles, running 56.02 seconds, but did not enjoy the games.
She admitted she felt overwhelmed and used her captain’s speech during the training camp in Paris last week to underline the need for the squad to control their emotions.
“I drew on my experience from London 2012 which wasn’t a brilliant one. It was quite overwhelming and I didn’t perform very well,” said Doyle.
“I then compared that to the best experience I’ve had at the Commonwealth Games (in Glasgow in 2014 when she won 400m hurdles silver) and being able to do a lap of honour in front of a home crowd.
“It showed the importance of using the home crowd and not letting it overwhelm you. It was very honest.
“I’m very lucky I’ve got to go to a home Olympics, a home Commonwealth Games and now a home World Championships. We’re thriving on the fact we’re back at the Olympic Stadium. I’ve got a second chance to compete and it’s going to be such an amazing atmosphere.”
Farah, who has been dogged by allegations of doping, begins his quest in the 10,000m tonight with strong backing from British Athletics performance director Neil Black.
Farah’s coach Alberto Salazar is reportedly not attending the showpiece event as he continues to be under investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency.
Last month hackers Fancy Bears released documents they claimed were from the sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The collective released a tranche of documents and emails on its website, claiming it wanted “to show the scale of doping violations in track and field” and shine a light on flaws in the current doping measures.
The IAAF later apologised to the athletes involved, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Farah.
The 34-year-old is aiming to defend his world 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres titles again after double triumphs in Moscow and Beijing.
“Of course you look people in the eye, we all do it, and you have to work out and ask the question, ‘Do I believe there is anything that suggests otherwise?’ There is nothing at all that suggests otherwise to me,” Black said.
“I understand if you read information and if you talk to people, it is very easy for people to fall into the trap of seeking fault and blame, talking negatively and building this picture. It seems to be a natural human trait that we all do, we make something into something else.
“It is important the only person who can answer why he is not here is Alberto. It concerns me things get leaked, it concerns me things can be and are written in a way which can make things appear bad.
“There was nothing in the leaked report which was a surprise or a shock to me personally.”
Black dismissed the significance of Salazar’s absence and insisted it will not affect Farah. He said: “The thing which is so special about Mo is he doesn’t need any of us.
“He can do it himself but he enjoys the fact people support him, want to work with him and give him direction.
“He does take on board what everybody says but at the end he makes the decisions. That’s what makes him a special, multiple global champion.”
Farah will end his track career at the Diamond League final in Zurich later this month as he looks to focus on the marathon having also won 10 world and European titles.
The men’s 100m heats also get under way tonight with Reece Prescod, James Dasolu and CJ Ujah representing Britain.
Muir is joined in the first round of 1,500m qualifying by Laura Weightman, Jessica Judd and Sarah McDonald.
Dina Asher-Smith has recovered from a broken foot she suffered in February to make the GB squad and will race in the women’s 100m and 4x100m relay.