Clark and thousands of others left to wonder whether to train or move on... TRAPPED IN TOKYO LIMBO

with each other, there are countless solo sessions in a far less glamorous training venue than Florida on the horizon.

She is quick to recognise she is in a far better position than many of her fellow sportspeople though.

“I’m really fortunate that I have a gym in my garage so it means I can still lift weights,” she said.

“And being a runner, I’m more fortunate than athletes in other sports because we can find a field and run there. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable.

“As much as it’s frustrating for me, I know I’m way more fortunate than some other athletes in other sports who need facilities more than I do.

“It’s so hard to get your head around though because if the Olympics do go ahead as scheduled no one would have any competitions before it, so how do people qualify?

“And then when you do get there, no one will be race-ready so that in itself would be so difficult, knowing you’re going to the biggest competition of your life and not being as prepared for it as you need to be.”

However, ever the optimist, Clark is trying her best to look for any positives in this most difficult of times. Having suffered a touch of Achilles tendinopathy over the winter, Clark is doing her best to convince herself that this delay to the season could work in her favour.

“I’m trying to use what’s happening at the moment as a positive – I haven’t been doing the sessions I normally would at this time of year and so I’m trying to look at this as giving me the chance to get on top of this niggle,” she said.

“I need something to work towards – I find it really difficult to train without something to train for so that’s how I’m trying to look at this.”