Twell joins Davis and Hawkins in GB marathon line-up for Tokyo
Steph Twell has made it a hattrick of Scots bound for the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics after British selectors gave her the green light to prepare for her third Games.
The European and Commonwealth medallist, 31, was forced to skip last week’s trials in London due to injury. But, having run the 1500m at Beijing in 2008 and the 5000m at Rio 2016, Twell was chosen by UK Athletics ahead of club-mate Charlotte Purdue, despite running a slower qualifying time.
“I think, because I haven’t just had an out of the blue marathon performance – I can back it up with my half marathon and 10km – I think evidence does suggest my data points are probably more suited to the marathon and there’s more to come," said Twell, who is training in Arizona.
“I think that’s the exciting thing and that’s what I have just got to focus on. But it’s hard because I’m looking at both sides of story. I know exactly how other people are feeling. And other people later in summer will also be like this. It’s not an easy situation.”
Top-ranked Jess Piasecki was also given the nod to join Steph Davis in the threewoman line-up with the Glaswegian securing what will be her international debut with a brilliant victory in the trial in Kew Gardens.
The men’s trio was officially rubber stamped yesterday with the pre-selected Callum Hawkins set to link up with
Chris Thompson and Ben Connor.
Davis, 31, admits it has been a whirlwind seven days since completing her astonishing ascent from fun runner to Olympian inside three years.
Back at her admin job at an asset management company in London on Tuesday, she has had to rip up her plans for the summer to prepare for the race of a lifetime in Sapporo on August 7. As a teen at Glasgow’s Victoria Park Athletics
Club, she did 800m “but not very well.” And she admitted: “Marathon wasn't really a thing. It's always about the big Olympic Stadium, it being full, and watching the faster, shorter stuff. And particularly Kelly Holmes. She was a huge inspiration.”
Never spotlit among the Scottish teenage elite, Davis recalls the occasional meeting with potential Tokyo teammate Lynsey Sharp when they were coming through the
schoolgirl ranks. “And she always slaughtered me,” she recounts. “I would make it through the finals. But I was definitely always last and she was up there in the podium.”
Now Sharp and the likes of Eilish Mccolgan will know her name and may accompany her on the plane to Japan as part of a Tartan Army. “To see athletes like Eilish, Laura Muir, Steph Twell and Lynsey Sharp progress and make it is definitely an inspiration.” Davis add
ed. “Scottish athletes at the moment are doing really well.”
There have been floods of texts and social media messages since she cemented her Tokyo trip. Admiration from club runners who have lapped up her incredible journey from Saturday morning Parkruns with her training group at Clapham Chasers to the pinnacle of the sport. “It's been amazing to hear that I've been an inspiration to people,” she said.