Butchart sweating on Olympic place after impressive showing in Diamond League
Andy Butchart’s Olympic ambitions remain in the balance, it has been confirmed, less than a week before he due to step on the plane to Tokyo.
The 29-year-old indicated he is on track to peak at the perfect time by breaking his own Scottish 3,000 metres record at last night’s Diamond League leg in Gateshead.
Yet a UK Athletics investigation into disputed claims that the Rio 2016 finalist faked a Covid test in order to travel from overseas has still to conclude its findings, more than a fortnight since its probe began, leaving Butchart in limbo over whether he will lose his spot in the British team.
“It’s not been finalised yet,” he revealed. “I can’t talk about it yet, but I'm hopeful.
“Obviously I have regrets, but I can’t talk about it yet until it’s all finished.”
Freshly returned from training in France, Butchart has managed admirably to keep his mind on the job of gearing up for Tokyo and he surged on the last lap to take third place in 7:35.18, adrift of race victor Mohamed Katir, who set a Spanish record of 7:27.64.
“It can’t get much better than that,” Butchart admitted.
“Obviously I’d like to win the race, but I’ll take third place, a few scalps and a personal best.
“I’m ready for whatever comes. It’s going to be a challenge, but then every athlete has their challenges going to Tokyo. I’ve got my own issues.
“I’m confident. I’m healthy and I’ve got two weeks to finalise my preparations and then go and do the business.”
Jake Wightman descended to sea level from his French base at Font Romeu, but had a “stinker” in his last pre-tokyo tune-up with the Olympic 1,500m medal hopeful wavering to fourth place in the Emsley Carr Mile.
He was pummelled by his British rivals, with Elliot Giles holding off Jake Hayward to claim victory in 3:52.49 by just one-hundredth of a second. Wightman will now undertake an urgent review.
“It’s not the outcome I wanted at all,” said the 27-year-old.
“I should’ve won that and run quick but it’s just a big block of altitude that just hit me. I was just very heavy-legged.
“I think Font has just taken more out of me than I thought. Jake and Elliot ran well and they keep me on my toes.”
Nicole Yeargin’s Diamond League debut brought the Usbased Scot fifth place in the women’s 400m behind Jamaica's world medallist Stephenie Ann Mcpherson.
Beth Dobbin was fifth in the women’s 200m as reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson powered clear in 22.43 secs.
Zoey Clark was second to Tokyo 4x400m relay teammate Emily Diamond in the 400m B race, but the Aberdonian feels primed for Japan despite a lack of races.
“I maybe could have wound it up a little bit earlier,” the world medallist said.
“There's always stuff to learn, but I'm relatively happy. I'm just feeling it out again.”
Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-thompson insists she will be ready for the Olympics despite coming just eighth in the long jump in only her second competitive outing since rupturing her Achilles last December.
“The efforts felt good for me,” said the world heptathlon champion.
“The distance wasn’t there unfortunately, but it means I’ve got three weeks to know what I need to do and get into the best shape.”