40 years on, this event is still the best place to hone skills

IT’S barely credible that 40 years have passed since I competed at the European Indoor Championships in San Sebastian. I have always been of the view that it is risky to remain insulated from the cut and thrust of red-blooded competition for too long. Then, Britain had only one indoor track, a temporary facility in an aircraft hangar at RAF Cosford in the West Midlands. The Europeans were the opportunity to compete in a worldclass facility.

At the latest edition in Glasgow there will be athletes with a myriad of reasons for being there. Some, like me all those years ago, will be using the event to understand more about international competition as they make their way through the ranks. Others will realise developing technical skills in the average European winter is something done better and more safely indoors. And like me, many will genuinely enjoy running indoors — the proximity of the crowds creates a unique atmosphere and an emotional connection between athlete and fan.

Navigating the tight bends and short straights of the 200metre circuit demands, particularly for younger athletes, the ability to think quicker and make decisions as events unfold far more rapidly than over 400m outdoors. Some this weekend, particularly in the sprints, will be physically better suited to compete over 60m than the taller guys and girls having the edge over 100m outdoors later in the season. And all, I hope, realise that to remain too long away from competition is never mentally good. Our current crop sometimes need reminders that training is what you do to compete well. It is not an end in itself. Some often take comfort in a bad performance by talking about how well training is going — a case of operation successful, patient died!

So, in Glasgow there will be a fascinating amalgam of anatomy, biomechanics and motivation, and that is why I always enjoy these occasions. Glasgow will be no different to San Sebastian four decades ago.