Pavey: I might run until Tokyo 2020!
JO PAVEY IS 42 and will become Britain’s oldest female track athlete to compete at an Olympics when she runs in the 10,000 metres this evening but she is already looking ahead to Tokyo 2020. The mother of two, who has competed at every Games since Sydney 2000, said she will not be announcing her retirement yet. ‘I wouldn’t necessarily rule Tokyo out,’ said Pavey. ‘I’ll be very, very old in athletics terms so most people say it would be impossible but I’ll take it one stage at a time. ‘I’m still really enjoying my running. There are a lot of really talented girls coming through, so it isn’t a matter of just wanting to do it, I’d have to qualify.’ Pavey has experienced most of her finest successes in the twilight of her career although many of her early races were tarnished by drugs cheats. In the summer of 2014 she won a Commonwealth bronze medal in the 5,000m and days later clinched the first major title of her career in the 10,000m at the European Championships. This time however, husband and coach Gavin and her two young children, Jacob and Emily, aged six and two, have remained at home in Devon while Pavey is in Brazil. They decided security concerns and the Zika virus outweighed the benefits of travelling as a family. ‘It was a really tough decision,’ said Pavey. ‘Since I’ve had children we’ve always gone to the championships as a family and this is a very unusual situation for me. ‘I’m not used to being away. My husband is also my coach so it’s strange to be here without him as well but it’s important that my kids have their dad at home.’ Despite being almost two decades older than Britain’s other two 10,000m entrants — 24-year-old Beth Potter and Jess Andrews, 23 — Pavey said they all get on well and she enjoys the fun poked at her age. ‘I like all the banter about being old but at least I can use that experience,’ she said. ‘At my first Olympics I remember thinking all my dreams had come true. Never would I have thought I’d be talking about doing a fifth one so I feel very privileged.’ Just do not count her out for a sixth Games in four years’ time.