Athletics: Ultimate carrot for athletes

Jul 22 2007 Wales on Sunday

BRENDAN FOSTER believes the carrot of an Olympics on home soil can spark a British successgold rush in 2012.

The distance runner turned commentator, one of the key figures in British athletics for the last few decades, believes there can be no greater incentive to put in the required work.

“I’m really envious of the young lads,” said Foster, who won 10,000m bronze at Montreal in 1976. “I’d have loved to have competed at my Olympics.

“Imagine the feeling of running down the final straight with your people cheering you on – the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just thinking about it.

“As the 2012 Games are in London, desire shouldn’t be an issue. Winning an Olympic medal is special, but winning one in front of your home crowd would be something else

“British athletics is suffering from a bad time, but the 2012 Olympics are the biggest inspiration for any up-and-coming athlete.

“Any youngster worth their salt willould be doing all they can to win an Olympic medal in London – this is the chance of a lifetime.

“Assessing the state of British athletics now, you wonder where a medal will come from. But having observed athletics over the years, medals come from where you least expect them.

“Kelly Holmes was favourite to win the gold at the Atlanta Games in 1996, but she didn’t win Olympic gold until Athens eight years later. And you’d have got great odds on her winning a medal weeks before Athens – let alone her winning two golds.”

Costs, which have rocketed from an initial £2.4bn to £9.35bn, have attracted criticism, but Foster feels the expense is justified.

“Britain is such a knocking nation – everyone always looks at the negatives rather than the positives,” he said.

“Staging the Olympics is a fantastic thing for the UK, but obviously if, the manager of the Tate Gallery hasn’t got enough funding he’ll blame the Olympics – it’s an easy target.”

Foster is behind next Sunday’s Cardiff’s new 10km run.

“Hopefully our run can provide a stepping stone for success for a future Welsh Olympic champion,” said Foster.