![]() At the end of the day if I come away with a huge PB I’ll know I did everything I could. ![]() “I hope to come away from the Olympics with a really big (personal best), and to get to the final that might be necessary. “First and foremost I want to try and make that final, that’s the first goal,” Markovc said. Her goals in Tokyo are is a little more modest. Markovc isn’t considered an Olympic medal contender. It helps going forward because I trust myself more in the really hard workouts as well as in races.” Within that stressful environment I produced a really good race when it counted, I was able to trust my instincts and strength and training. “Especially with COVID, it’s so much more different and complicated, it’s not the same atmosphere at races. ”I think winning that race did wonders for my confidence because I competed when I needed to under pressure,” Markovc said. The 2020-21 season has been a big breakthrough for Markovc, punctuated by her victory in the 3,000 at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in March. On the other hand, Markovc may not be an Olympian if not for the pandemic. She’s also there on her own as no fans are allowed to attend the events or travel with the athletes. Therefore, Markovc won’t be taking part in the opening or closing ceremonies. Athletes are allowed to enter the Olympic Village three days before their event, then must leave the country within 48 hours of the completion of their event. Instead of going straight to the Olympic Village the British team is instead being housed at a holding camp in Yokohama, located about an hour south of Tokyo. “My hands were shaking.”īecause of the coronavirus, Markovc’s Olympic experience will be different from normal. “Honestly, I think I was just in shock,” Markovc said about receiving the good news. Olympic Team Trials also taking place at that time, it seemed doubtful the organization would prioritize ratifying a time for a British athlete.īut USA Track & Field came through, and Markovc found out the night of June 28 that she had been selected as one of the three British women to compete in the Olympic 5,000. The problem was that the time needed to be ratified by USA Track & Field because the race was in Boston. ![]() “In that moment it was kind of crushing.”īut Markovc’s team didn’t give up, as her coaches and agent frantically worked the phones to try and get her time in Boston ratified. “I crossed the line and thought, ‘I’m not going,’” Markovc said. Her time in the race was 15 minutes, 10.54 seconds, just a half-second short of the qualifying standard. She crossed the finish line in second place, which would have automatically earned her a berth to the Olympics if she had a qualifying time. Nevertheless, she went to the front right from the gun and led for 90% of the race. When the day of the race arrived, Markovc found herself faced with windy conditions that were not ideal for recording a good time. The next 24 hours I was trying to calm my nerves and commit to a new race plan.” But after that I knew I had to lead the race wire to wire, and I knew it was going to be a difficult task because my main competition had great kicks. “I had been so looking forward to just going to the trials to race and compete and not have to worry about time. “It was a rush of emotions,” Markovc said. However, two days before the race she received a call from British Athletics telling her that her qualifying time was not being recognized because the track had cones placed on the inside edge of the track instead of bricks. Markovc headed to the British Athletics Championships on June 27 thinking she just needed to finish in the top two to earn an Olympic berth, since she had run an Olympic qualifying time at a race in May in Boston. “And she has a lot of passion for the sport and a lot of drive.”īut Markovc almost missed out on her Olympic dream because, of all things, cones. “I’m very proud of her (reaching the Olympics), but not the least surprised, given the level of her talent and her incredible work ethic,” Parker added. The varsity girls used to pace the kids, and we had a good girls team. “There’s a Great Pumpkin elementary race for first through sixth grades, and she was running it for the first time. “The first time I became aware of her was when she was in fifth grade,” former Glacier Peak cross country coach Dan Parker recalled.
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