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Jo Pavey strikes gold at 40 with mother of all victories in Zurich Jo Pavey strikes gold at 40 with mother of all victories in Zurich
(about 1 hour later)
There were ovations in the stands, whoops of joy from team-mates, and the sound of millions of crashing jaws across Europe as Britain’s Jo Pavey became the oldest ever woman to be crowned European champion with a brilliant, brave and spirit-lifting 10,000m victory. As Jo Pavey kicked for a final time, away from a French athlete 16 years her junior and towards the sweet jaws of history, the crowd at Zurich’s famous Letzigrund Stadium began to stand, applaud, acknowledge. They have seen many brilliant performances at the Weltklasse meetings down the years but few, surely, have been as spirit-elevating as watching Jo Pavey, a 40-year-old mother of two from Exeter, become the oldest woman to be crowned a European champion.
Pavey, who turns 41 next month, is a mother of two. Her youngest daughter, Emily, was born only 11 months ago. For so many years she has accumulated silvers and bronzes and near misses. Now, finally, she has her first taste of gold. Pavey, a four-time Olympian, has become used to valiant near-misses or wearing less expensive metals around her neck. Now, for the first time at a major championships, she has a taste of gold. But she had to plunge into the depths of her resolve to fend off Clémence Calvin after kicking for home before the bell.
But she had to do it the hard way, kicking for home just before the bell and holding off the attentions of the French athlete Clémence Calvin, who is 16 years her junior. Such was the thou-shalt-not-pass determination as Pavey clenched her teeth round the last lap that it was a minor wonder that she was able to smile so quickly afterwards. But then you saw her cuddling her daughter, Emily, born just 11 months ago, and her four-year-old son Jacob – the steely grit now replaced with a silky tenderness – and it all made sense.
“I just can’t believe it,” said Pavey. “I tried to do a controlled last lap because I didn’t want to blow up on the home straight. I didn’t know how close the other girls were, so I thought: just give it all you’ve got and you can’t regret anything.” “I can’t believe it,” said Pavey. “I tried to do a controlled last lap because I didn’t want to blow up on the home straight. I didn’t know how close the other girls were, so I thought ‘just give it all you’ve got and you can’t regret anything’.”
In the early stages she was up with the pace, in fourth or fifth, mindful of keeping out of danger in the second lane. When the pace finally flared up, with three laps to go, Pavey was in a breakaway of five, and she tracked the leaders smartly before timing her burst for the line perfectly to win in 32:22.39, a second clear of Calvin. Then, after a performance of stone, a moment of silk as she tenderly hugged her 11-month old baby Emily and her older son Jacob. Pavey’s back-story loses nothing in its retelling: she was still breastfeeding in April, has not attended any training camps, and was forced to do her speed work on a track in Yeovil, an hour’s drive away, because her local one is being resurfaced. Only 11 days ago she was fighting it out with some of the finest Kenya’s athletes to take bronze in the 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games.
“We just thought the stadium has got stuff around it so if Emily got upset my mum could take her out,” said Pavey. “We thought we would gamble on it. She believes that motherhood has given her perspective, rather than provided any physical advantages, but it has certainly had an effect. “People say ‘does having a baby make you stronger?’, but I think the disadvantages outweigh it,” said Pavey. “I got really unfit when I was pregnant and had to come back.
“It made me feel really emotional to have her watch it, it’s the first time she’s seen me run in a major championships.” “But I feel so happy in my personal life. Before my first child it concerned me that I hadn’t had a child. Now I’m fortunate to have two children, my running can just be what it is now.”
Pavey’s story loses nothing in its retelling: she was still breastfeeding in April. She has not attended any training camps and was forced to do her speed work on a track in Yeovil, an hour’s drive away, because her local one in Exeter is being resurfaced. In the early stages Pavey was up with the pace, mindful of keeping out of danger. But with no one pushing on, she was content to sit until three laps to go when an eruption of speed turned a pack of 15 into five. But she was always in control, tracking the leaders before striking to win in 32min 22.39sec, more than a second clear of Calvin.
Yet here she added another medal to the bronze in Glasgow a fortnight ago and two silvers, at the European Championships in Helsinki in 2012 and at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006. In between there have been trips up to the marathon, cross-country medals and numerous national titles. And Pavey, a four-time Olympian, has not ruled out competing in Rio in 2016 either. “I’m definitely still enjoying it,” said Pavey, who turns 41 next month. “And I’m fortunate that my running gives us more time together as a family rather than less.”
Meanwhile in the men’s 100m James Dasaolu showed enough in the first round of the 100m to suggest that he is fit and means business. Dasaolu won his heat in 10.22 sec – the slowest of the five heat winners – but he was easing down as early as 40m and appeared to be watching the clock for most of the race. In the first round of the men’s 100m James Dasaolu suggested that he is fit and means business by winning his heat in 10.22sec despite easing down after 40m. But Dasaolu faces stern competition from two Frenchman – the reigning champion Christophe Lemaître, who won his heat in 10.16, and the favourite Jimmy Vicaut, who coasted through in 10.06sec and claimed afterwards that he was in shape to run sub 9.9sec.
But Dasaolu faces a battle from two Frenchmen – the reigning champion Christophe Lemaitre, who won his heat in 10.16, and the favourite Jimmy Vicaut, who looked mightily impressive as he coasted through in 10.06sec and afterwards claimed he was in shape to go sub 9.9 sec. But a couple of other Englishmen, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Dwain Chambers, might yet have a say in proceedings too. Chambers, who first ran in Zurich in 1997 as a 19-year-old when he defeated Carl Lewis, expects the fast track and the rivalry between British and French sprinters, to lead to quick times in tonight’s semi-finals and final. Dwain Chambers, who first ran in Zurich in 1997 as a 19-year-old when he defeated Carl Lewis, hopes also to be in the reckoning after winning his heat. “I’m not one to dwell too much on how fast a track is, but you do really notice the difference,”he said.
“I’m not one to dwell too much on how fast a track is but you do really notice the difference,” he said. “And the rivalry that’s always been secretly between us and the French has sparked an enthusiasm to go out and compete really well. “And the rivalry that’s always been secretly between us and the French has sparked an enthusiasm to go out and compete really well.”
“It’s going to be a good race. You’ve got myself, Lemaitre, Jimmy, Dasaolu, Harry. It’s too close to call.” Another British victor, this time in the opening skirmishes of the women’s 400m, was the reigning world champion, Christine Ohuruogu, who ran a season’s-best 51.40sec. Not that Ohuruogu, is getting carried away. “There’s nothing really to be pleased about,” she insisted. “It’s a first-round race. The semi-finals are the one I’m worried about, not this.”
Another British victor, this time in the opening skirmishes of the women’s 400m, was the reigning world champion Christine Ohuruogu, who ran a season’s best 51.40sec. Not that Ohuruogu, the reigning world champion, is getting too carried away. “There’s nothing really to be pleased about,” she insisted. “It’s a first-round race. The semi-finals are the ones I’m worried about, not this.” But there were a few bum notes for British athletes on the opening day. Laura Muir, who was expected to be in the medal mix in the women’s 1500m, admitted she was “below par” after failing to make the final. Andrew Osagie and Michael Rimmer also failed to get out of their 800m heats after surprisingly underwhelming performances. Said Osagie: “This year has been the worst year I’ve ever had: on the track and off the track it’s been horrible.
But there were a few bum notes for British athletes on the opening day. Laura Muir, who was expected to be in the medal mix in the women’s 1500m, admitted she was “below par” after failing to make the final. Two more medal hopes in the men’s 800m, Andrew Osagie and Michael Rimmer, also failed to make the final after disappointing performances. Said Osagie: “This year has been the worst year I’ve ever had: on the track and off the track it’s been horrible. This is just another string to my awful season of a bow.” “This is just another string to my awful season of a bow.”