Olympic hopefuls should 'write off 2020 and stop training' says Kelly Sotherton
Britain’s top athletes should halt training and write off this entire year rather than risk injury by rushing back to competition, says three-time Olympic medallist Kelly Sotherton.
Athletes were given clearance to resume one-to-one training with coaches a fortnight ago and there remains hope that major national and international competitions can be held this year.
The British Championships are scheduled for Aug 8-9, while the Gateshead Grand Prix is one of 11 Diamond League meets planned from mid-August to mid-October.
Sotherton says she would recommend athletes do not even attempt competing this year.
“You have seen with the Bundesliga, there were eight injuries in six games [in the first weekend after the league resumed],” she said.
“I know it is slightly different. However, you don’t want athletes, or your best ones, to try to compete. What are you gaining?
“There is nothing you can do this year. You cannot win anything. You cannot gain anything. You are better off resting. You have ticked by for three months. Rest.
“Then start maybe in June/July and have a bigger, longer and slower winter. And come out indoors [at the start of 2021], if there will be an indoors season. Or when you can get out of this country, fly to the United States or somewhere else for warmer weather for the winter.
“If I was competing, I’d think: ‘What have I got to gain from this year?’ The risk of injury is higher and I would hate for anyone to compete in September with a lot less training than they would normally do and hurt themselves in the year before an Olympic Games. That would be devastating.”
UK Athletics has admitted the cancellation of the Anniversary Games – its biggest moneymaking event – will have a “significant financial impact”, with estimates of up to a £3 million loss. A quarter of head office staff have been furloughed.
Sotherton, who is Team England’s athletics leader for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, says the financial impact of coronavirus could put athletics back 20 years in Britain.
“With regards to furlough – are their staff able to come back?” she said. “Will we be in a reduced-sized sport? How will the funding from UK Sport support the sport for an extra year out of the cycle? How will that affect the next three-year cycle on the road to Paris [2024 Olympics]?
“And what happens if there is no Olympic Games next year? What’s the plan for that? How do we deal with that funding crisis? Will commercial entities be interested and supporting Olympic sports even though there has been no Olympics?
“We could be in trouble. It means it might take us back 20 years and we have to start again. All sports will suffer. And I don’t think it will be short-term.”
The Tokyo Olympics delay has caused the World Championships to be pushed back to 2022 into a summer that already contains the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.
Sotherton admits that move will impact the athletics team she is able to select for the Commonwealth Games, but she hopes the likes of world champions Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson will compete in some capacity.
“It is a home Games. It should be a priority because your profile will be massive, everyone will want to know who you are and you will gain new fans,” Sotherton said.
“With KJT, I cannot see her doing a heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games if she is doing the worlds. But she might come and do a long jump or high jump.
“In the same way, maybe Dina might come and do a single event. I would love all of the stars to be part of the Games so all the fans can see them.”
