A Day With: British runner Liz McColgan

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  • Sharing her views: Miz McColgan.

    Almaz Ayana’s record-shattering 10,000m run has provided one of the Rio Olympics’ most-contentious talking points.

    Few people are better placed to discuss the merit of the Ethiopian’s gold medal, won with a time which shattered the 23-year-old figure set by alleged doper Wang Junxia of China, than Liz McColgan. The Scottish athlete stood atop of the podium for the race at the 1991 World Championships and claimed silver at the Seoul Games in 1988.

    The 52-year-old Doha-resident has applied this experience gained as both a competitor and coach for beIN Sports, where she can now be found in the confines of the television studio analysing the latest events from Brazil.

    You made your name in the 10,000m. What did you make of the Rio 2016 event won in record-shattering fashion by Almaz Ayana?

    I never thought I would ever see the Chinese record (set in 1993 by Junxia, who Chinese media revealed earlier this year was part of a state-sponsored doping regime) broken in my lifetime.

    We all know the athletes who broke it were involved in doping. So for us to get someone who not only breaks it but absolutely shatters it, it makes you stand back and say ‘wow’.

    I believe if a country is not following proper doping procedures, then any world record set by an athlete from that country should not be ratified. I personally think they do not follow the procedures, so the record should not be ratified.

    There is not proper doping control there (Ethiopia). They get tested within competition, but very few people get caught then. If you are not following what everyone else is expected to, then I feel strongly that athletes from those countries should not be allowed to compete.

    Did you think Ayana’s run was too good to be true?

    This is the sad state of affairs we are in now, because of the lack of transparency. Whenever a good performance appears like Ayana’s, the fingers start pointing. It kind of ruins what our sport is about. Everybody has questioned it and, probably, quite rightly. Ethiopia do not have stringent doping controls.

    What did you make of Mo Farah’s dramatic win in the men’s race?

    I had seen a few sessions Mo had done when I’ve been training my daughter (Eilish) and I knew he would be really difficult to beat. But I thought the Kenyans would have put up more of a fight. Being the champion he is, not many people can match his last-lap kick. To fall and get back in the race without panicking showed the champion Mo Farah is.

    Great Britain has a history of great long-distance runners. Where does Farah rank?

    He is the best. I also believe he is the best 10,000m runner ever, with his race tactics and types of races he has had. I put him right up there.

    There has been some questioning of his coach Alberto Salazar’s methods. Where do you sit with this?

    I don’t agree with the training methods his coach uses. I don’t believe Mo has been involved in anything untoward, because I’ve seen what he does and the progression he has made. His coach pushes the boundaries. Nothing has been proven, but Mo works really hard – that is what I believe.

    To talk about your experience winning silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, what do you remember?

    My memories of Seoul are of a big disappointment. I trained really hard, probably over-trained going into the race. I was very disappointed with the silver and didn’t really appreciate it until I saw Paula Radcliffe at Atlanta 1996 (the legendary British endurance runner only finished fifth in the 5,000m).

    When I won my medal, I felt I had let everybody down. I was really, really disappointed. It is the only medal and only championship I came away from with that feeling.

    With all the revelations about doping in Russia, do you look back to Olga Bondarenko beating you and think any foul play might have happened?

    No, it was out of my hands. When Olga was competing against me, she was employed by the (Soviet Union’s) army. It was very much a government-driven training program back then and what we have realised now is that many of these athletes were forced into taking drugs. She beat me on the day and I thought I was good enough to beat her.

    We can sit and say ‘what if’ but it doesn’t make any difference to me. Hopefully in the future, a lot of girls won’t have to deal with what a lot of us dealt with back then.

    How have you found your stint as a pundit for beIN Sports during the current Olympics?

    It has been interesting and certainly different. I am very much an endurance girl, but I have really enjoyed the field events.

    I have analysed events I never normally would look at and get involved in. It has been quite an education and good fun. I can talk athletics until I am blue in the face, so hopefully people have enjoyed the expertise I bring to the table.

    You have been based in Qatar for the last three years with Doha Athletics Club. Can you tell me what that is like?

    It is quite difficult and it is not an easy country to try and do what I am doing. It is a challenge and I am trying my best to establish a club so that children here in Qatar have a chance to exercise, get healthy, get active and hopefully, at the same time, discover a few gems that we can help turn into international athletes. It is a good opportunity for me.

    The 2019 World Championships in Athletics are to be held in Doha. How important is that?

    I am hoping that after the Olympics there is a little bit more interest shown. If you are hosting an event like that, investment has to follow. Hopefully, that is the next phase for Qatar and hopefully a big push is made to make athletics exciting and acceptable to the people of Doha.

    McColgan is one of beIN Sport’s pundits for their comprehensive coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympics. beIN also offers blockbuster movies, stunning entertainment and the best sports events throughout the year. Visit www.beinsports.com for more information.

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