AUSTRALIAN distance runner Craig Mottram is refusing to give up his dream of competing at the world championships in August. Mottram has not raced since November because of achilles tendon problems, prompting coach Chris Wardlaw to all but rule out his chances of being on the start-line for the 5000m at the world titles in Berlin. But after being largely pain-free in training for the past two months, Mottram, 30, remains determined to do everything possible to force his way on to the Australian team.The 2005 world championships bronze medallist and 2006 Commonwealth Games runner-up would have to at least better the 5000m B qualifying standard of 13min 29sec by the cut-off date on July 19.
"I haven't given up on it, without a doubt," Mottram said. "I've had a long six months . . . but there's still enough time and the selectors have given me flexibility right up until the last minute and I intend to take every one one of those minutes before I make a decision. Like every athlete, I have to meet the standards and follow the rules and guidelines and I intend to do that. And if I don't make it, it won't be through lack of trying."
The bullish approach was at odds with that of Wardlaw, who took over as Mottram's coach early this year following the post-Beijing split with his long-time mentor Nic Bideau. Wardlaw said they were taking a long-term view to his running career.
"You never say never, but basically we've accepted that we're not going to rush him," Wardlaw said. "Obviously he would love to have run in Berlin. But once a decision was taken to really get his achilles right and do it properly, he's gone back to a quite deep strengthening program to make sure he's right for a number of years rather than the next few weeks."
Mottram said the worst thing you could do with an achilles is "force it to do something it's not ready to do". "I'm not going to make that mistake. So if in a few weeks from now it's not 100 per cent, then I won't take the risk," Mottram said.
"But I'm optimistic and hopeful that I've turned the corner and I'll get back to being pretty fit pretty quickly."
News courtesy of heraldsun
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