CHENNAI: Dafne Schippers was preparing for a loaded 2020. After medalling at every World Championships since 2013, the sprinter did not manage to enter the final of the 100m at Doha last year. With several generational women's sprinters, she knew hard work was going to be the only way towards a podium place in Tokyo (she had won silver in the 200m in Brazil). All that work was shelved as the coronavirus pandemic raged through Europe in March and April. With her training halted for close to two months, she had to run in the forest to just keep herself fit. In a chat with this daily, the Dutch woman spoke about that experience, what running would be like without fans and whether she is okay to compete without a vaccine. Excerpts:
How tough has this period been for you?
It was far from ideal. I was lucky to be sponsored by a fitness equipment company, so they helped me out with relevant products very quickly. In that way, I was able to at least do my weight training sessions as usual. Running, on the other hand, was a little more challenging. We had to run in the forests because there were no accommodation or track open for anyone in the Netherlands. Of course, you can do some forms of running in the woods, but with an uneven wobbly surface, you cannot do your usual sprint training sessions. After a while, it became risky because you could pick up injuries. So I was really happy that our training centre (Papendal) reopened and we can continue where we left off.
Now that you have resumed training outdoors, how did the first few days feel like?
It was a bit weird, yes, but you get used to the track quite quickly again. In the end, it was not that long that we weren’t allowed to train on the track. It was two months or so.
How did the postponement of the Olympics affect your preparations?
Normally, I would have to be ready for outdoor races now. We were planning on starting the season end of May. With the Diamond League meets and several others, my schedule would have been packed by now, with a lot of travelling and races and trying to grow into the season. I hope the renewed season will take place by August, but nobody knows for sure. So this all means the focus has shifted. There still will be an Olympics so there is still that moment to focus on. The main difference is that we have some more time to work on the details.
Athletes have complained of a lack of motivation because of a lack of short term goals. Have you also suffered from something similar?
I can imagine that athletes say things like that. There is still a goal in 2021 with the Olympics, but I believe you can give that little extra if you know that you have to be at your best in the short term. Now there is less urgency and also racing without the public would be a thing. I need to hear the crowd, to feel the atmosphere and some extra pressure to perform at my best. But I wonder if that's going to happen in the short term.
How comfortable are you with racing in the Diamond League this year?
Without a vaccine, it may not be a 100% foolproof... I'm always very careful. I will be extra careful if there are more people around. When the Diamond League is ready, everything will be done and organised with utmost care. Nobody wants to take the risk of new outbreaks and if careers can be ruined by spreading the virus... I expect there will be extra attention and care. If that is the case and preparations are done carefully, I would be okay to race again.