Podcast #65: Four Olympic debutants on being part of Team GB in Paris
In the latest episode of the England Athletics Podcast, four Olympic debutants describe what it means to be part of Team GB at Paris 2024.
European 400m silver medallist Charlie Dobson is pleasantly surprised by his progression after running a personal best of 44.23 seconds at the recent London Diamond League meeting. The time is faster than the old European record, which stood from 1987 until last year. It has since been broken by world silver medallist Matt Hudson-Smith - who is also in Paris - and now stands at 43.74.
Charlotte Purdue - who competed for Team England at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 - is delighted to finally have an Olympic opportunity in the marathon. She talks about staying positive amid injuries and other setbacks and what it means to finally achieve her dream.
Commonwealth heptathlon bronze medallist Jade O'Dowda is full of confidence after a personal best of 6314 points at the recent European Athletics Championships put her sixth on the UK all-time list. O'Dowda recalls how she achieved four-consecutive third-time clearances in the high jump in Rome.
World and European medallist Alex Haydock-Wilson discusses the importance of Olympians supporting their clubs and what it means to compete as a team in athletics, including with his brothers Max and Jamie. Alex is part of the squads for the men's and mixed 4x400m relays in Paris.
The episode can be listened to in full on Spotify, as well as Soundcloud and Apple Podcasts.