Great Britain’s Jo Pavey aiming for fifth Olympic medal

Team GB’s European 10,000m champion Jo Pavery is aiming to go for gold once again, with a fifth Olympic medal, after performing a dramatic u-turn by reversing her decision to retire.

Pavey shocked the athletics world to claim gold at the recent European Championships this summer, and if she performs in Rio in two years’ time, she will be 43; however, she is just concentrating on doing the best she possibly can.

“I would just love to run in my fifth Olympics at Rio in 2016, and hopefully perform well,” Pavey said. “I’ve definitely surprised myself. I didn’t expect to win any medals – I was breastfeeding at the start of April.”

“People ask if I would like to do the marathon and I would like to run another one in the next couple of years but ideally I’d run on the track, if selected,” she continued.

“Next year I’d like to qualify for the World Championships in Beijing in the 5,000m or 10,000m, and my long-term thoughts are getting to Rio.

“To be honest, at the start of the season, I thought maybe I would be retired this year. I wondered if I might scrape into the team, and I’m really thrilled that I’m more competitive than I thought I’d be.

“I’m too busy to worry about it. I’ve got a better work-life balance,” added the Devon-based athlete. “I got to the stage where I wasn’t enjoying running, and I desperately wanted to be a mum.”

Mother of two Pavey gave birth to second child Emily earlier this year, though is now focused on her career again, with first the World Championships, and then the Olympics in mind.

“Now I don’t dwell on things before or after. Being older helps with those years of experience. I’m enjoying myself, keeping busy and it’s made me more competitive.”

“They were both in the stadium in Zurich when I won my European gold medal, ” she said. “My little boy has watched me at the Olympics but my daughter hadn’t seen me compete live. I always go for a medal, but it’s one step at the time.”