Power pleased with form heading into Olympics

NADIA Power has been encouraged by her form this year as she prepares to step out on to the Olympic Games stage in Tokyo.

The Templeogue woman, who will represent Ireland in the 800m on July 30, rocketed herself into position for a shot at selection to the squad thanks to a string of top international performances.

Indeed a superb 2021 indoor season that included an Irish 800m indoor record on her way to second place at the Vienna International and then victory in the IFAM Meet in Gent, was followed up with a very solid display at the European Indoors where she reached the semi finals.

“I was very happy with my indoor season” Power told The Echo. “I definitely put myself in a very good position to qualify for the Olympics from that, because I got good World ranking points from that.

“Outdoors, I knew I was in a good position for the Olympics, but we had to ensure I didn’t peak too early, so I probably wasn’t over the moon with my races so far this year. But they were more than enough to put me in a really comfortable position to qualify.

“Your ranking is based on five performances and your average points from them, so it takes into account your times in those races and the place in which you finish.

“In order to get good points it usually has to be a high-ranked international race like a Diamond League, a National Championship or a Continental Tour.

“I was lucky enough to get opportunities to compete in them and I was able to do well and that helped set me up.

“Indoor I came third in two Continetal Tour Gold meetings and that just put me in a really strong position coming into outdoors and it took the pressure off a little bit.

“Our goal was to peak for Tokyo rather than to peak just to qualify for Tokyo so it’s nice that I’ve set myself up to do that. Now hopefully I can just deliver it at the end of this month.”

For Power, qualification for the Summer Games has been made all the more special given the fact that she has not been competing on the senior circuit for a long period and, at times, doubted if she would ever get the opportunity to represent her country at the Olympics.

“When you’re young, the Olympics is a big dream, and then as you get older and you progress you realise it’s not that easy to get there” said Power. “It’s just so hard to make it even internationally.

“I definietly went through a good few years where I was like ‘Not a chance will I make the Olympics’ even though I was willing to put in all the time and training. I just thought ‘that will be too good to be true.’

“And now it’s so nice to know that it isn’t such a crazy dream. It actually can happen if you put in the work.”