CHRIS O’HARE watched London 2012 with itchy feet, believing he should have been on the track rather than in the stands, writes Mark Woods.
It’s been four years of frustration. Of pain. Of planning. But the Boston-based Scot insists his Olympic debut next month will mean nothing if he ends up as a sorry spectator once more when the 1500 metres medals are up for grabs.
Twice a European Championships medallist, the 25-year-old has steadily transformed himself with grit and graft, undergoing a radical makeover from the raw teenager who opted to decamp for the States in a bid to take on the world.
“I’ve matured a lot since 2012,” he said. “It’s not so much now that I’m going to be an Olympian. It doesn’t have the same novelty because I’ve done every other major championship.
“Obviously, it holds more weight than those but it’s more about making sure I get to the final and perform rather than just being happy being there.”
It has meant prolonging his American adventure, to work under distance-running guru Terrence Mahon at his base at Harvard University, mixing with the future titans of the USA while attempting to engineer his own graduation into the elite.
“They’re actually a pretty cool bunch,” he said. “The guys at the athletics club work hard. They’re just really brainy too.”
O’Hare has plenty smarts of his own. At last year’s World Championships in Beijing, he found himself bundled out in the semi-finals, the victim of a self-inflicted tactical miscue. It is an error he does not plan to repeat, with his outings this summer on the international circuit designed as preparation for the dogfight that will likely ensue on the last lap in Brazil.
His London rehearsal pits him against the likes of Kenya’s Vincent Kibet and Silas Kiplagat in the historic Emsley Carr Mile.
It is an ideal close to the fake wars before the true battles commence.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here