OLYMPICS: Now Jo Pavey targets 5,000m (From Mid Devon Star)

OLYMPICS: Now Jo Pavey targets 5,000m

3:35pm Monday 6th August 2012 in Sport

JO PAVEY admits she is already itching to get a second taste of the London 2012 atmosphere after a stunning first foray into action on Friday.

Pavey rolled back the years again in the Olympic Stadium last week to knock more than 19 seconds off her 10,000m personal best in what was her fourth Games.

A time of 30m 53.20s was good enough for seventh overall and saw her end as the first European home and left her almost speechless at the power of the home crowd factor.

Having tasted the Olympic atmosphere on three occasions that was nothing new to Pavey, however, the partisan home support has left her desperate to get back onto the track.

The 38-year-old will be back in action in the 5,000m in tomorrow morning’s heats (Tuesday) and said: “Obviously in theory you would like to get a medal but in a field like that it was always going to be tough and we ran massive personal bests and it was an amazing experience.

“The crowd was just amazing and I really enjoyed it.

“I’ll be back in the 5,000m and I can’t wait for that now. It is obviously nice just to have one opportunity at a home Olympics but to have two is really awesome.

“I can’t believe that I have had this opportunity this late in my career and what a great opportunity.

“Fortunately I qualified on the track because to run on there was just such an amazing feeling.

“Running around the track the cheers were following me around. I didn’t think I would be setting personal bests this late in my career definitely not.”

And Pavey admitted she was just as pleased with her fastest time ever as she was with the unique experience a home Games offered up.

“Going to a home Games, not many people get their chance in their career. Getting cheered when I walked out to the stadium is something I have never experienced before,” she added.

“The Africans have taken the distance races to such a high level and to be the first two Europeans you can’t ask for more than that.

“I would have loved to have been up there challenging for a medal but I can’t be disappointed - I got a massive personal best.

“I always wanted to go under 31 minutes before I ended my career and to do that at a home Olympics I am really, really chuffed.”

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