JO PAVEY : SUPERMUM !

Oh  Jo Pavey, you lovely girl !

I've been watching Jo Pavey compete as an athlete for England and Great Britain for decades. She's always been one of those who tried her hardest and was very good, but without being quite good enough to win major championships. A few silver and bronze medals and some very good times, but never the gold. Yesterday, everything changed.

A couple of weeks ago, Jo took part in the Commonwealth Games and won a brilliant bronze medal at 5,000 metres, being beaten only by 2 renowned Kenyan runners. In itself, this performance was good, but it becomes remarkable when realising that Jo is a women approaching 41 years of age and who gave birth to her second child only 10 months earlier. The manner of her success was also new, with Jo producing a storming finish to outlast one and nearly catch a second Kenyan.

Following on form that success, Jo was entered in both the 10,000 and 5,000 metres at the European Championships in Zurich and one German newspaper named her as 'one to watch'. How right they were ! Up first, the 10,000 metres was a relatively slow run race and the runners were bunched for much of the time. Jo stayed back and ran wide for long spells before moving up in the last 3 or 4 laps and staying with the leading group as it gradually pulled clear. With 3 laps to go, 5 were still in contention and by the bell for the last lap it was 3. Now Jo strode passed her French challenger, Calvin, and headed off for the tape. Every time Calvin closed up, Jo kicked away and, quite magnificently, she stormed clear on the home straight to win GOLD for the first time.

No competitor in recent times has ever deserved victory more than Jo yesterday. She always gives 100% every time she competes and she's been a wonderful stalwart of British athletics for nearly 20 years. She's now one of the best ever over-40 runners in the history of modern athletics and one wonders how long she will continue. With her getting better and better as the years pass, might we even see her at the Rio Olympics in 2016 ? On yesterday's form, there's no reason why not.

Not only is Jo a great athlete but, on the evidence of her television interviews and what everyone who knows her says, she's also a truly lovely person. Overall, she really is a SUPERMUM !