Sunday, August 01 2010

Season of highs and lows of Lisa Dobriskey

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By George Scott

Ashford's Lisa Dobriskey has admitted her World Championship high came in a year that also included her lowest moment as an athlete.

The 25-year-old was one of the Team GB stars in Berlin as she claimed 1500m silver in the Olympiastadion to prove her Commonwealth Games gold in Melbourne three years earlier was no fluke.

Dobriskey’s display was all the more impressive after medics were ready to ‘write off her season’ following a scan on her thigh in May, which subsequently meant she was not fit enough to compete at the trials six weeks before the worlds. 

The Kent star paid tribute to her coach George Gandy after her speedy return came to a dramatic conclusion in Berlin – citing his positivity to bring her back from the brink in a year that also included a lower back problem in March. 

And while Dobriskey will look back on her Berlin heroics with pride, she believes bouncing back from her injury hell was the biggest achievement of 2009.

“The season started so badly and I really experienced the lowest point I've even had as an athlete,” said Dobriskey, who overcame a thigh stress fracture to win Commonwealth gold.

“The feelings I had there were pretty horrible and it's a really dark place to be. So to come out of the other side shows what a bit of hard work and determination can do.

“I haven't really sat down with my coach and spoke about the future since Berlin but we're trying to learn from everything I do because I never run a perfect race.

“I don't think it's possible to do so but you might as well nitpick along the way so we're looking back at the moment on what we can improve on and then we'll take the next steps in the winter.”

Next year could be even bigger for Dobriskey, who set a new personal best of 3:59.50minutes in late August, with the World Indoors, European Championships and the defence of her Commonwealth title all pencilled in to the calendar.

And with talk of Dobriskey breaking Dame Kelly Holmes’ British record, not to mention the 2012 Olympics also on the agenda, the Kent ace admitted she has started to think about what the future holds.

“I thought about London 2012 the other day because the hype that surrounded the World Championships only adds to the impact the Olympic will have,” she added.

“I also know there is another fast run in me and maybe in the next couple of years I can start thinking about the record and if it happens I'm not going to say no.

“But my coach (George Gandy) and I very much work by the philosophy of taking everything one step at a time so we're just looking at the winter.
“But next year it's the Europeans and Commonwealths, so fingers crossed for more medals.”

• Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to London 2012. LloydsTSB.com/London2012

Wednesday, October 28 2009