On Sunday in Tokyo (Japan), at the World Athletics Championships, the best Lithuanian middle-distance runner Gabija Galvydytė continued her performance. Today the athlete started in the 1500 m semi-finals, where she gave all her strength, but it was not enough to get to the final. The distance in 4 minutes 01.79 seconds. After overcoming, the athlete remained eighth in her semi-final run, and took the 16th position in the final standings of the championship.
14 participants made it to the final – six from each semi-final and the German Nele Wesel and the Portuguese Salome Afonso. The first semi-final, in which G. Galvydytė competed, was faster, and to get to the final it was necessary to run in less than 4 minutes 01.30 seconds.
Only at the beginning of the match did the Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu fall in front of G. Galvydytė’s eyes. This episode knocked the Lithuanian woman off track a bit: “She was knocked out because I was running and she [started falling] right on me. I had to catch myself quickly, because I couldn’t afford to fall.”
On Saturday, in the 1500 m qualifiers, G. Galvydytė covered the distance in 4 minutes 02.81 seconds. and finished fifth in her run. A powerful spurt on the finish line opened the door to the semi-finals. When asked to compare yesterday’s and today’s runs, the athlete said that she gave all her strength: “It was a different run, because there was a fall, so I had to collect myself. Definitely more excitement, faster running. It’s definitely harder today. I am satisfied, I gave everything I could. I couldn’t do anything else.”
The world record holder Faith Kipyegon , who won the first semi-final, covered the distance in 4 minutes 00.34 seconds, while her compatriot Nelly Chepchirchir who triumphed in the second semi-final spent 4 minutes 06.86 seconds on the track. “My run was much more difficult. I didn’t want to look at [the list of participants] myself. My coach looked at me and I understood from him that it was a very strong run. I wanted to get to the final, maybe I would have succeeded, but there was a strong run and I missed it,” said G. Galvydytė.
The Lithuanian, who is participating in the second World Championships, is not yet finishing her performance, as she will be waiting for the 800 m qualification run on Thursday. We remind you that the athlete entered the championship with the norms of 800 m and 1500 m races.
“To gather emotions, because now it is unfortunate and painful. I wanted more, so you need to calm down and concentrate for the 800 m race. It wasn’t good [to rest], but I think it’s difficult for all high-level athletes to concentrate after the start. Especially when the start is so late. Emotions, adrenaline – it takes time to get a quiet rest. I’m going to spend time with my family. I really want to escape from all the hustle and bustle and take time for myself,” G. Galvydytė said about the recovery after the competition and the time after the championship.
G. Galvydytė, who broke Lithuania’s 800 m, 1500 m and one-mile indoor records this year, made her debut at the Olympic Games last year, and now she sees herself as a more mature and confident person: “I definitely have more confidence in myself because I realized that I can run with the fastest runners in the world. A year ago I was more of a coward, but now I feel like a stronger person.”
Lithuania is represented by 11 track and field athletes at the World Championships. The Planet Championships in the Far East take place on September 13-21, and the competition is broadcast live by LRT and the portal Eurovision Sport.
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Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
