On Thursday, Gabija Galvydytė’s star shone again at the World Athletics Championships. The middle-distance runner, who took 16th place in the world in the 1500 m race over the weekend, took a breather for several days and returned to the Tokyo Olympic Stadium with a bang. In the sixth 800 m qualifying run, the Lithuanian took second place, and the result recorded (1 minute 58.86 seconds) was the second best in her career.
A total of seven qualifying runs took place, the first three runners won their tickets to the semi-finals, and the doors were opened for three more runners according to the best results. G. Galvydytė made it to the semi-finals in the most direct way, so she didn’t have to worry about the results of her opponents.
The Lithuanian ran practically the entire distance in the middle of the group, and in the finish line she made a powerful spurt, which allowed her to move up to the second position. In addition, a serious challenge was thrown to the winner Georgia Hunter Bell (1 min. 58.82 sec.). The British star is a winner of the Olympic Games, World and European Championships.
“The first 100 meters were very fast. I immediately realized that there would be a fast run, so I was very happy. I’m very happy [for the powerful finish] because it shows that the body has recovered well. I was most afraid of recovery. I think training in the high mountains contributed a lot to better well-being. My body got used to hard work, so everything here [in Tokyo] is fine,” G. Galvydytė commented on the selection run and well-being.
As in the 1500 m race, the athlete chose to run indoors and cover the shortest possible distance. According to G. Galvydytė, the coach suggested choosing such tactics, and she herself learned from past mistakes: “The coach really wanted me to be inside and run as little distance as possible, but I hesitated myself. If you remember the Paris Olympics, when I had to overtake a lot of competitors, I made a mistake there because I could have stayed on the first track. Today it [the first path] opened, but I don’t know how it will be in the semi-finals. When running with such competitors, sometimes it is better to take risks, because I cannot afford to run 810 meters. My personal is not 1 minute 55 seconds.”
G. Galvydytė set her personal record less than two months ago (1 minute 58.69 seconds). This result secured a place in the World Championships, as the norm was met (1 minute 59 seconds).
The athlete, who made her debut at the World and European Indoor Championships in March, said that she did not look at the results of other selections at the time, but now she has done it differently: “I tried not to look indoors and I made a mistake because the running was really slow. We could have gotten [to the next stage] with a very short time, which was definitely possible. This time I took a look and after the first 150 meters I realized that if it wasn’t me, then someone would definitely take the initiative to run fast on the first lap and try to finish quickly.”
Not only G. Galvydytė, but also G. Hunter Bell, who, according to the Lithuanian, has one of the best finishes, managed to finish quickly. In addition, the representative of our country looked at the upcoming semi-finals: “I don’t know who else has such a finish as G. Hunter Bell. She is very strong in the last 100 meters. I think [my finish] really added confidence and the coach will be very happy. The potential is always there, today I feel good, and tomorrow it will be seen how much I will be able to cope with the emotion and not give up, standing together with such fast runners. The semi-finals will be very, very strong.”
Just before the qualifying run, in which G. Galvydytė started, the rain began. The only wish of the Lithuanian was that the start would take place on time. In addition, the runner told about the cheerful dialogue with the opponent and the work in the camp, where the aim was to strengthen the weakest points: “It’s funny, because I told coach Justinas Beržanskis if there would be lightning. I was very afraid that the start would be postponed. I didn’t really want that. When you get to the next stage, you want to have a good rest, and you wouldn’t want to run at 11 or 12 p.m. anymore. I’m glad that there was only rain without lightning.
After the finish, G. Hunter Bell asked – is it easier to 800 m or 1500 m? I told her that sometimes when you focus on one thing, the other succeeds better. Maybe this is the situation, because we worked on my weaknesses – longer distances. I did 3-kilometer training, which is not typical for me. I think working with my weaknesses improved the last 100 meters. This allows you to get to the next stages.”
On Saturday, the 1500 m distance in the qualification in 4 minutes 02.81 seconds. After defeating G. Galvydytė, she made it to the semi-finals, and on Sunday she managed to improve the result (4 minutes 01.79 seconds), but it was not enough to get to the final. At that time, emotions took over, but the very next morning my eyes were on the next race: “At first, I ran to Justinas with bloody tears. He hugged me and told me to concentrate. I wouldn’t even have dreamed of doing such performances for two days in a row. It was a very high result. I really believed I could be in the final, it was hard to accept [not qualifying]. It wasn’t the best night, I cried, but the next morning I woke up calm and managed to rest before the 800-meter qualifier.”
When asked to share her memories of coach Algimantas Sniečkus , the track and field athlete felt grateful: “It was the coach who opened the door for me to where I am now. I had the best year at Panevėžys Raimundas Sargūnas Gymnasium and improved as a person and athlete. This is thanks to Algimantas Sniečkus. It’s painful to remember, but I’m very grateful for this coach.”
The 800 m semifinals will start on Friday at 2:43 p.m. 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
