A conversation with Colin Jackson
Olympic silver medallist Colin Jackson speaks to inthenews.co.uk
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Saturday, 26, Jul 2008 05:44
The Olympic Games in Beijing are fast approaching.
So, speaking to inthenews.co.uk's Alistair Potter, British athletics legend Colin Jackson shares his thoughts on Team GB's medal hopes in Beijing; his continuing involvement in British athletics; and the health of the nation as a whole.
inthenews: Hi Colin.
Colin: Hi, how are you doing?
Very well, thanks. And yourself?
[In a remarkably enthusiastic voice for early in the morning] Great, really good. Right, fire away.
Ok. We thought we'd start off by getting a couple of tips from you for the Olympics in Beijing...
Well obviously we've got some gold medal shots - Phillips Idowu in the triple jump. He's a world leader, the person in athletics we're all talking about producing that gold medal for us in Britain.
But there's other people that we've got to look out for, some possible surprises.
Greg Rutherford in the long jump - he jumped really well on the weekend in the trials, winning with 8.20m and I'm thinking in the Olympic Games, when you can really get inspired, he might be able to find an extra 10cm. If he jumps around that 8.30m mark he could possibly sneak a medal.
Do you have a lot of contact with the British team at the moment? Have you trained with them or that kind of thing?
Well, I don't train obviously - that'd be too much for me these days - but I do have a few athletes that I mentor and speak to on a regular basis. I try to get them inspired and I'm there to answer any questions that they may have.
So I guess your Olympic experience stands you in good stead to do that for them?
Yeah, I think in a way it's pretty vital that they have that option because if you look at the team itself there's really no major medallists, no gold medallists in the team, that they can look up to.
I'm thinking that will possibly change in the future but at the moment that's why people like myself, Steve Backley, Jonathan Edwards, Steve Cram and Daley Thompson have a huge role to play as mentors to give as much experience and advice as we can to the youngsters in the team now and, potentially, to our future gold medallists at the 2012 Olympic Games.
[Cue nostalgia] That's the golden era of British athletics, isn't it? You in the hurdles; Backley with his javelin; Cram in the distance running; and Thompson doing... well... everything.
[Laughs] I suppose so, yeah.
I was really lucky when I was coming through into the team that I had team members like that on my doorstep. Anything I needed or wanted, I could literally knock on my next-door neighbour and say, "what do I do here?" We haven't got that now in our British athletics team.
Do you think they'll struggle because of that?
Well, no because they've got us on tap instead. They can always ring us, and they do, which is great.
They ring us up and say, "what do you do in this circumstance?" or "what would you say for me to do in training?". It's fantastic to be involved in that.
Does that give you an insight into what's going on with the athletes, then, when you are covering it for your media work?
Yes definitely. It's a two-way thing - there's not one person getting all the information - and that's great because we have an excellent connection.
Do you ever get drawn into reliving past glories there then? I guess the silver medal in Seoul in 1988 must have been a high point for you?
It was definitely an amazing experience, but my greatest achievement was probably something outside of my professional athletics career, actually - when I won the World Junior Championships.
It was the most significant moment for me because I was having a lot of injury problems that year and to go on and win the gold medal there was great.
It was a sign of the potential that I had, that I could raise my game at the right time to produce the performance when it mattered. It gave me my initial grounding in the sport of athletics.
Is that what you think sets apart the good athletes from the great athletes? The ability to turn it on when it matters?
Absolutely - that's what it is all about. If you've prepared well, and everything else is going in the right direction for you then obviously, yes, you're going to be a champion.
A lot of people have expressed doubts about the current team's experience levels - you mentioned it earlier as well - in terms of achieving the medal targets set by the British Olympic Association.
Can this team do it?
I think they can, yes - definitely.
The youngsters are hungry for success nowadays, they really want to step out of the shadow of the former athletes who have achieved a lot and they are ready to take on the mantle and take on all-comers.
You can really sense that when you walk around with them, too - you really feel like they want to achieve, which is the best thing.
Do you think they are genuinely focused on achieving in Beijing, though, or is it already too geared towards London 2012?
No, not really. If you sit there with the athletes and hear them talk, they want to be part of the Olympic team and they're talking about Beijing, right now, they want to do as much as they possibly can to achieve this year.
They will gain experience - and I genuinely believe the youngsters can get medals - but most of all they're excited about being part of something they've seen when they were kids.
They're happy about being there, of course, but also they want to achieve there too. They want to taste that.
It's all well and good hearing from us guys about what it feels like, but it's always better to taste it yourself.
Absolutely. So tell us a bit about this Great City Race thing you are part of?
Well the Standard Chartered Great City Race is over 5k but that's not really something that's too much of a surprise to people - what is a bit of a surprise is why we're actually doing it.
Standard Chartered has commissioned some research into how having a healthy body is important to having a healthy mind. The findings are a bit shocking, although nothing we should be too surprised about.
A lot of the time we make excuses about why we can't do physical activity. We have a heart of gold and say, "we're going to try and go out for a run today" or "we're going to try and go to the gym". But what seems to happen is a lot of people say they're too tired or haven't got anyone to go with and make those types of excuses.
Yup - we've been there Col.
[Laughs] So, you understand that then?
Most certainly. Looking around I think most of us in this office do.
[Chuckles] Well, that's one of the things that Standard Chartered have found from the research - they've really tried to push their workers to minimise the excuses and reasons why they don't exercise.
They've introduced flexi-time to make sure that their staff don't feel like they're over-worked so they can build this fitness regime.
It seems to have worked for them and to celebrate this fact we have this Great City Race - the only race where the roads in the City of London are closed down, allowing these runners to go through the City itself.
What sets it apart then?
Well, it's just an incredible backdrop. Amazing. The buildings are just sensational, because you go past St Paul's Cathedral and the Stock Exchange so lots of London landmarks.
You reckon this will encourage people to get out there and exercise more - giving them something to work towards?
Yeah, I think it's important to have objectives and have a reason why you're doing it. If you've got something to aim for it's more likely you'll get involved and take part in it.
You know what it's like - and I suffer from it myself - I come home and I think, "well, if only I had someone to go to the gym with right now". It might be 11 o'clock at night but you know, if there was someone to push me to it I'd generally go.
And that's what these initiatives are all about, encouraging employers and employees getting out there and create a healthier and fitter environment.
Is this something you get the chance to do yourself, even if you're now retired from professional sport?
I have to, I absolutely have to now, because I've come to the conclusion now that when I am fitter physically and more active I'm better mentally and I can concentrate for longer periods of time.
It's things I took for granted when my life was all about fitness - then all of a sudden my lifestyle changed and I was more sedated in what I did and I thought, "oh no, I'm slowing down" and I didn't like that feeling.
It's a good motivation for me to go out and do it, especially when I'm out and travelling around I have to find the time to exercise.
How about competitive sports? Is that something you do?
No, not really. All my sport is leisure stuff really, or going to the gym or for a gentle jog. I play tennis and go skiing, but those are the only sort of sports I take part in now.
But I'll tell you I'm no Paula Radcliffe - I like taking my time. I keep a sensible hat on when I'm doing these sporting activities.
You were good, Colin, but I think most people would say they're no Paula Radcliffe.
Yeah, I know. [Laughs]
Although this is one of the things I get people to believe as well is just to do things at your own pace - but do them. Don't just sit on the sofa and watch sport, thinking "well, that's me being a great sport fan".
We're great sports fans from our sofa.
Sure - you can be a great fan in that way - but also I'm trying to encourage people to get out there and do something as well.
Do you reckon that doing some of these activities gives people a better idea of what the athletes will be going through in Beijing?
Absolutely, it'll give you a little bit of a taster for what the athletes are going through themselves - especially when the Olympics is on the doorstep.
The BBC will be broadcasting 3,000 hours worth of sport so you'll have a good insight into what sport is all about - if you can get out there and exercise.
Careful - 3,000 hours of sport could mean a LOT of sitting on the sofa!
Thanks very much for your time, Colin. It's been a pleasure. And good luck with the Great City Race.
Cheers, thank you. Bye.
Colin Jackson was promoting the Standard Chartered Great City Race, which kicks off on Thursday July 17th at 7.15pm. For more information go to the Great City Race website.