The 200m individual is my favourite distance. The 100m always feels a bit too short for me, and while I enjoy the 400m, the 200m is where I seem to hit my stride and perform the best. This event had been on my mind all week, and I was excited to finally get out on the track again.
As expected, the field was strong. At the World Championships, you’re always lining up against the best athletes in the world, and my heat was no exception. One of my good friends and old rivals, Ulo Randaru from Estonia, was in my heat, as was another GB colleague, Jimson Lee, which added a little extra fun and familiarity to the race. We all knew it was going to be a battle for those top two automatic qualifying spots.
The race went well. Ulo had a brilliant run, crossing the line first, while I managed to finish second, which was exactly what I needed to move on to the semifinals. With the top two in each heat getting automatic promotion, I could relax knowing I’d secured my spot and didn’t have to sweat over making one of the fastest loser spots.
Crossing the line, I was really happy with the performance. It wasn’t my personal best, but I clocked in just over 27 seconds, which was okay considering it was into a headwind. I felt strong, the execution was clean, and I was ready to keep that momentum going into the semifinals.
Semifinals day started with an early wake-up call and a lot of anticipation as I geared up for the race. This was it, a chance to race against the best M60 200m sprinters in the world.
I knew it would be tough. As the senior statesman of the age group, right at the top end of the 60-64 category, I was aware that every tenth of a second mattered. Lining up alongside some of the fastest men in the world at this age was both exciting and daunting, but I was ready to give it everything.
The race itself was fierce. I gave it everything, pushing hard around the bend and powering down the home straight. I crossed the line with a faster time than in the earlier round. However, this was the fastest of the three semifinals, and I just missed out on the final by two places. Frustrating, yes, but there’s no shame in finishing in the top 10 at a World Championships. There was also some consolation in ending up as the fastest 64 year old in the event, it’s just a shame I was racing against 60 year olds. Next year I’ll be the new kid on the block in the mens 65 year age group.
Hats off to all the finalists who made it through. It was a red-hot final later in the day, which was won in style by Francois C Boda from the USA.
Stuart Lynn - Masters Athlete 