Gourley 'in best shape to challenge for medal'

Scottish athlete Neil Gourley believes he’s in the best condition of his life as he looks to put a run of injuries behind him and secure an Olympic medal.

The 29-year-old missed out on the Tokyo Games through injuries and has also battled Covid and bone injuries in recent years.

But now the Glasgow runner, currently training at altitude in St Moritz in Switzerland, believes his body is in the best shape possible as he prepares to challenge for the 1500m in Paris this summer.

"I feel like I’ve timed it wrong, going into the championships carrying something, but this year - knock on wood - I’m coming in with a clean bill of health," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

"It’s definitely the healthiest I’ve been coming into a championship like this.

"A lot of the winter injuries I’ve had, although they were pretty brutal to deal with at the time, could be a little bit of a blessing in disguise if it’s meant I’ve come to this season a little later than I would otherwise and my body still feels fresh."

Gourley will continue with altitude training in the Alps until close to his event at the Stade de France, allowing him to focus on preparations away from "the chaos of the Olympic Village".

"We’re at 6000ft here, which seems to be a good stimulus - I seem to respond quite well to it.

"It’s an ideal setting, the training environment here is really ideal so I’ll be able to stay in this bubble with some of the other British endurance athletics that are training here."

Gourley's 1500m win at June's UK Athletics Championship booked his ticket to Paris, where he’ll compete against compatriot and world champion Josh Kerr.

The pair are among a clutch of Scottish middle distance athletes featuring at the Games and Gourley admits he’s taken inspiration from one of his fellow competitors this year.

"I’m often asked for a reason why the middle distances in Scotland are so strong," he said.

"There’s not one good answer, because they’re from different training backgrounds and have come about it in different ways to get to similar levels. I’ve been inspired by people that pioneered it like [Olympic silver medallist] Laura [Muir], who’ve proven we can compete at world class levels.

"In the early 2000s there was no-one to really look up to, who was doing it at a truly world class level, then you started to have people like Chris O’Hare and Laura Muir come through, and show that we can compete with the best in the world here.

"I think there was often an attitude in the past that it’s going to be so tough to live with the best in the world, whether they were from the US or Kenya or wherever really, and I think that’s totally disappeared.

"There’s a mental toughness there too, which doesn’t get talked about - we refuse to take no for an answer when the cards are against us. It’s no coincidence that success breeds more success, so I’m looking to do my part and inspire other people down the road."

What that success looks like in Paris is Gourley’s main focus, however, as he hopes to follow up his gold at the British championships last month.

"I’d certainly say at this point in my career and the work I’ve done leading to this point it should be the goal to win a medal at these championships, I’d be selling myself short if it wasn’t," he added.

"I’d like to come away with something physically but more than that I’d like to make sure I have the best race of my life in the final. If I can say I had that, with all the preparation, I can’t come away disappointed."