With less than 200 days till the start of the London Olympics, and competition time quickly running out, the pressure is increasing for UK athletes. With the weight of the British crowd on their shoulders, and training regimes harder than ever, one would be forgiven if early signs of nerves were showing.
However, UK long jump star, Ezekiel Ewulo, oozes calm as he prepares for his greatest ever challenge.
The Woodford Green Essex Ladies athlete has had success in recent seasons, winning the Aviva Indoor Trials and UK Championships in 2011, a firm base for his jump forward in 2012.
However, his dreams lie further off the board than that. ‘The first and immediate aim is get to a standard where I can compete against the best guys in the world, but obviously I am aiming to jump the Olympic qualifying mark. I have to up my performance, up my personal best, get over 8m. ‘I think, rather than just being someone who qualifies for a championship, I have the ability to get to the best in the world, not just a qualifier, ‘ he said.
Ewulo has recently changed coach to train with jumps specialist Aston Moore, who also coaches other GB stars including Kelly Sotherton and Phillips Idowu, and has settled with the switch. ‘I have been with my new coach for three to four months so he has changed quite a few things. I think I am coping with the changes quite well. ‘I needed to change coach to the next level. It wasn ‘t just about it being the Olympic year. Aston is someone I thought could take me there. ‘I went warm training with him last year and he just made me realise that there are a lot of things that I didn ‘t even know about my event, ‘ he said.
The changes have already reaped some early successes too, with Ewulo jumping 7.46m indoors in Bratislava, as well as jumping a new personal best of 7.75m at the Aviva European Indoor Trials and UK Championships this weekend.
Yet, as he explains, the ultimate goal is towards the summer. ‘The main aim is just to take my performance to another level and the main thing is going to be the summer, whether that is at the Olympics or the Europeans. ‘I have had a hard winter. The training is a lot more intense. The main thing is it is a lot more specific to what I need to become the jumper I want to be. It is noticing habits and traits that I need to change. ‘We haven ‘t specifically prepared to jump indoors this year. We have kind of just done a few technical changes. We have done the hard work and just jumping at the same time, ‘ he said. Ewulo ‘s result indoors confirms that he is in great shape, and that whether or not he is exclusively trained for a competition, he can still pull out superb performances. As he explains, this a huge confidence boost in such a crucial year. ‘I already know I can jump pretty far if I get it right, regardless If we have specifically trained for it so as long as I am trying to work on the things he is telling me to do, the results are not going to be bad, ‘ he said.
One advantage Ewulo has this season, is the ability to focus on his training rather than his admin side, which is now taken care of by Race Finder, something which he believes is having a huge effect on his performances. ‘Race Finder is definitely benefiting me because I used to do this on my own and some meets I would get into and some I wouldn ‘t, but since I have been using Vinco Sport, it is just like having a manager to help you, someone you can speak to and organise situations, so it definitely helps, ‘ he said. As a result, Ewulo has been able to experience international competitions in the Olympic year, which he believes will help him cope with the trails in the early summer. He said: ‘It is good. You find that the crowds abroad, they respond a lot more to your event, it is quite a bit more supportive. ‘
Ewulo is also hoping to draw on past disappointments to fuel his passion and reach the holy grail of the 8m mark. ‘Last year getting injured just before the trails, after being in pretty good shape, that was pretty disappointing, and that made me realise that I can achieve the goals I want to achieve. ‘Also, the year before, 2010, I jumped a PB at the trails and then I was sick straight after that so I didn ‘t even get a chance to try and keep attacking the qualifying for the Commonwealth Games. ‘I have improved quite a bit over the last few years and now I have just got to take it to that next level. ‘The less you compromise yourself, the more likely you are to get it right, ‘ he said. Whether or not Ewulo reaches that mark is left to be seen, but one thing that is for certain is he will continue to push himself to new levels in search of his final glory.
