Holly Bradshaw believes adapting to the coronavirus pandemic has helped her focus on her Olympic dream.
The pole vaulter is preparing for this weekend’s British Championships in Manchester, which double as the Olympic trials.
Bradshaw has previously admitted to living like a hermit during the pandemic but feels she is in the right place ahead of the delayed Tokyo Games, which start next month.
“I’m quite boring anyway, I’m not one of these people who likes to go out for a drink on a Saturday,” said the 29-year-old, who came sixth at London 2012 and fifth at the Rio Games five years ago.
“Covid hasn’t really changed things too much for me but it means there are no distractions. I’m not drawn into anything.
“It has made you more focused and given you more time at home to plan and reflect. I have become way more organised.
“I’m not worried about getting Covid because when I did I wasn’t bad and I’m double vaccinated, in the UK we have these rules in place for a reason.
“If I come into contact with someone in Nando’s who has Covid I have to be in my house for 10 days which sucks. As a professional athlete it’s awful.”
She said: “I’ve got my plan for the flight to Tokyo, when I need to eat, go to sleep. I like to time shift, I did it for the (Commonwealth Games) Gold Coast in Australia (in 2018) and I got zero jet lag.
“I spent the last couple of weeks refining the time, 10 days out from travelling to Tokyo I’ll start shifting my hours. The day before I fly I’ll go to bed at 6pm and wake up at 4am.”
Sir Mo Farah also runs in a specially-arranged 10,000m at the Manchester Regional Arena on Friday in a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the Games.
The four-time Olympic champion failed to make the qualifying time in Birmingham earlier this month but will book a Team GB spot if he runs inside 27 minutes 28 seconds.
Dina Asher-Smith runs in the 100m, Laura Muir goes in the 800m with Zharnel Hughes, Reece Prescod and Adam Gemili also running the men’s 100m heats on Friday.
