Training Bests and Rainy Tests

Greetings once more from the Westin Resort in Macau.

The Games have begun and the athletics team are flying out to Beijing in staggered intervals, depending on the day each athlete is competing. I would say at least half the team have left Macau and the rest of us are waiting anxiously, excited by the prospect of entering the Olympic Village. We watched the British swimmers bring home 2 medals yesterday. The girls showed an incredible display of power and determination, coupled with some classic, high-pitched commentary, some of which could only be heard by dolphins. Goose-bumps galore!

There has been little drama over the last few days here in Macau and everyone looks in fantastic shape... probably due to a mixture of healthy eating, hot weather, and the scrupulous monitoring of body weight. However, some of the team coaches seem intent on making the most of the abundance of free food and are struggling to maintain their Spartan bodies! Last night some of us had a swim and a jacuzzi and then chatted in the 'gentleman's room', discussing gentlemanly topics. We did not indulge ourselves in drinking brandy or puffing on cigars though, you needn't worry.

From a personal perspective, the last week has gone even better than i could have imagined. My second jump session was very pleasing as i was only given one jump at each height before the bar was raised. I cleared 2.15m, 2.20m, 2.25m and 2.28m all at the first attempt and had close attempts at 2.31m and 2.33m. The 2.28m clearance was very good as the camcorder slow-motion footage showed I was probably 5 or 6 cm clear of the bar. My previous best in training was 2.24m so I was obviously delighted. This is a huge improvement on last year and jumping like that on the day should qualify me for the Olympic final.

Yesterday, I completed my last jumps session in the pouring rain. This also gave me great confidence as I was unsure of my mental ability to cope with these kind of conditions. I have been jumping with fellow Brit Germaine Mason, and I am confident that we are both capable of competing well in the Qualifying round on Sunday 17th August. Before then, I shall do an activation weights session to get my muscles firing. I will stay in a positive mindset, knowing that all the hard work has been done, and the opportunity to express myself in front of millions of people has arrived.

I have washed my Villa socks after their magical powers helped me set that new training record. They were given to me buy a friend who is recovering from ruptured cruciate ligaments and has been unable to compete for over a year. Hopefully they are lucky for me, but I'd like to think I wont need luck. Hope all is well back home. Hi to my family, friends and all those with 'a support Tom Parsons' sticker at Aston University! I hope to make you proud.

Tom Parsons