York’s own Scott Lincoln is due to take on Olympic victory in Tokyo, with his shot put campaign beginning tomorrow.
He enters the field as the 12-time British champion, and in the top three UK shot putters of all time for his personal best of 21m 28. And in Team GB’s training camp in Yokohama, Japan, he’s entering into the Olympic spirit.
“It’s really cool,” he told YorkMix. “Everyone’s sort of bouncing off each other and it’s just such a good vibe a good environment to be in. Everyone’s really positive and really friendly.”
A builder by day, who went to Northallerton College, he acknowledges that a gold medal may be “probably a bit out of reach this year”.
Instead, he says that “a huge thing for me would be to make the final. I think throwing around my personal best will get me there, so that’s the goal at this stage.”
But he does admit that “anything can happen in the final, and you just go out and have fun.”
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There are no spectators at the Tokyo Olympics due to escalating Covid-19 cases in Japan.
But Scott says that even without crowds, “At the end of the day it’s still an Olympic Games, and you can still wear the rings on your vest and compete and have pride in competing for Team GB. I don’t think that’s going to take anything away from it.”
Covid protocols are in place. “They’re pretty strict,” said Scott, 28. “A mask has to be worn at all times, even when we’re together and we all could be in a bubble. But yeah, it is what it is, you adapt and get used to it.
“I guess it’s no different to what the UK has been for the last God knows how long, so it’s good.”
A fan favourite
At home, Scott has become a true fan favourite, becoming the official Olympian of not only YorkMix Radio, but BBC Radio 1’s Greg James, whose listeners christened him “Scottput”.
“Everyone’s been really positive,” Scott says. “Just wishing me well and genuinely wanting to do well, so it’s not a bad thing at all. I really like it and it’s just a bit of fun to chat every now and again.”
But Scott, while looking to his support at home, Tokyo does seem a very different place.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” he says. “The people are so friendly, like they can’t do enough for you. But also, it’s just such a clean, tidy place. Everything’s well-presented and immaculate – it’s brilliant.”
Being noted by Athletics Weekly for his “alternative” training over Lockdown, Scott moved from his regular training at York Sport Centre, at the University of York, to a hand built “emergency throwing cave”.
So how do the specialist training facilities in Japan compare? He says that “It’s a good setup in York, and over here is obviously just for us – that’s an improvement. It’s really cool it’s all new equipment, which is exciting.”
While he admits to at first feeling “sluggish” from jet lag, fans will be excited to hear that “everything’s been moving in a positive direction”.
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“I just want to get, get the body feeling fresh again which will come in the next couple of days, I’m sure. And then yeah, I’m looking forward to compete and really getting ready to compete as well.”
So what’s next for York’s Olympic hero? Well, he laughs, he’ll “get back on to the building site, and start enjoying work again”.