One of the many athletes making their senior debut at this week’s European Indoor Championships is Ava Lloyd. After representing Great Britain at junior level, she is excited to take the next step in her career. Ava spoke to James Rhodes about her season so far, the lessons that she will take to Apeldoorn and her goals for the rest of the year.
Not many people can say they have an Olympic medallist as a training partner. Ava Lloyd can go one better; she has two. The 19-year-old is part of the M11 Track Club, coached by Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows. The lineup of athletes is small but mighty; Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell amongst them.
It was at the meeting named after the former, in a race won by the latter, that Ava set an indoor PB that has helped dictate her next race. A senior Great Britain debut at the European Indoor Championships.
With less than a week both until she races and since she found out she was on the team, excitement levels are high.
“I’m quite excited, I haven’t really had a lot of time to process it. There’s just nothing to lose, really, so I’m just excited. I am nervous too, but the excitement is outweighing that at the moment!”
Birmingham, Twice, & A Surprise Call
One of the many benefits of having Keely Hodgkinson as a training partner was a lane at the Keely Klassic. Ava finished third, setting a big indoor best of 4:12.59. It was an opportunity she relished.
“As our group is quite large, I don’t get many opportunities to race where there’s a lot of the group there, plus Jenny and Trevor. It was such a good atmosphere and one I really enjoyed. At my level it’s hard to find decent 1500m races indoors. The season is so short and there are so many athletes. You don’t get many opportunities like that.
It was kind of two separate races in the race, which was certainly interesting. I think I made the most out of the event. My training has been indicating towards that form, ideally I would have actually liked to run slightly faster”.
Photo: James Rhodes
After finishing fifth in the 1500m at the British Indoor Championships, Ava had concluded that was the end of her indoor season. There was a twist in that story, however – in part started by a tweet by the person writing this. A simple list of the assumed team selection, before it was announced. It included Ava’s name.
“I had no idea that I was still in contention after the British Championships. The day after the final, I was putting a post on Instagram and I almost captioned it ‘see you outdoors’. I didn’t, because I thought Trevor would suggest me doing a 3000m.
I then saw your tweet and wondered why my name was on there. So I had a check of the rankings and saw that I was qualified! I didn’t even realise my name would be in those kinds of conversations, it was a bit surreal. An hour later, I got the call!”.
Valuable Experience
Ava is no stranger to a Great Britain team at junior level. Her debut came at the European U20 Championships held in Jerusalem in 2023. Last summer she competed at the World U20 Championships in Lima, finishing fifth in the 1500m. There are valuable lessons and experiences she has taken from both that will be carried to Apeldoorn.
“I’ve grown a lot as an athlete since the first time I was selected for a championships for Great Britain. My debut was as a junior in Jerusalem, and I went into that just being really happy for the opportunity, for just being selected. I ended up disappointed in my performance, and since then I have progressed as an athlete.
I’ve gone from being overwhelmed at my first Great Britain experience in Jerusalem to then racing in Lima. I was very comfortable that I would make the final and then it was just about my performance in the final. I hope to carry on that progression and being confident in my own ability, in wearing that vest no matter if it’s a junior or a senior event.
Even though I have got nothing to lose [in Apeldoorn], and it’s exciting this being my senior debut, my main aim is still to be as competitive as I can be. I’ll take the same level of confidence from the junior competitions into the senior competitions, there will be a slightly different feel. I’m really excited to experience a senior team environment. I want to make the most of it, being selected with those girls is super exciting”.
Photo: James Rhodes
Familiar Faces
Apeldoorn may be a senior debut and a new experience, but the faces won’t be. Especially Georgia Hunter Bell, one of Ava’s training partners, who will also contest the 1500m. Confidence naturally grows when the fastest in the field is someone so familiar.
“It’s pretty crazy to be honest. When I look at the line up, day-to-day I’m training with the higher end of the field that I will be running against. It’s so nice to have that support from the team, but also when you get down to racing it helps not to be intimidated. Those racing are just the calibre of athletes I am training with regularly.
All the British Championships that I’ve ever done with Georgia, we’ve always been in the same heat. I think we’ll probably be in different heats this time, but her being there is an extra confidence boost”.
Fellow M11 teammates Erin Wallace and Annemarie Nissen compete in the 800m, and Sarah Healy the 3000m. With the final of the 1500m taking place on the second of four days, there is opportunity for some spectating. As a fan of the sport, Sarah’s race is one Ava is particularly looking forward to watching. It also features friend Innes FitzGerald, also making her senior debut.
“I’ve always been quite a big fan of the sport. It’s super weird going from watching these athletes on TV, transitioning into being an out-and-out competitor. I’m really excited to experience that.
I think the 3000m races will be quite interesting. In the women’s is Sarah, and I’m really good friends with Innes [FitzGerald]. It’ll be exciting to see how they both get on. I’m super excited that both Innes and I got selected. I first met her properly in Peru and we got on really well. It’s really cool!”.
Photo: James Rhodes
Looking Forward
The European Indoor Championships will mark the end of Ava’s indoor season. Before long, focus will shift to the goals for outdoors. This season is her first in the U23 age group. Notably, the European U23 Championships take place in Bergen (Norway) in July.
“I can’t count myself out of anything. There was talk of qualifying for the European Indoors back at the beginning of winter training, but it wasn’t something that I really expected.
At the moment for outdoors, the focus will be on the European U23 Championships and performing well. I made the final in Peru and hopefully will continue building on those performances. I’m of course not discounting any senior opportunities that come along!”.
Ava is joined by Georgia Hunter-Bell and Revee Walcott-Nolan in the women’s 1500m at the European Indoor Championships. The heats take place at 18:10 (UK time) on Thursday and the final at 20:00 (UK time) on Friday.
The post A Senior Debut – Ava Lloyd’s Indoor Season appeared first on Fast Running.
Source: fastrunning.com