Sprinter Abi Oyepitan tells skysports.com about her relief at the end of her injury nightmare.
Oyepitan talks about her relief at the end of her injury nightmare
After battling with her health for the past six years, Abi Oyepitan's injury nightmare has finally ended after the 200m runner captured Commonwealth silver in Delhi in a long-awaited welcome return to the international stage.
In her fastest time for four years, the 30-year-old Shaftesbury Barnet sprinter sped to a 23.26 clocking to finish behind Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands (22.89) in her first major championship final since finishing seventh in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In that particular breakthrough race for the athlete, who took European Under-23 100m gold three years previous, Oyepitan was the first British woman to reach an Olympic 200m final since Kathy Cook in 1984.
Flash-forward over half a decade and Oyepitan was only fifth in the UK Championships with 23.99 back in June. However, following two months of consistent training recently, the former World University Games 100m champion is back to showing glimpses of her former self.
"I'm really happy - it's been a long, hard slog," Oyepitan explained.
After finishing only seventh in the 100m and third in the 4x100m relay at the 2002 Commonwealth's in Manchester, Oyeptian's Indian adventure certainly proved fruitful after years of injury woes.
Frustration
"It's been surreal. I'm not pleased until I win but I'm sure it will come later," she said.
"I've had years of questioning, but I just went with and came through. It's been one hell of a journey that's for sure."
Indeed, Oyepitan has suffered more than her fair share of frustration since clocking impressive 11.17 and 22.50 times for the 100m and 200m in 2004.
Apart from placing sixth in the 2006 European Championship 200m final, the past six years have been full of devastating blows for her.
"My biggest problem was a stress fracture of my shin," Oyepitan revealed.
"It took a couple of years to be diagnosed and then another year for the surgeons to decide that I needed an operation.
"Then I had the knee and Achilles problems (the latter which she had surgery for in 2008 and again in 2009). It was one main problem which spiralled into several others - an absolute nightmare and beyond frustration."
Admitting she would have quit the sport if her 2010 season had not gone so well, Oyepitan continued: "The Commonwealth's are a good stepping stone to hopefully move onto the World's next year - I needed that boost of confidence.
"I just need that fitness element that I lack from years of problems. I'm finding my feet and learning how to execute a race technically correct again."
