14 at hl e t ic s
14 at hl e t ic s
run some fast times at a young age, I got into some pretty big races. I was thrown in the deep end and it showed. I wasn’ t ready and I wasn’ t able to be competitive. My confidence took a bit of a blow, I was out the back door in a lot of races and I really got exposed.
“ Last year I didn’ t believe in myself enough. I was going straight to the back and staying at the back- which is probably where I belonged but I didn’ t really give myself a chance with that kind of attitude.”
The 2009 world championships in Berlin was Ryan’ s first taste of senior international competition.
“ World champs didn’ t really turn out the way I had hoped.“ I guess I talked myself out of it before the race had started. I remember looking at the start list and seeing Bernard Lagat and a few other big names and I just didn’ t back myself. I went to the front and tried to be as confident as possible but I just didn’ t have the gears when the race really started with a lap to go”.
Despite a disappointing result, Ryan left Europe hungry for Commonwealth Games success the this year.
“ I remember when Jeff Riseley came back from Rome Golden League last year where he ran 3.32 and I was sort of in awe of him. I looked at him and I thought‘ I want to be able to run that fast’. I also realised just how professional and dedicated I had to be in order to be successful.”
Ryan’ s goals for 2010 were simple: to be competitive.
“ Obviously everyone wants to run fast, but that’ s not my primary goal this year. I want to run up the field. I just want to be as competitive as I can every time I step on the start line and I know that if I do that then the times will take care of themselves.”