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29
Aug
Harrogate Olympian George Mills announces break from running
Harrogate Olympian George Mills has announced he will not run competitively again for the rest of the year.
The 25-year-old, who represented Great Britain in the 1500m and 5000m in Paris, revealed he contracted covid in the run-up to the games.
The former Ashville College student failed to qualify for the 1500m final then fell after a collision with France’s Hugo Hay in the 5000m. He was advanced to the final, but did not place.
Mills, who ran the third-fastest mile ever by a UK athlete in Oregon last September, took to social media yesterday to say his last few results “take a bit of explaining”.
He told his 31,000 Instagram followers he contracted covid after the Diamond League meeting in London a week before the Olympics. He added:
I really didn’t want to have to say this publicly, as I know exactly how it comes across and will sound like an easy excuse for my shortcomings.
I didn’t have any crazy symptoms, but had about five days of fatigue where I basically just slept, and after this my training level and training metrics were well off what I had been doing the week before and all season.
George Mills at the Paris Olympics. Credit: George Mills Instagram.
Despite the virus, Mills said he still “embraced the challenge” and gave everything to “rest, recover and be ready to perform at a high level” both at the Olympics and for the remainder of the summer season.
But he now says he “won’t be racing on the track again in 2024”, adding:
I always say play the cards you're dealt and make the most of it, and I can wholeheartedly say I have done that and will continue to do so.
After racing in Lausanne and pulling out of Silesia last week, I now need to let the body recover. The mind is ready to go but the body has the handbreak on and isn’t letting me do what I want/need to do.
Mills said he will look at the positives that came from the season, including winning a silver medal at the European Championships and qualifying for the Olympics, but added they are "not easy to see right now".
He concluded:
I cannot wait to get back to work and do it all over again in 2025.
Mills has dedicated his life to the sport. In an interview with the Stray Ferret in July, he said he had not had a day off since the Oregon meet last September.
The running star, who is the son of former Leeds United player Danny Mills, trains a minimum of twice a day. During peak training periods, he runs up to 215km a week – that is more than 18 miles a day, every day.
You can read our interview with Mills for a more in-depth look into his routine, including his diet and training schedule, here.
The Paralympic Games commenced last night and will run until September 5.
Our recent interview with Lottie McGuinness, who is representing Great Britain (and Nidderdale) in the women's 55kg para powerlifting event next week, can be found here.
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