Just three weeks ago, Elliot Giles was enjoying a camping trip in the Swiss Alps. However, on Wednesday, the British athlete secured his spot in the semi-finals of the men’s 800m at the Paris Olympics.
Giles finished his heat with a strong performance, coming in second to gold medal favorite Djamel Sedjati, the Algerian runner eyeing to break the world record of 1 minute 40.91 seconds set by Kenya’s David Rudisha at the 2012 London Olympics, and ahead of the USA’s Hobbs Kessler.
Elliot Giles’s YouTube update from the Swiss Alps.
Giles received his call-up to the Paris games just last week, following an injury to Jake Wightman while he was camping near Saint Moritz, preparing for the Diamond League.
In a YouTube video, he described the moment he got the unexpected call: “Imagine this: I’m alone in a tent in the Swiss Alps, believing my Olympic journey is done, my family has left, and I’m getting ready for the Diamond League final – trying to stay focused. Then suddenly, I receive a call from the head of endurance at British Athletics – I’ve just been handed a chance!”
Commentating on the BBC, Paula Radcliffe, the former women’s marathon world record holder, remarked: “Elliot Giles ran extremely strategically there. It’s a beneficial situation for him as he enters fresh and is taking advantage of this opportunity. He can assert, ‘I’m here too, and I want to progress.’”
Fellow Britons Ben Pattison and Max Burgin also progressed to the men’s 800m semi-finals after a successful outing in their respective heats.
