NICK PERCY is much more prepared for a World Championships second time around after losing that star-struck sensation.
The discus dynamo plans to survive tonight’s qualifying round and advance into Tuesday’s final in Oregon after extending his Scottish record to 65.00 metres in landing his fifth British title last month.
That is a massive uptick in his expectations from London in 2017 when he was handed a last-minute invite by organisers with 48 hours’ notice due to a late vacancy in the field. And the Glaswegian admits he was more of a fan boy when he arrived and began to mix with the big names he had only seen on TV.
“People like Dina Asher-Smith and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey who you’ve never seen in person, suddenly, boom, you’re in a team room sitting next to them for breakfast or just having a chat in the lift. It all seems so surreal and not normal but the experience was incredible.
“Then you’re aware of these challenges when you actually want to prepare for a championship. In 2017, I was not ready. This year I feel very ready, very prepared knowing I won’t feel nervous going into the call room or being around all these big boys. I’ve done a Diamond League against them this year, competitions abroad, Continental Tour meets. And beaten a lot of them as well. So I feel very confident in what I can do.”
Percy, 27, trains near his family home on the Isle of Wight. Throwing has taken him all over the world, including a four-year stint in the USA on a scholarship to the University of Nebraska. Consequently, these worlds feel like a homecoming. Even though Hayward Field has been completely renovated for these championships, the stadium is stacked with happy memories.
“I won my American collegiate title here back in 2016,” Percy says. “But it does feel weird being back here as a professional athlete instead of just as a collegiate athlete. It’s like I have gone full circle in that I was here as a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior and then suddenly I’m here as a pro.
“It is very strange to be back in the States competing, especially when I did some competitions back in April in California and saw a lot of these old coaches that I used to know and guys that I used to compete against.”
Percy’s progress stalled upon his return to the UK. His then-coach Vesteinn Hafsteinsson was based in Sweden. Connecting in person was sporadic. Since putting his mechanics in the hands of his occasional rival Zane Duquemin, the gains have returned. After waiting six years to improve his personal best, he has upped it four times this summer.
“We had three, four years of a lot of struggle,” the Scot says. “So it’s been a long road.”
It was either “stubbornness or passion,” he says that kept him from opting to quit.
“Many people have said, ‘why don’t you stop when you have a PB set when you’re 19 years old … why are you still doing this?’ Well, I love the sport too much. And I know I’ve still got so much more to do. At least this year, things are starting to show more. And there’s a lot more to come.”
