Beijing 2022 Day 5 Short Track Speed Skating
Comments from Team GB's Farrell Treacy, after he finished ninth in the 1500m final, and Kathryn Thomson, who missed out on on qualification from her 1000m heat.
Farrell Treacy
Age: 26 Hometown: Henley-in-Arden
Result: 9th
On the race
"It's mixed emotions. Going to an A final, you obviously want to be in the best shape possible and I always knew in the back of my head that it was maybe not the case.
"That was a little bit annoying, but being in an Olympic final is a massive achievement, a massive achievement for my sport.
"Hopefully everyone at home who's associated with short track speed skating, that's been part of my journey - coaches, athletes and things - can be quite proud of that. Hopefully I've done them justice."
On the semi-final from which Treacy was advanced after a coming together
"The plan was to get to the front. We thought the pace wasn't going to be that fast.
"I tried to get myself in a good position, I did all those things. I put myself at the front of the race, I saw Yuri [Confortola] coming round the outside and was going to use him, also trying to make him work hard, again a little bit deeper.
"I was always ready for any kind of movement because I was looking for it.
"Then I saw Charles [Hamelin] make a move up the inside and I didn't want to let him pass.
"I knew somebody was coming around my outside and I blocked out the track thinking, 'he's going to pull out now, there's no way he's going to go for it', and he still went for it.
"I looked at my coach straight after and thought, 'is this an advancement?' and he nodded his head.
"I looked seconds after, we made eye-contact because you know where your coach is and he was like, 'yes.'
"Then I'm in the final and I'm thinking about staying in the race and not using too much energy in the semi, because you know what's going to happen unless the referee makes a crazy call.
"To get the announcement of the advancement was fine."
On what he was thinking going into the first ten-man final ever
"You know there's going to be carnage. I'd had two quite fast races and I was quite tired going in there, so you know saving energy is going to be key.
"I was just trying to stay out of trouble, there were people trying to steal places and I just didn't want to get involved with any of it really. Try to save things and see where I was at the end.
"As it proved, it was just a bit too much for me today. I can safely say that I've made an Olympic final and I'm quite proud of that."
On trying to pull off a shock in the final
"I was hoping that the race wouldn't go so fast, there would be a little bit more fighting and to be there and maybe take advantage of a couple of bumps.
"It was a 2:08, 2:09 race and you'd need a world record, it's always going to be tough to be around that especially given two big performances.
"It was always going to be hard."
On his journey to the Games
"I haven't thought about it but when I really sit down and think about everything that happened in the last four years, it's been a rollercoaster - more than you can imagine.
"I can say I've made a final as well as been to the Olympics, and rubbed shoulders with the best in the world."
On getting through injuries, lack of funding and Covid
"There have been so many periods where I'm thinking someone up there is trying to tell me that this sport isn't for me, it's not made for me.
"I love this sport, this is what I want to do. When I'm healthy, there have been times I've put out some pretty good performances and I'm thinking I can do something.
"That keeps on driving you. To get to an Olympic final, and be a finalist, it makes it worth it, yeah."
On putting the 1000m where he went for the line a lap early behind him
"I still can't even explain what happened in that first race.
"I still can't work it out - I never even thought that was going to be a possibility, to do that. It's nice that won't be what people remember!
"This was the thing that will stick in people's mind. I still can't believe what I did in that first race."
On a positive result after a tough recent time for the team
"The main thing is that everyone associated with short track speed skating in Britain in the last few years has had an excruciating time.
"Hopefully some of the guys and girls at home are looking at what I did and thinking why not.
"They're looking at Elise and thinking why can't they do that. Hopefully some of the kids are wondering whether they can come and do better."
Kathryn Thomson
Age: 26 Hometown: Kilmarnock
Result: 4th in 1:30.037 in her 1000m heat, 0.03 off her PB. She will finish her games with the 1500m on Wednesday
On the performance after virtually equalling her personal best in a race where a new Olympic record was set
"I'm quite chuffed with myself. I finished the race and just being here at the Olympics having qualified, I'm just so happy with that. So, to race against these girls I feel so lucky.
"I just felt like I couldn't quite settle with the pace and that's OK because I was quite stretched.
"With the build-up I've had, I'm quite happy to be able to equal my PB so overall, it's a positive."
On closing the gap
"I think I need a little bit more of a consistent training base leading up to it for sure. I've had a bumpy couple of months so it's probably not helped.
"But I think even if I'd had a smooth couple of months leading up to this, that was an incredibly fast race, so I'm not sure.
"I just missed training with small niggles, nothing that big or bad at all."
On enjoying the Olympic experience
"Absolutely. Short track is such a crazy sport - that's the beauty of it sometimes, how unpredictable it can be. I've really enjoyed doing the races and watching them."
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