The quarantine experience has become routine for those travelling the world to play or watch sport during the coronavirus crisis.
It has been that way in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics. Depending on which country you arrive from, there may be a period of isolation to tolerate before being allowed to participate in the Games.
This has been the case for Stats Perform's journalist on the ground, Peter Hanson, who is approaching the end of a three-day quarantine at his hotel in order to comply with the rules for UK residents working in a media capacity in the Japanese capital.
Here, he provides five tips on how to survive quarantine…
Tip 1: Binge on Netflix
Admittedly this isn't a particularly novel idea but when you're pretty much confined to a hotel room for three days what better way to pass the time than with some easy watching?
It doesn't have to be Netflix…there are plenty of other streaming services available of course. But, right now I'm powering through the US version of The Office (even if that makes me feel a little traitorous towards the original UK edition, which – sorry folks – remains the significantly better show).
Tip 2: Reading
It's good to come prepared. Having undertaken a 12-and-a-half-hour flight to get to Tokyo before the three days of isolation even began, having a good book (or even a bad one really) just made good sense.
I'm a big fan of Harlan Coben's work, so with me in Tokyo is his thriller 'The Boy in the Woods', and also a book about the world's greatest football team…Sheffield Wednesday, penned by Sheffield Star journalist Alex Miller.
Tip 3: Bring out the bangers…
Admittedly this tip comes on the back of a bit of a head loss…but when in the moment, you have to fully embrace it folks!
Crack on with your Spotify, your Apple Music, or wherever you get your tunes from and let the music take control! Friday's morning get-up song for me belonged to Ronan Keating because, well, life is a rollercoaster right now…
Tip 4: Sick tricks!
This one is inspired by one of my best friends back home, who will often yell "sick tricks!" before doing something pretty juvenile or a very basic skill with the confidence and gusto of a trapeze artist… and it gets a laugh from me pretty much every time.
Luckily, just before I left my house in Sheffield I spotted a tennis ball to take with me and – recalling the feats of skills posted by several ATP and WTA stars online during their own Australian Open quarantines – decided to have a go at some of my own tennis-ball tricks…it did not go particularly well.
Tip 5: Work, work, work...
No, not the Rihanna song... although playing that on repeat would absolutely be a great way to spend your time in quarantine.
What I'm alluding to is the fact that at some point during a three-day quarantine, some work will have to be done.
Only, in this case I got distracted by my Football Manager save and decided that was also a pretty decent way to kill some time…
Tamirat Tola aims to follow New York success with victory in London Marathon
Tamirat Tola feels a carefully planned build-up will give him every chance of adding the London Marathon title to his success in New York.
The 32-year-old Ethiopian – world champion from 2022 in Oregon – clocked a new course record of two hours, four minutes and 58 seconds when he won in Manhattan during November last year.
Tola hopes his meticulous preparations will allow him to again hit top form as he aims to be the first over the finish line on the Mall on Sunday afternoon, having come third last year.
“(Winning in) London is not easy, but I worked hard to win New York and my training has all been OK since then, so I am ready,” said Tola, who also took the 2023 Great North Run title.
“Everything is good with what my coaches have prepared for me to win, so we can hope for a good result on Sunday.”
The late Kelvin Kiptum, who was killed in a car accident in February at the age of 24, set a new London Marathon record with victory last year.
While that mark of 2hrs 1min and 25secs is unlikely to be tested on Sunday, Tola is still confident of a swift pace.
“If we go together to help each other, then we will run with a better time,” Tola said.
“It depends on a pacemaker, but it is OK for me to go fast, and if it is a normal (pace) then that is also OK for me.”
Emile Cairess will lead Britain’s hopes in the elite men’s race, having finished sixth on his debut last year.
Cairess is aiming to better the Olympic qualifying mark to join training partner Phil Sesemann in the Team GB squad for Paris.
View this post on Instagram
The 26-year-old, though, also has one eye on a long-term target of breaking Sir Mo Farah’s six-year-old British marathon record, which was set in Chicago.
“I have a time in my head. I will be trying to run maybe about three-minute kilometres,” Cairess said.
“Mo’s British record is something I definitely want to beat in the near future, but I am not looking at that this weekend.”
Scottish marathon record-holder Callum Hawkins will make his return in London following a number of injury setbacks, which included ankle surgery after the Tokyo Olympics.
Marc Scott, winner of the Great North Run in 2021, is set for a marathon debut, along with Mahamed Mahamed.
In the elite women’s race, world record holder Tigst Assefa hopes to produce a new women’s-only best time.
“I was very happy in breaking the world record. Also I got a lot of praise and encouragement from people around me afterwards, that was very important for me,” said Assefa, who will compete in her first London Marathon.
“My training has gone really well and I have done all the training that has been set by my coach. I feel I am ready for the race on Sunday.”
British athletes Becky Briggs and Alice Wright will also be in the elite field, along with Anya Culling, Rachel Hodgkinson, Helen Gaunt, Mhairi Maclennan and Lucy Reid.
David Weir will make his 25th consecutive London Marathon appearance, which he last won in 2018, with Switzerland’s Marcel Hug again the man to beat in the elite men’s wheelchair race.
Weir, 44, changed to a carbon fibre chair this winter, and finished third at the Boston Marathon on April 15.
“Hopefully I can get another one (London Marathon victory). Maybe not on Sunday, we will see,” he said. “It depends on that machine down there to be honest.”
Ta Lou, Coleman, Blake and Watson confirmed for Jamaica Athletic Invitational on May 11
The excitement for the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational on May 11 continues to build as standout Ivory Coast sprinter Marie-José Ta Lou has been confirmed to join the star-studded lineup for this prestigious event in Kingston.
Alongside Ta Lou, other renowned athletes such as Christian Coleman, Antonio Watson, and Akeem Blake will grace the track, promising a thrilling mix of elite track and field competition and entertainment. Marvin Anderson, the Athletes Liaison, is curating an impressive list of participants that he believes will meet the high expectations for this exciting sporting event.
The Jamaica Athletics Invitational will feature a lineup of 10 track events and four field events, showcasing the talents of top athletes from around the globe. Fans can anticipate high-stakes competition and exceptional performances as athletes vie for victory on the track and in the field.
Tickets for this highly anticipated event will go on sale online starting April 22. Attendees will have the option to choose from two categories of grandstand tickets priced at $3,000 and $2,500, while entry to the bleachers will be free of charge.
The stage is set for an electrifying evening of athletics at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, and fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to witness world-class athletes in action at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Roshawn Clarke poised to shock himself at Velocity Fest Meeting in Kingston on Saturday
Roshawn Clarke, the World U20 400m hurdles record holder, is brimming with confidence as he gears up for the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston this Saturday. Clarke, who shattered Winthrop Graham’s 30-year-old national record of 47.60 with a remarkable time of 47.34 at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, is eyeing a podium finish at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
The 19-year-old sprinter is excited to demonstrate his current form and fitness, hinting at potentially running either the 400m or the 200m at the Velocity Fest meeting. Clarke's recent performances have been promising, with a strong 400m season opener of 46.05 on February 10 and an identical time two weeks later. He has also run a nippy 20.69 over 200m in mid-March.
"I’m running fast. I ran my first race with a personal best as a season-opener. I repeated that exact time again so I am pretty confident, I am being consistent," Clarke shared during launch of the Racers Grand Prix on Tuesday. "I am running the 400m or the 200m this Saturday so I am just going there to enjoy myself and better my season’s best."
Clarke, who will turn 20 on July 1, is determined to lower his national record and challenge the world's top athletes like world-record holder and three-time world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, the USA’s Rai Benjamin and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, the 2022 champion. These formidable competitors have all clocked times under 47 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
"In Paris, the big three won’t go any slower than 46 so I am stronger now," Clarke explained. "My speed is very much improved right now, probably if I contest the 200m this weekend I will probably shock myself, again and my coach with how fast I am in training."
With high expectations for himself and a focus on execution, Clarke is poised to make waves and as he fine-tunes his skills at the Velocity Fest meeting, fans and competitors alike eagerly anticipate his performance and potential for achieving new personal milestones.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
