| IT'S A MIRACLE I'M
HERE AT ALL- But I am fitter than I was in Sydney says Denise
By AFP
Sunday, August 15, 2004
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DENISE LEWIS
Photo By AFP |
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DENISE LEWIS insists it is a "miracle" she has
made the Olympics after the four rollercoaster years since
she gloriously struck gold in Sydney.
In that time, Lewis has become a mother, battled a catalogue
of injuries and just three weeks ago was on crutches believing
her dreams of retaining her Olympic heptathlon title were
finished.
Even her coach, Charles van Commenee, completely wrote off
her chances earlier this year insisting her form was "terrible"
and not good enough to get her to Athens.
But having overcome so many obstacles, Lewis believes she
is in even better physical and mental shape than she was in
Sydney and insists she has still got her sights set on completing
a remarkable double.
Lewis, 31, was wearing an ice pack and heavy bandage support
around her troublesome left foot as she spoke yesterday at
the British team's training base in Paphos.
"It's a miracle I'm here at all," she said. "It's
a miracle because every time I think I cannot have another
setback, it's like, 'oh no, here we go again'.
"My left foot has always been a problem and we know it's
vulnerable. But I never saw the injury coming when I was hurt
at the trials in Manchester four weeks ago.
"A couple of days after the injury I did not think I
would make it. But at this stage I feel confident and I'm
ready to go.
"My shape has really come through. It's been a rollercoaster
year. But I'm in a lot better physical shape than I was in
Sydney."
Lewis was relaxed yesterday as she prepared for the Games.
In Paphos she is free from the everyday stresses of juggling
her athletics career with being mother to two-year-old Lauren,
confident about her fitness and away from the controversy
that has dogged the past three years.
Lewis dumped Ekkart Arbeit - the controversial former East
German coach - in favour of Dutchman van Commenee who believes
she will win a medal.
Van Commenee said: "I expect Denise to get a medal based
on what I've seen in training, based on her mental strength
and attitude."
But this time, she starts as underdog to Sweden's reigning
world champion Carolina Kluft. However, Lewis insists she
is only worried about her own form.
Lewis said: "You are talking about one athlete when people
should look at the event overall. The event has come on over
the last two years but I'm ready for the challenge."
But if van Commenee is encouraging about Lewis's chances,
he is positively scathing about Britain's other heptathlete
Kelly Sotherton.
Van Commenee said: "I expect her to finish in the top
eight. But she has not shown anything that makes me think
she can medal."
Sotherton, 27, insists he was probably playing "mind
games".
She said: "He is always brutal and that has probably
made me a better athlete. He plays mind games and wants me
to go out and prove him wrong."
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