PERHAPS it’s no surprise that Laura Nicholson landed in Hong Kong on the same day she learned she had secured her place at the World Athletics Championships – she has been moving at pace all season.
Earning her place on the start line for the women’s 1500m at the Worlds in Tokyo is the reward for a breakthrough season for the Ballinascarthy woman.
In her senior year at the University of Toledo in Ohio, Nicholson lived up to the college’s nickname – she was a Rocket on the track – and collected awards and records, including her 1500m personal best of 4:07.17 in April.
The Bandon AC athlete ran two more 4:07s during the summer – 4:07.92 at the Morton Games and 4:07.91 in Oordegem – opening the door to her first World Athletics Championships, as the B qualifying standard was 4:08.
‘I’m delighted,’ Nicholson told The Southern Star from her Hong Kong training camp ahead of moving on to Tokyo this week.
‘I raced a lot all summer trying to make the quota, so to finally do it was a huge relief. It was all very last minute, but I was really happy,’ she added, with her 1500m title success at the national championships in August another highlight.
Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC) celebrates winning the senior women's 1500m national title.(Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)
‘It’s my first major championship, so just the whole experience really excites me. Being able to step up to senior level will be really cool, and the experience I’ll gain will be so valuable.’
This is a chance for Nicholson to perform on the world stage, and she feels ready to grab it. Given she’s now 25, she’s also at a stage of her career where she can appreciate this even more.
‘It kind of snuck up on me because the Worlds wasn’t really on my radar, even after I ran the B-standard. But it’s all coming together at the right time,’ she said.
‘You can only be “up and coming” for so long. If you want to go pro, you already have to be good – they won’t give contracts just hoping you’ll get there. So I’m really happy with the season.’
Nicholson admits she doesn’t yet know what her athletics future looks like beyond these Worlds, but qualifying for the biggest event of the year will put her on the radar.
‘I’m talking to a few people about different options, but I haven’t made any decisions yet,’ she said, though her upward curve this season suggests there’s more to come.
‘I’ve been getting a bit fitter these last few years and seeing the pieces come together. You can’t ask for more than improving every year – which I’ve been doing. So I’m happy.’
Adjusting to the humidity in Hong Kong and Tokyo has been a challenge, but Nicholson can’t wait to be at the start line for her 1500m heat on Saturday. Rewind a few months, she didn’t expect to be here – but now that she is, the Ballinascarthy woman wants to make her mark on the world stage.
