Athletics and training

Controlled van Commenee undaunted by Olympic challenge (BBC )

For a man in charge of Britain’s most high-profile squad at the country’s
biggest ever sporting spectacle, Charles van Commenee cuts a commendably cool
figure.

“I’m quite relaxed now,” he says, perched on a stool in the athletes’ lounge
at Lee Valley High Performance Centre. “99% of the work is done, so I’m of
quite a peaceful mind.”

There are now just 100 days to go until the opening ceremony at the London
Olympics. But Van Commenee, head coach at UK Athletics, charismatic martinet,
insists there are no sleepless nights.

British Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee has set his Olympics team a
target of eight medals at the London Games – double that won at Beijing four
years ago. Photo: Getty

“I’m too tired to wake up in the middle of the night,” he tells me, blinking
from behind his Buddy Holly black-rimmed spectacles.

“One of the key things in elite sport, and maybe in life, is that you should
only bother about the things you can influence, not the things that you can’t.

“I always say to the athletes, you’ll wake up tomorrow and see the Olympic
flame. So, are you ready? I’m fully aware …

BBC

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