Mohamed Katirworld runner-up in the 5,000 meters, rates his last season “ten out of ten”, assuring EFE that he has not yet reached his ceiling as an athlete and in the medium term he aims to beat his great rival on the track, the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsensomething that if achieved at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games would be “brutal.”
Katir, 25 years old, is the main reference in the middle distance of Spain at the moment. Despite his youth, he has four international medals on his record, which include silver at the last World Cup in Budapest in the 5,000, gold at this year’s European Games in Chorzow (Poland) in the 1,500, silver in the 5,000 at the European Games . of Munich 2022 and bronze at the World Championships in Eugene (United States) in 2022 also in the 1,500.
The Spaniard, European record holder in the 5,000 outdoors (12:45.01) and 3,000 indoors (7:24.68), is in full preparation for next season, with the main goal being the European Championships in Rome in June. and the Paris Olympics next month.
Q: At what point are you?
A: I’m training, I’m in a load moment. I put in more miles than a marathoner.
Q: Did you take a vacation after the World Cup in Budapest?
A: I spent fifteen days doing nothing, totally disconnected.
Q: What do you plan to do until the end of the year?
S: I will run some cross country, in Itálica or Soria, and to close the year of San Silvestre Vallecano (won in 2021). I love the experience of closing the year in that race and if it can be in victory, so much the better.
Q: How do you see 2024?
A: I don’t have any short-term goals until the summer comes with the European Championships in Rome and the Olympic Games in Paris. Until the off track preparation comes, I’ll load up and we’ll see the rest.
Q: Do you have the Indoor World Championships in Glasgow at the beginning of March in mind?
A: It depends on how I am. If I’m so good, I obviously have to run it. I am going with the Games mentality but if I am in the same state of form as in Lievin (in March 2023 I broke the European indoor record) I will go to the World Cup because I will achieve something.
Q: Is there more or less time left for Paris in your mind?
A: It’s been a long time. If I’m honest, I don’t think about the Games until the season comes. I have no stress or nerves. I went quietly without thinking about the future. I want to keep my feet in the present and where I am.
Q: Are you more excited about the Paris Games than the Tokyo Games?
A: The Games are the Games but it is very sad that there are no people in Tokyo because of the pandemic. Paris is going to be amazing.
Q: Is your family in Paris?
A: I don’t think I can handle it. It is very expensive to go there because of the price of hotels, tickets, the trip. Games are made for people who can afford it. They cost a lot. There are French people who complain about the prices, so I can’t imagine for us village people.
Q: 2023 is a good year. What grade do you give it?
A: Ten out of ten. It has been incredible. From indoor track to outdoor and including cross country because I ran the European Championship in Turin. It is great.
Q: Where is your room for improvement?
A: I don’t know. I want to train, obviously very hard, make it hard, but also do it calmly and with peace. Thanks to that there is an incredible improvement. I haven’t reached my ceiling yet, I have tremendous room for improvement.
Q: Can you beat Ingebrigtsen in 2024?
A: I hope I can and especially in the Games, it will be brutal. It was a challenge for me but also for him because the rest of us are not lame. He knows that there are athletes who are not just another, but his rival.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
