From camping break to last minute Olympic call-up

Elliot Giles ran in the men's 800m after another athlete had to pull out

A late call-up for the Olympics meant Birmingham's Elliot Giles had not had time to get too worried about it, according to a former coach.

Giles, who was not expecting to be part of the 2024 games, ran in the men's 800m after another Team GB athlete, Jake Wightman, had to pull out due to injury.

The athlete had been camping in the Swiss Alps when he got called to Paris.

"He has had six days preparation while other people have been looking at it for weeks and weeks and weeks," said Eddie Cockayne, from Birchfield Harriers in Perry Barr.

"It was a panic for him, he'd gone to Saint Moritz to do some altitude training for a future race after the Olympics when he got the call," said Mr Cockayne.

Fortunately, the runner's wife and two children had already gone home, but he had been "stuck there" with his tent and dog, he added.

The tent is still on the Swiss campsite while his dog is being looked after by a local until he can return.

His former coach said having so little time to prepare for the Olympics could work both ways.

"He'd done no speed work, as he was expecting to be racing 1500m in a few weeks time," he said, "But to be honest, I think it has cut out an awful lot of stress."

Mr Cockayne said Elliot, who came second in the men's 800m heat on Wednesday to get to Friday's semi-final, "ran beautifully, and I think he is really looking forward to it."

He ended up finishing fifth in the semi-final and his time was not good enough to be one of the fastest outside the top two from each heat to make the final.

The runner, who was badly injured in a motorbike crash in Birmingham in 2014, has been "at the top level since 2016 and it is a long time to be at the top," said his former coach.

"He has been so consistent, in between the odd calf injury, he's had a fantastic career really."