New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish celebrates winning gold in the 1500m at the World Indoor Athletics Championships, 2024, Glasgow Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Training has been a challenge for Olympic bound steeplechaser George Beamish in recent weeks.
Beamish is preparing for his first Olympics after taking the sport by storm over recent years with multiple national records and a gold medal in the 1500m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March.
The 27-year-old picked up a bug almost a month ago and admits he was laid low for a while.
"Man I was hit with probably the sickest I've ever been in the last five years or so," Beamish told RNZ.
"Fever, headaches, all kind of cold symptoms and for whatever reason I haven't really been able to shake it the last few weeks."
Despite the illness he doesn't feel it has affected his preparation for the Olympics.
"Everything is still going to plan.
"I didn't put too many races on the schedule, the plan was to run two Diamond League steeples Stockholm (June 2) and Paris (July 7) and so it's still going to plan."
Beamish is at his base in Colorado putting miles in his legs.
"Just have a couple of good training blocks basically, all of June before Paris Diamond League and then all of July before the Olympics
"I wanted to minimise travel to races where you lose a couple of days of training, so just trying to be at my best in August in Paris."
George Beamish crosses the line in fifth place in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Hungary. Photo: Michael Dawson
Beamish was eligible to be selected for three events at the Paris Olympics (1500m and 5000m), but because of scheduling he was selected only for the 3000m steeplechase.
He finished fifth in the 3000m at the 2023 World Championships and then stunned the field in the 1500m at the World Indoors earlier this year.
He will become the first New Zealand steeplechaser at an Olympic Games in 40 years.
Beamish is the national record holder in both the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m.
The first round of the steeplechase in Paris is on 5 August with the final on the 7 August.