Rio miss gave Solomon perspective on London run

Steve Solomon is a smart young man, but it took him four years and the hurt of missing out on the Rio Olympics to truly understand how wonderful his effort was to make the 400m final in London.

The pre-med student athlete on scholarship at Stanford is well and truly on his way back from a rough few years following his breakout performances in the English capital that saw him dip under the 45-second barrier.

Expectations on what might have followed his appearance in the final as a raw 19-year-old in 2012 could not have been higher, particularly off the back of a world junior championships bronze medal.

That only further highlighted how great his performance on debut at the Olympics was when qualification for Rio was missed.

“No words can really do justice to this question,” Solomon replied when asked how he reacted to not competing in Rio.

“It was tough, not just for me, but for everybody on my team and who were invested in my journey.

“However, missing out on Rio did give me perspective on how magical my run in London was, I don't think I have ever been more aware of what I achieved until I went through the pains of last year.”

Since London, Solomon has competed for Australia in the final of the 4x400m relay at the world championships in 2013 and Commonwealth Games the following year where he was unable to finish his 400m semi-final, tearing his hamstring mid-race.

Now he is in Sydney for the national championships this weekend aiming for a fifth Australian title that could qualify him for a return to that stadium in East London for the upcoming world championships.

Six years after winning his first national crown at just 17, Solomon, still under the guidance of long-time coach Iryna Dvoskina, will start these championships with a season’s best of 46.18 run in the US in early March.

Now a 23-year-old with a wealth of experiences on and off the track, both good and bad, Solomon is steeled and full of confidence leading in to a fresh Olympic cycle as the number one ranked Australian.

“Things have been going well on the track this year,” he said.

“I think a large part of this is just being back in an environment that I love and being surrounded by my best friends.

“Training has been a lot of fun and although I have been practising in a beanie and tights, I think that I am in a good position to run well this weekend at the national championships.”

London really was magical for Solomon, clocking a personal best of 44.97 in the semi-final and then producing his second fastest ever time of 45.14 in an Olympic final as a teenager the following evening in front of a full stadium in Stratford.

Yet the following seasons were severely limited on the track with a string of injuries and the adjustment to life on campus in California, which undoubtedly tested his patience as an athlete who believes he can compete with the best.

“The last four years have been quite different from what I expected coming off my Olympic final berth in London,” Solomon explained.

“I think a combination of a new environment and some unfortunate injuries have dampened my ability to perform on the track.

“Having said that, I am confident that I can get back into the shape that I found myself in London and hope this weekend can be a good step towards doing so.”

The last twelve months have been more than positive for the sprinter from Sydney, despite the Rio blip, running under 46 seconds in seven of his 13 races around the world last season.

“I think only a few of my races last year were slower than 45, and I certainly feel comfortable at that speed,” Solomon said.

“I am trusting that the consistency will help launch me into the 44's and from there, hoping that the stars align to throw me into the mix with the big boys.”

It is obvious Solomon is a meticulous athlete, he trusts his coach and the process that if he works as hard as he can at the right times he will fulfil his potential on the track and also in the classroom.

His first few seasons competing for Stanford as a Cardinal were not nearly as good as he hoped, but his college experience has become a lot brighter since.

“Life outside of running has never been better,” Solomon said.

“I love the environment that I am in at Stanford and have made the best friends and mentors that I could ever dream for.

“When I am not running or studying, you will probably find me at the Stanford Law School with a book in my hand or walking around campus with my best mate Dylan.”

Although he is stubbornly dedicated to running as fast as he can, training to the point where he is physically ill, Solomon does not live and die as an athlete with a dream time or medal that must be attained.

“I don't have any unconditional goals that keep me running,” Solomon reasoned.

“As long as I am still motivated, I will continue to push myself on the track… I draw motivation from a lot of different areas, so I don't envision stopping anytime soon.

“I have not put too many goals on this season outside of staying healthy and doing what I can to continue the form that I showed last season.

“If I can do this, I know that London will be a successful championships.”

Solomon believes his best is yet to come and he will run faster than he did in London, but in his relative absence from the world stage the 400m event has progressed a considerable amount.

Last year alone, a grand total of 24 athletes ran faster than his personal best of 44.97 and the world record was lowered to a stunning mark of 43.03 when Wayde van Niekerk won gold in Rio.

“It is at another level right now,” Solomon said of the 400m.

“I don't know where it has come from, but it certainly is very exciting and motivating.

“I know that I can compete with these guys, so for them to keep pushing the bar is only making me more determined to get back into shape and on to the track with them as soon as possible.”

The training program used to prepare for Rio has been tweaked and a full year of racing in the books will hopefully lead to a better result in London.

“Although it was disappointing not to have been in Rio, I am really proud of the effort that my team and I gave to the journey,” Solomon said.

“While we might do things a little differently in the future (hindsight is 20/20), we don't regret anything, which allows us all to sleep at night and move on from the disappointment very efficiently and effectively.

“It would be a wonderful start to the season (with a national title) as I take enormous pride in our national championships and I am looking forward to defending my title and hopefully adding an another on Saturday night.”