Stewart McSweyn flies to Europe for athletic resumption

Already dealing with the postponement of what were set to be his maiden Olympic Games and the escalating coronavirus crisis in Victoria, the 25-year-old has chosen to embark on a potentially-hazardous international schedule in a bid to improve his status at the elite level.

In the week when he should have been competing in Tokyo, McSweyn flew to Europe to join the world's top distance runners as they return to competition.

With COVID-19 still gripping the world, Melbourne-based McSweyn acknowledges it is a risky venture, but where better to take a gamble than Monte Carlo?

"I've been training hard so am in good shape but just want more racing opportunities," he said this week.

"Everything has been different in Melbourne with the stage 4 lockdown so I'm kind of lucky to get out because it's not quite as strict in the UK so hopefully I can do more running."

Of all the Tasmanians impacted by the decision to postpone the Olympics for a year, few were in better form than McSweyn.

The man from King Island had been crowned Australian champion over 5000 and 10,000 metres and was in the privileged position of choosing which of those distances or the 1500m he would target in Tokyo.

When the postponement was announced, the Launceston-born runner, who has competed at university, cross-country and track world championships, reverted to a domestic training regime with Nic Bideau's Melbourne Track Club.

But the imminent return of Diamond League competition prompted his flight to Europe on Wednesday.

Based in the London suburb of Teddington with international teammates Matt Ramsden, Ryan and Genevieve Gregson, McSweyn is scheduled to contest the 5000m in Monaco on August 14 after which his schedule is flexible but could include races from 1500m to 5000m in Marseilles, Stockholm, Ostrava, Zagreb and Doha.

"I'm pretty confident Monaco is going ahead but other events are still up in the air. At the moment, I'm looking at returning home at the end of September but will have to quarantine coming back and, depending on what other races go ahead, I might stay longer.

"It's easier to jump around to other races when you are over here and it depends what's going on in Australia in six weeks' time, but I will work it out.

"Depending how well I go in each distance will give me a good idea what I want to do in Tokyo, if the Olympics do go ahead."

McSweyn said it was rather surreal adjusting to contrasting COVID-19 conditions and temperatures topping 30 degrees in the English capital.

"The flights were good, the first was especially empty. Things are definitely not as strict in London compared to Australia, a lot more things are open like most businesses with people dining in cafes."

The Monaco race may prove to be worth the lengthy wait. Uganda's 10,000m world champion Joshua Cheptegei, who won the 5000 and 10,000m races which McSweyn contested at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, is understood to be targeting the 12:37.35 world record set by Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele back in 2004.

Ranked 14th in the world over the distance, McSweyn's target is his personal best of 13:05.23.

"It's going to be a really strong field and my form in training indicates I'm in PB shape so there is no reason why I cannot run a PB or even break 13 minutes if the race is fast enough so I really want it to go ahead."

Despite being in the form of his life, McSweyn is aware of the bigger picture.

A golden 18-month period leading into the coronavirus pandemic saw him set PBs at 1500m (3:31.81, July 2019), mile (3:54.60, August 2018), 3000m (7:34.79, July 2018), 5000m (13:05.23, August 2018), the Australian record of 27:23.80 for the 10,000m (December 2019) and 10km (28:03 at the Burnie Ten in October 2018).

"This is the fastest I've ever been but everything that's going on puts it into perspective because at the end of the day this is just sport. I'm young enough that I'll get other chances. I've got to adapt, move on and have other goals in the future."

Asked whether he believed the Olympics will go ahead in 2021, a year later than originally planned, he added: "Any athlete will say they are hopeful. The middle of next year is a long way away so I'm pretty hopeful it will still take place."