The European U20 cross nation silver medallist is making enormous progress coaching alongside Olympic 1500m champion
George Couttie claimed his first European medal in type on the European Cross Nation Championships in Antalya, sprinting to males’s U20 silver in a dramatic end towards Dutch star Niels Laros in December.
A key consider his success? Coaching beneath the steering of Ben Thomas, the identical coach behind 1500m Olympic champion Cole Hocker.
From Harrogate, Couttie joined Virginia Tech College final summer time after spending a 12 months in Charleston and, since then, he has taken enormous strides ahead, including that cross nation silver to a standout 12 months that additionally noticed him end 14th on the NCAA Cross Nation Championships and attain the 3000m closing on the World U20 Championships in Lima.
Now, as he enters his first monitor season with Virginia Tech, Couttie is aiming for nationwide titles and to proceed making his mark on the worldwide stage.
George Couttie (Virginia Tech)
How did you first get into athletics?
I used to run in class and do cross nation. I acquired fairly good at it and I began parkruns. I did the primary ever parkrun in my native space once I was 9 years previous and that’s how it began.
I didn’t begin monitor till lots in a while. That was as a result of, once I left college I couldn’t do cross nation all through the summer time so I picked it up, tried it out and actually loved it.
Why did you resolve to maneuver to Virginia Tech?
I spent a 12 months in Charleston in West Virginia after which transferred to Virginia Tech. The primary cause was due to Ben Thomas, who coaches Cole Hawker and Cooper Teare. The college has unbelievable amenities and I like the way in which Ben coaches. Some folks say it’s a bit totally different and bizarre nevertheless it actually works for me.
You don’t get the everyday coaching classes. It’s by no means: “Go do some 400ms on the monitor”, it’s at all times one thing totally different. We go from the cross nation course to the monitor and to the hills multi functional exercise. It’s by no means typical, it’s at all times bizarre and there’s at all times a twist.
It’s all various things that I’ve by no means accomplished earlier than and I actually like the concept of all of the cross coaching we do, as nicely. I’ve been fairly low mileage my complete life, I’ve by no means hit 100km every week till this 12 months.
What’s your relationship like with Ben?
He’s an fascinating coach. He won’t ever sugarcoat something to provide you loopy quantities of reward. If you get a nicely accomplished, you already know you’ve accomplished a extremely good job, which I actually like as an athlete. I like that he’s sincere and when he tells you which you could run a sure time, you already know that it’s attainable, which provides you plenty of confidence going into races.
George Couttie (Gary Mitchell)
What’s it like coaching alongside Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare?
We regularly do exercises with the post-collegiates like Cole and Cooper. More often than not they do the identical exercises as us, however generally it’ll be at totally different instances.
We’ll generally go on our future exercises with them. I bear in mind first getting right here and seeing him [Hocker] come to apply and it was a really cool second, however you do get used to it. It’s good to see them doing the identical stuff as you and provides you confidence when you’ve gotten the identical coach.
You see each Cole and Cooper who each dominated the faculty scene once they had been in faculty and now Cole’s profitable world medals and Cooper isn’t too far off. I believe it’s actually cool to see the coaching repay for them, realizing that it’s going to hopefully work simply as nicely for me.
How did it really feel to win the European Cross U20 silver medal?
It was a loopy confidence booster simply to have the ability to compete with a tremendous athlete [like Niels Laros]. Straight after the race I used to be irritated since you are in a race to win and also you don’t need to come second. The dash end is certainly going to carry onto me for a bit however I’ll be again and hopefully be capable of race him once more on the monitor and possibly will probably be a distinct story.
However in hindsight it was nonetheless a tremendous consequence and it was very nice to point out how good my kind is outdoors of the UK. I’ve been on a pair groups however I really feel like I’ve by no means been in a position to carry out to the extent that I’ve been at and that was the primary time I believed I confirmed what I used to be able to.
Niels Laros (Getty)
Who do you look as much as?
Clearly Mo Farah. He was the one athlete I actually knew again then and I at all times seemed as much as him as a child and browse his guide.
I look as much as George Mills now. He lives close to the place my household are within the UK and he used to run on the identical membership I did [Harrogate]. His previous coach was my previous coach and I believe he’s a tremendous athlete and he’s tremendous devoted.
Would you suggest the collegiate route?
I’d positively suggest it however I’d additionally say watch out. You hear plenty of horror tales about folks going over to the US and hating each second of it. It’s good to discover the appropriate match. If it’s the proper match then will probably be one of the best determination you’ll ever make. Take your time, get to know the coaches, ask the appropriate questions and will probably be a tremendous selection.
What are your objectives for the 12 months forward?
Indoors, hopefully I can see how shut I can get to profitable a nationwide title, and even to qualify for the 3000m indoors [at the European Championships] could be good. Outdoor, I additionally need to see how shut I can get to profitable a title after which I’ll possibly even attempt for the Tokyo World group this summer time if the time is correct.
I’ve acquired a sense that I may have an opportunity to run possibly one of many qualifying requirements after which hopefully I can get myself there. If not, then the European U23 Championships will certainly be on the playing cards.
This interview first appeared within the February problem of AW journal, which you should purchase right here