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She knuckles in, head down, pulling on those reserves to power ahead. The times we are running now must be well above European records. Even maybe World.
Lap 20 comes and goes and my body is utterly exhausted. The five of us become four. La Zorra for Spain drifts back and there is me, Jansen, Lavigne for France, and Ricci of Italy. Four nations battling it out now for three medals. Jansen has set an unforgiving pace; she has pushed us to the limits and now we all can only slow.
I try and settle into the new rhythm and let my body find that reserve that I should still have. I know the tactic, break away ahead with 5 and a half laps to go. But that is only 800m away and I don’t know how much I have left in me. Will I have any speed left in me by that point? Will it be enough to outpace the others? I start to whizz through the possible scenarios in my head and in all of them I feel the gold and silver slipping away. I make a choice to save my push for when there are 2 laps left to go.
As I approach two laps to go, I’m flagging, but I know I must do it. This is my time. I won’t get another. I know it. My coach knows it. Even Grandmama knows it in her heart; it is why she is here. And I have to do it.
Not for Dahlia, though I feel her eyes on me with every step I take.
This is for me and for my Grandmama.
I have to do it for the woman who has always believed in me, who invest her entire life in giving me all she could…
The moment my toe hits the white line with two laps to go. I push.
I have two laps left. 800metres.
I storm ahead of Jansen. I don’t know who breaks away with me. I feel the air behind me, though, the relentless pad of shoes on track and I know I am not alone. I want to look back, to see how many have come with me. How close they are. To see the pain in their eyes to know if they can keep up with me, if they want it as much as I do.
The meters count down and I run. I run like I have never run before, and I reach the white line again and the bell chimes. The crowd is on its feet; they have waited for this, the final lap. And I use that energy to push and push.
I feel the brush beside me. Ricci is there, but I have the advantage until the home straight; she has to take the wider corner or power ahead to overtake me, and I can see she is faltering. We are both running on nothing except I am on the inside with the advantage and I take it.
I stride longer, I gain those all-important inches whilst I can. I don’t want to bank on her not having the energy for a finish on the straight. I power around the inside. I don’t even feel the burn or the ache now. I am delirious, pushing myself to the absolute maximum.
The home stretch. The final straight.
She is there on the outside but that doesn’t matter now. We both have 100 meters to go.
We both have the chance. It is ours. Gold or Silver.
I am sure at that moment I hear the two women who love me shouting me home. Maybe it is an illusion. My brain telling me what I need to hear. But I can feel the screams from their lips. My name on their tongues. Love for me in their eyes. I run. I run so hard I feel like my legs will fall off. Like my lungs will give in. As though my heart will stop.
I don’t even know. I can’t process. I speed past the line and it takes me a second to stop. For my brain to comprehend that it is over, that I have finished my race.
I look up at the board and I wait. It takes an age. I can’t breathe even though my body has stopped, my limbs like jelly, and then it flashes on the billboard and the crowd erupts.
Gold: Sharpe Alexa
GBR
NEW WORLD RECORD 29:00.03*
I feel my legs give from under me, but before I reach the floor, arms scoop me up. A haze of red hair, pale skin, and adoring kisses. She covers me, holding my exhausted frame as she showers me in love.
“Alexa! You did it!” she screams. “You won! You are the fastest in the world! Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe it. You were incredible!” She gushes and I smile at her infectious euphoria. Turning, I see Andy and Grandmama making their way over. Slower, but I see they have just as much happiness and pride.
“Oh, Alexa,” Grandmama says and bursts into tears. Dahlia lets me go from her embrace but her fingers stay firmly laced with mine as I pull my grandmama in tight for a long hug.
“I am sorry, I am so sweaty,” I pant and she laughs.
“I am so proud of you. Your mom and dad must be screaming somewhere and bursting with pride. Oh, honey, you were amazing.”
“Alexa, you need to go for your final check-in,” Andy says with a smile, and I reluctantly untangle myself from hugs.
“How did I do, coach?” I ask with a wry smile and he offers me the biggest of compliments he has ever given me.
“You did the best in the world, Alexa.”
