Nolan free of injury and thrilled to be back racing
He admitted last night that no matter what happens he is just glad to be back running again.
"At the end of last season I contemplated packing it in all together," Nolan said. "Things were bad. I had this problem with my hip, and when you have an injury like that it affects your head. I was going nowhere."
Nolan decided on one last throw of the dice and set off for South Africa where he could train at altitude, possibly race, if he got his injury sorted out and maybe get his career back on track.
"To be honest I went out there crocked and with little hope. But I went out there with James McIlroy and I was hoping I could turn things around," he said.
Things began to look up when he discovered the problem with his hip joint and set about getting it treated. "It was slow at first but the treatment worked and I got back training. There was a great group there apart from James (McIlroy), Sepeng and Andre Bucher was there. I found myself working with a very high quality group.
"Okay, I was in pain when I got up in the morning, and there are times when I still feel it, but I know I am getting there."
He put the finishing touches to his training when he won a dogged 1,500m in 3:41.93 at the Grand Prix in Stellenbosch.
"The conditions were dreadful rain and wind and the pacemaker did nothing, so I was left in the lead dragging them around. But I won and it gave me new hope.
"Now I am here, facing a world championship, and no matter what happens I am just thrilled to be back running again."
A silver medallist at the European under-23 championships in 1999, he followed that up with a silver in the 1,500m at the European indoor championships the following year.
Today will be a hectic day for the Irish athletes in Birmingham. Ciara Sheehy, Gary Ryan and Paul Brizzell have early morning heats in the 200m (9.15am). Like Nolan, Ryan is enjoying a new lease of life, but that goes back to last year's European championships in Munich where he made the semi-finals.
"I have come here pain free and that means a lot," Ryan said yesterday.
"I take things as they come these days, but the fact that I have been injury free means so much."
This year he became the first Irishman to break 21 seconds indoors when he set an Irish record at 20.99 seconds, but that was reclaimed by Brizzell who ran 20.75.
Sheehy is currently ranked 15th in the world (23.12) and her coach Jim Kilty predicts she is ready to break 23.10 here.
"I will need a fast time to get through the heats as they are only using four of the six lanes with 12 to go through to the semi-finals," Sheehy said.
"And I am not looking forward to running so early in the morning."
Ireland will have two representatives in this evening's heats of the 400m (4.35pm), Paul McKee and Dave McCarthy who, like Ryan, is a product of the Hayley and Drew Harrison team at UL.
McKee, having his first indoor season, has been turning out fast times across Europe and is currently ranked 25th in the world on his new Irish indoor record of 46.54, which he ran in Stockholm last month. He has a chance of going through to the final.
So too does Karen Shinkins, bronze medallist at last year's European indoor championships. She arrives here as something of an unknown quantity this year, having run just two races 52.80 and 52.85 before leaving the US. But her experience at this level will stand to her when she goes to the line at 1.10 pm.
Maria McCambridge goes in the 3,000m with heats scheduled for this evening (7.21pm) while Maria Lynch has opted for the 1,500m tomorrow.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
