RISING FROM THE ABYSS
AFTER THE DEVASTATION OF CONTROVERSIALLY BEING LEFT OUT OF THE OLYMPIC TEAM IN 2012, JADE LALLY IS IN THE FORM OF HER LIFE AND HEADING TO RIO
IAN LAMONT
ANGRY and fighting back the tears, Jade Lally made a vow after her appeal to compete in the London Olympics was rejected: Never again would she give the selectors an excuse to leave her out of a major championships.
The next four years have not exactly been plain sailing for Lally, 29, from Sussex. Her throws reached an annual plateau of about 60 metres, while a succession of operations for kidney stones and another to remove a benign tumour in her neck have not helped her progress.
Even so, there have been highs, including winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, when she became famous for taking selfies with the famous, from comedian John Bishop to cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins.
This year, however, has been momentous, starting with breaking the English record twice in three days in February and then finally realising her Olympic dream at the UK Championships in Birmingham, by finishing in the top two to confirm her place in the team for Rio.
Jade Lally: the English record-holder missed out on the London 2012 Olympic Games but took the decision out of the selector’s hands for the Rio Games this summer
IAN STRATTON & MARK SHEARMAN