TOKYO – Welsh athlete Abigail Pawlett overcame a dramatic fall in the opening event of the heptathlon to achieve a personal best in the high jump, marking a significant psychological breakthrough after a six-year drought.
Pawlett’s performance at the Tokyo competition, despite being forced to withdraw from subsequent events, signals a potential turning point for the 23-year-old as she looks to build on the legacy of British heptathlon stars like Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson. The Chester-born athlete’s resilience and renewed confidence could propel her towards future success in the demanding multi-discipline event.
The initial fall during the hurdles brought Pawlett immediate attention, but it was her subsequent high jump performance that revealed her true character. “Disbelief was the first sort of emotion I felt after I fell on the hurdles,” Pawlett said. She received support from fellow competitors Jade O’Dowda and Johnson-Thompson, who “sort of cocooned me from the cameras which I really appreciated.”
Pawlett’s immediate concern after the fall was for her parents watching at home. “My first worry was my mum and dad are going to be sat around the television watching and I’m not going to be able to text them to say I’m okay,” she explained. the high jump, were she achieved a new personal best, served as reassurance. “Hopefully the high jump showed I’m okay, it was the first time since I was 16 that I’ve had a personal best in the event.”
Even though forced to withdraw from the remaining events, Pawlett expressed satisfaction with her accomplishment. “I’d have flown to Tokyo just for that high jump PB,” she stated. she questioned whether the fall itself contributed to her success, pondering, “If I hadn’t fallen, would I have cleared 1.80m? Would I have had that anger and desire to get something out of it? I don’t know.”
Pawlett emphasized the mental hurdle she overcame. “At least now I’ve proven to myself I’ve done it as taking six years to PB takes a psychological toll,” she said. “I’ve proved to myself that I’m physically capable and can take that now.”
