George Mills to focus on just the 5000m in Tokyo

The British 5000m record-holder tells AW that “it’s a smart decision” to not double up in the Japanese capital

George Mills has revealed that he will just focus on the 5000m at next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September 13-21).

The Brit, who took almost seven seconds off Mo Farah’s 14-year-old British 5000m record (12:53.11) with 12:46.59 at the Oslo Diamond League, has already told UK Athletics that he’s taken himself out of consideration for selection in the 1500m.

He made the decision to not double up in the Japanese capital with his OAC Europe team last October. At the Paris Olympics, Mills reached the 1500m semi-finals and 5000m final. If you add his repechage round in the metric mile, the 26-year-old raced five times in just eight days.

A year on from the Games, Mills believes he can win a 5000m medal in Tokyo and feels he is “more dynamic in the 5000m compared to the 1500m”.

“This was very much a decision we immediately made after Paris,” he tells AW. “Since we started preparing for this season last October, everything has been geared towards me being the best 5000m runner I can be in Tokyo. So the goal is to stand on the podium.

“I’ve been very clear on that and, for the tools and skills I have, I feel the 5000m [compared to the 1500m] is probably my better event. I’m not ruling the 1500m out of consideration for future championships and I’d love to attack both in the long-term. But this year I think it’s a smart decision to go all-in on the 5000m.”

So what has influenced his decision? Mills fractured his wrist after falling in the 1500m at the London Diamond League and, off the back of successful surgery, is once again training at his high-altitude camp in St. Moritz. When asked if that had an impact on whether to not double up in Tokyo, he points to the fact this decision was made last October.

What about the scheduling in the Japanese capital? The 1500m comes before the 5000m, with a one day gap between the final of the former and heats of the latter.

Mills states that it “has influenced the decision a bit” and that if the 5000m was before the 1500m then “it’d be a different story and we might’ve looked to do both”.

However, even running 3:28.36 at the Paris Diamond League – the second quickest 1500m time in British history behind Josh Kerr – didn’t influence him and his team to change course.

“It was exactly that [an extra bonus for the year],” he…