Fully recoverd  Jinson Johnson hopes to return to competitive mode by June end

KOCHI: Jinson Johnson didn’t sense anything wrong after he had completed a training session when he had gone to give a test for Covid-19 last month.  It felt like any other day as he was at the Bengaluru SAI training centre, busy preparing to qualify for the Olympics. The middle-distance runner, who is among the elite athletes in the country, was primed to make the Tokyo cut but Covid had other plans.

“I had done 14 kms on the day the testing was done. I didn’t feel anything would be wrong but after I tested positive, it was a really tough phase. I had most of the symptoms like fatigue, body pain and severe headache. It was a very challenging phase. Even after I tested negative, I still had body pain and a lot of discomfort. I’m slowly recovering and starting to train,” said Jinson, who missed out on several meets that could have helped him make Tokyo Olympics cut after the setback.

After leaving the camp in Bengaluru, Jinson has resumed light training and is currently in Ooty. The 30-year-old said that he is taking it slow but hopes to return to action by the end of next month. “I’m currently training little by little, and at the moment, it is high-altitude adaptation. After recovering from Covid, high intensity training is not possible right away. Hopefully I can get into good shape by the end of June so that if competitions are there, I can start competing again,” he said.

The Tokyo Olympics looks out of reach at the moment but Jinson does not want to focus on that. “I was working really hard for the Olympics but now there is no point worrying over it. As athletes we have to deal with such setbacks and just focus on what is ahead of you. Yes, there is a lot of disappointment but these are things you can’t control and worrying about it will only bring more stress. The focus right now is only to have a step-by-step process because Covid has taken a toll on my body,” he said.

He admitted that if his body is unable to cope with the demands of high intensity training in the coming weeks, he will take it slow. Having stolen the show at the Asian Games in Jakarta back in 2018, Jinson is hoping that he can be at his peak during the continental event next year. “There is still time for that. But in terms of the major competitions that I want to focus on, I think the Asian Games is very important. I’ll hope I can put a good show there,” he said.