Sharp using canine companion 'Bowie' to fuel Tokyo mission

The Dumfries-born 800m star invested in a cavapoo called Bowie just before the lay-off, naming her canine companion after her favourite artist who also shared his surname with her mum's maiden name.

The 29-year-old has navigated her way around the last three months in Loughborough alongside fiancee and fellow athlete Andrew Butchart, cooking, baking and dog walking their way through the break as the countdown to sport's resumption continues.

Sharp admits she was worried about filling all that free time but her six-month-old puppy is her new Starman.

"We actually got a puppy just before lockdown as we knew it would be really good to have the time at home to train a dog, so we've had her to focus on!" she said.

"I used to listen to David Bowie a lot when I was younger, while it's actually my mum's maiden name as well so there's a double reason as to why the new dog is called Bowie!

"She's still really young but because we've had the time to train her she's so good – having her has meant that we've been able to get out and walk her so get the steps up every day, and with my runs that's a lot of exercise!

"It definitely helps to have someone else to train with in Andrew - we both have our good days and bad days, but having someone to run with has definitely made a huge difference.

"It's amazing we have this unique opportunity to prepare a second time, and the Games will hopefully be a celebration after we've waited for so long for it, so it will be amazing when it comes around."

Sharp competed at the Olympic Games on home soil as a mere 22-year-old back in 2012, laying the foundations for an impressive middle distance career at the highest level.

The Scottish star failed to make the final in Stratford but finished sixth in Rio four years later, setting a personal best time of 1m57.69s to make for bitter-sweet memories.

That sixth-placed finish was also matched by fiancee Butchart in his 5000m discipline, who similarly set a personal best time of 13m08.61s as the couple found form in Brazil.

Sharp soared to Commonwealth Games silver in Glasgow in 2014 so knows all about how to deliver when the pressure is on, as she held her nerve in front of a raucous home crowd to send the watching millions in Scotland into raptures.

Elimination in the Gold Coast heats in 2018 followed but Sharp reckons her experience of adversity can only serve her well in Japan.

"Having that experience of going to an Olympics at 22 was invaluable, while Rio was really different again, so I'm lucky to have that experience at the Olympics," she added.

"The dream is definitely an Olympic medal - I finished sixth in Rio and want to progress from that.

"It won't be easy but I've just got to put the work in over the next 12 months and do everything I can to put myself in the mix for it."

Sportsbeat 2020