Considering he's a wild card playing against a stacked deck, Geoff Martinson has turned plenty of heads at the IAAF world track and field championships.
"Never tell me the odds," says the 25-year-old Martinson on his blog, www.runmartinson.ca, quoting the Stars Wars character Han Solo.
Thursday in Daegu, South Korea (3:55 a.m. PT), the Prince George Track and Field Club member will try to defy the odds in a semifinal showdown in the 1,500 metre race as a relative unknown on the world stage.
"The semis aren't going to be easy, but I'm going to be in them, and that's the first step," Martinson said on www.cbc.ca/sports.
He'll be up against the likes of Kenyan medal favourites Silas Kiplagat, Daniel Komen and Asbel Kiprop, as well as Olympic bronze medalist Mehdi Baala of France, awarded a semifinal berth following an appeal by the French team after he was tripped in his heat race.
"I have got to stay relaxed, keep my focus and not let it get to my head and I think I will be fine," Martinson said. "All I can do is get out there and run as hard as I can. If I can do more more like this, then, who knows."
Martinson earned his place in the top-24 in the world Tuesday when he qualified ninth in his heat in 3:40.98. The first six in each of the three heats, as well as the next six fastest, advanced to the semifinals. His heat time Tuesday was well off his personal best time of 3:37.56, achieved last summer at the Harry Jerome Invitational in Burnaby, but plenty fast enough to remain in the medal hunt.
"It was a lot slower than I thought it would be," said Martinson. "The slower pace kept a lot of guys in it. This is my first taste of racing against all these guys. You see when you get out there it's a whole other level. As far as preparation goes, I think [it] was perfect."
Martinson's inclusion on the Canadian team for the world championships, under the Rising Star program, raised some controversy. At the Canadian championships in Calgary last month, Martinson finished behind Canadian champion Nate Brannan and silver medalist Taylor Milne. But both Ontario runners were left off the team because they unable to meet the IAAF qualifying standard.
In Daegu, Martinson is being coached by Wyn Gmitrowski, who helped Gary Reed win a silver medal in the 800m at the 2007 IAAF world championships.
Since his heat race Tuesday, Martinson has changed his sleep strategy.
"I've been waking at 6:30 a.m. the past several weeks to be ready for [Tuesday's] heat, but it's time to start sleeping-in in anticipation of the evening semis," said Martinson. "The 1,500m semis will be run Thursday evening at 7:55 p.m. under the bright lights of Daegu Stadium. I'm in Heat 1 of 2; there's some really fast guys in it."
