Hong Kong ‘great’ base for Team GB athletes as they embark on World Championships quest
Toby Harries targeting more Olympic glory after sacrificing potential international rugby career and coming back from brink of retirement
Team GB Olympic medallist Toby Harries has said that Hong Kong provided the perfect setting to prepare for this weekend’s World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou.
Harries is embarking on the second phase of his career, having switched last year to running the 400 metres after considering quitting because he felt “down and out” after a period of stagnation in the 200m.
He documented his bid to qualify for Great Britain’s 2024 Olympics 4x400m men’s team for more than 20,000 social media followers, who saw Harries’ mission end with a hard-earned bronze medal.
“I’d been working for 10 years with nothing to show for it,” said Harries, who had overcome tearing his hamstring off the bone, as well as about 20 other tears, at the outset of his career.
“If I was going to fail aiming for the biggest event in the world, I wanted to show people you should never give up.”
He went to Paris following injury and illness, and, while the mixed-relay event was happening, Harries was in the warm-up area “doing my own Olympic final” for the men’s quartet.