"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Athletics ministry 2018
Monaco 100h - Queen Harrison wins from Dawn Harper-Nelson. Stuart has known Dawn for 7 years and will miss her when she retires next month.
Sandi Morris won the pole vault in Birmingham and Stuart interviewed her about her 4 pet lizards!
July and August were busy months with 7 athletics events, including Bible Studies at Lausanne, Monaco, London and Birmingham Diamond Leagues and the Athletics World Cup in London. At two of those we had 2 or 3 Bible Studies to suit athletes on different schedules.
It was great to see Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce back in London and winning.
Stef Reid was a long jump winner in London.
Stuart was also in Berlin for 8 days for the European Championships. It was a challenge as security at the team hotel was so strict that he could not get in but saw athletes at the stadium and kept in touch. Christine Bowmaker, whom he has known for 25 years, was coaching at athlete in the event and he spent time with her.
Two bizarre happenings during the week were an invitation to a Glasgow reception at the British Embassy, where his name badge said “Stuart Weir. Oxford – God”. No one could explain the wording. He also got an invitation to be interviewed on Al Jazeera News, talking about the European Championships and being paid.
Stuart first saw Sandra Perkovic compete in Berlin in 2009. In 2018 she won her 5th European title.
Dina Asher-Smith won three golds in Berlin
Dinner with Christine in Berlin
Photos courtesy of Getty Images/British Athletics, JP Durand for Herculis and European Athletics