Goldie Sayers wants to return to javelin from injury setback
Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Britain's three-time Olympic javelin thrower Goldie Sayers has said she does not want an elbow injury to put an end to her career and will be pursuing a place at Rio 2016.
Sayers, 30, from Cambridge, competed at London 2012 with a torn elbow ligament.
She told BBC Look East: "I'd hate to be in a position where my career was over through injury, not through choice.
"I think I'll get fit again post-surgery, but it's quite a tricky joint. I'm still very motivated."
The summer was a mixed one for Sayers, who finished fourth in the European Championships before breaking her own British record with a throw of 66.17m at the London Diamond League Meeting in July, a month before the Olympics.
But she ruptured an elbow ligament at the event and, despite being cleared to compete at the Games, exacerbated the injury and
and will use the 2013 season to reacquaint herself with competitive action.
"I had the operation three months ago but it's been a bit trickier than previous operations to get back to full fitness," said the British number one.
"I'm still rehabing and hoping to be back in full training by January - that may be a bit optimistic.
"It's still what I love doing. I love training and every aspect of the sport. It can obviously be heartbreaking and very cruel at times. I've probably experienced the cruellest blow there is.
"If I hadn't have broken the British record three weeks before the Games I would maybe have questioned whether it was worth it.
"This year is going to be quite tricky to be back at the same level I was in the summer. But it's not impossible."
Newmarket-born Sayers has competed at the last three Olympic Games, with her best performance a fourth-place finish at Beijing 2008.
She will be 34 when Rio 2016 comes around but is eager to aim for one more Games.
"I intend to be competing in Rio. What happens in the interim I have no idea," she said.
"Having thrown so well this summer I definitely know there's more in the tank.
"The day I threw 66m it was really bad conditions and I beat people by 2m. That would suggest there is more there. The day you stop enjoying it is the day you retire and I'm not quite there yet."
