Tokyo Olympics: Scott Lincoln builds for the future with Olympic experience

THE Tokyo Olympic Stadium is a long way from the building sites of North Yorkshire and when he’s back in the digger, shot putter Scott Lincoln says he will always remember his Games debut.
By Luke Baker
Published 4th Aug 2021, 16:55 BST
Lincoln’s memory: Scott Lincoln made his Olympic debut in the shot putt on Wednesday. (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA)Lincoln’s memory: Scott Lincoln made his Olympic debut in the shot putt on Wednesday. (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA)
Lincoln’s memory: Scott Lincoln made his Olympic debut in the shot putt on Wednesday. (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA)

Northallerton’s Lincoln, who is based at City of York Athletics Club, took a break from his job as a part-time bricklayer for his dad’s building company to head to the Olympics after being selected by Team GB in the shot put.

He threw a solid 20.42m in round one of qualifying but couldn’t improve on that to reach the 21.20m mark that would have put him into the final – hitting 19.60m in round two and fouling with his third and final attempt.

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It may not have ended quite the way he wanted but the 11-time British champion could reflect on one of the most remarkable experiences of his life.

York's Scott Lincoln in the Mens Shot put qualification at Tokyo 2020 (Picture: PA)York's Scott Lincoln in the Mens Shot put qualification at Tokyo 2020 (Picture: PA)
York's Scott Lincoln in the Mens Shot put qualification at Tokyo 2020 (Picture: PA)

“Being an Olympian was the goal,” explained Lincoln. “I’m obviously disappointed that I’m not in the final because it was there for the taking.

“But on the other hand it’s my first major, so I think I handled myself pretty well, and I think it was a pretty decent reflection of how my season has been going.

“I just wish that it had all clicked. The second throw was so close – it just slipped off my finger at the last minute – but I’ve got to take it and move forward.

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“I’ve definitely come away with more positives than negatives that’s for sure.

“Just looking around and seeing the Olympic rings everywhere, I was in awe of it. This is obviously what I’ve dreamed of since I started throwing and three or four weeks ago I was sat in a digger on a building site and now here I am on the biggest stage of all!”

Lincoln has dominated the British shot putting scene for a number of years but is now trying to make a mark on the international stage.

An Olympic debut was the first step on that journey and the 28-year-old is targeting a huge 12 months in 2022.

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“For me, next year is a big year with the Commonwealths, the Worlds and the Europeans, so I wanted to take as much as I could from this championship,” added Lincoln. “I’m definitely happy with what I’ve done and I’m excited for the next year.”

No one does more to support our athletes than National Lottery players, who raise around £36m each week. Discover more about how playing The National Lottery supports Team GB’s athletes by visiting www.national-lottery.co.uk/tokyo2020 and the hashtags: #TNLAthletes #MakeAmazingHappen

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