TOM Gale is making a good recovery from a knee operation and is confident he will be back on top form for the postponed Tokyo Olympics next summer, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The Trowbridge international high jumper, who will end the year as the UK’s number one, hasn’t resumed full training yet but is making steady progress with his rehabilitation plan after the recent procedure.

“I felt it first at the British Championships last year. Basically, it is the build-up of a small number of little tears that developed into tendinopathy and it needed to be sorted out,” said Gale.

“The op went well and they basically sewed a few things together to make it strong again.

“As an athlete you never want to get injured, but with hindsight now was not a bad time to get it sorted out as it gives me plenty of time to prepare for the Olympics in 2021.”

The injury and subsequent operation at the end of the summer explains why Gale didn’t compete at all outdoors, though with the season severely truncated due to Covid-19 and all major championships cancelled or postponed, it was definitely the ‘best’ season to miss.

Nonetheless, he will still end the year as the top high jumper in Britain virtue of his personal best of 2.33m indoors in the Czech Republic last February, a height that was also over the Tokyo standard set by British Athletics to be eligible for the Olympics.

“I am still in the rehab phase so not back to full fitness but I am getting there,” added Gale.

“Hopefully I will be able to compete pain-free next year and get to the Olympics without any problems.”

With Covid-19 still dominating daily life, it is still unclear whether there will be an indoor season in the early months of 2021 let alone what the outdoor season schedule will look like.

But for the time being, Gale is just focused on resuming training with coach Denis Doyle, whom he has been meeting for regular rehab sessions at Bath University’s indoor facilities.

“I think there will be a few indoor competitions but the winter is not my goal so I am not too worried about that,” said Gale.

“As I have the qualifying standard I just have to make sure I am healthy leading up to the British Championships next summer and finish in the top two to win a place in the team for the Olympics.”