TEAM GB hurdler Tiffany Porter clocked her fastest time this year while wearing a mask.
The 33-year-old is a pharmacist based in the US and opted to wear the face covering despite not being ordered to do so and having received two vaccine doses for Covid-19.
Pharmacist and athlete Tiffany Porter opted to wear a mask and ended up running a season’s bestCredit: USA TODAY Sports
Porter safely negotiated the hurdles while wearing a maskCredit: USA TODAY Sports
Porter juggles competing at the top level of athletics with working as a pharmacistCredit: Instagram @tiffofili
Running indoors in New York on Saturday, she came second in the 60-metre hurdles in 7.89 seconds – a season’s best and only 0.09 seconds off her personal best for the distance.
On Instagram, Porter asked for people to respect her decision to wear a mask after footage of her competing was shared by the World Athletics page.
She said: “Thanks @worldathletics for the post. I have gotten a lot of questions about why I’m choosing to run in a mask so here are a few things:
“1. Yes I am fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and today marked two weeks since my second dose.
“2. Yes I ‘understand the science’ and I’m also aware how the pandemic, mask-wearing, government response etc has become controversial and politicised.
Wearing a mask does not bother me and I train daily with one so competing with one on is not a big deal for me.”
Tiffany Porter
“3. Wearing a mask does not bother me and I train daily with one so competing with one on is not a big deal for me.
“4. It makes me more comfortable to take every extra precaution (even if seen as ‘extra or unnecessary’) and that should be respected.
“5. No I do not judge others for their decisions/their approach to this pandemic.
“6. Information regarding the pandemic is rapidly evolving and we acquire new information and guidelines daily.”
Porter was running against her younger sister Cindy Sember who also competes under the Union Jack flag for Team GB.
The footage was shared on the World Athletics Instagram pageCredit: Instagram @worldathletics
The British athlete came second in the indoor race in New YorkCredit: Instagram @worldathletics
Sember, 26, came fifth in 8.22 seconds but along with all the other runners did not choose to wear any PPE while sprinting.
The pair both made the 2016 Rio Olympics 100m hurdles final – Porter finished seventh with Sember just outside the medals in fourth, despite running a season’s best on the biggest stage of all.
Porter was born in the US to a British mother and Nigerian father and represented the country of her birth until switching allegiance at the end of the 2010 season.
She graduated from the University of Michigan with a doctorate in pharmacy in 2012.
Porter juggles competing with her work as a pharmacist and said: “I am a woman who wears many hats and I’m very passionate about the different roles I play.
“I’m a firm believer in giving your all, no matter the task.”
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Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
