Innes FitzGerald determined not to just make up the numbers in Tokyo

Innes FitzGerald insists she is not there to just make up the numbers as the teenager prepares to take on the World Athletics Championships.

The 19-year-old will compete over 5000m in Tokyo as she makes her senior major championships debut fresh from storming to a stunning double gold at the European Under-20 Championships last month.

FitzGerald was in a league of her own as she took the 3000m and 5000m crowns – setting a championship record in the former - but knows she will be stepping up a number of levels in Japan.

But while the Exeter athlete is focussed on learning as much as she can from the experience, she is also determined not to be overawed by the global stage.

“Regardless of how the worlds go, I am so pleased with the season I have had,” she said. “If things don’t work out my way [in Tokyo], I can’t be disappointed. It is just about going out there and enjoying it.

“So many people have told me to just soak up the experience but part of me is like ‘well I am here, so I may as well do my best’. I am still going to go out there and fight and I want to be in that final.”

If FitzGerald ever feels the pressure, she is rarely one to show it; the 19-year-old prepares for races by listening to music and doing some puzzles.

It was an approach that worked perfectly at the European Under-20s last month, where she had to deal with the pressure of being one of the faces of the championships, her image plastered across posters.

Tokyo will be an altogether different prospect, with FitzGerald on the bottom rung of the ladder when it comes to experience – but it is a prospect she is relishing as she looks to earn her stripes on the biggest stage.

“Part of me always feel like even though people might know my name, I still feel quite new to the sport because I am young compared to a lot of the athletes here,” she added.

“They are way more impressive than I am – there is a bit of imposter syndrome. You always feel a bit ‘should I be here?’. Maybe in future years I will feel more in my place.

“Sometimes those situations are more taxing than the races where you are maybe one of the slower ones in the field. There is so much expectation there, you end up building nerves and using a lot of mental energy. Having to feel the pressure, was a really good experience and will help me in the future.”

FitzGerald has more than earned her place in Tokyo after she ran a personal best 14:39.56 at the London Diamond League, as well as earning a place on the podium over 3000m in Stockholm.

It has all been part of a remarkable breakthrough season, though FitzGerald is set on keeping her feet on the ground – with her second year of studies at the University of Exeter awaiting when she returns.

“This year has been a bit of a whirlwind,” she reflected. “To have got the worlds qualifying time and got double gold at the Europeans, it is way more than I ever dreamed or hoped for this year. I am grateful I have come through in one piece.

“At the beginning of the year, I never thought I’d be here. With all the races, I have learned so much and I am constantly learning.

“I have been soaking up every opportunity I have had, there have been so many highs but also a few lows. I am taking on the experience that I can take forward into future years.”

Follow all the action from the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 on BBC.