KEELY HODGKINSON'S BIGGEST RIVAL FOR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL HAS "QUESTION MARK", COACH CLAIMS

Coach Trevor Painter says there is a “question mark” over Keely Hodgkinson’s biggest rival for gold.

Mary Moraa, who pipped the Brit to win last year’s world title, has not raced since finishing second in the Kenyan trials in early June - having been comfortably beaten by Hodgkinson in May.

And while reigning Olympic champion Athing Mu has not qualified to defend her title, Painter said: “Mary Moraa is the big question mark because she’s not been seen for seven weeks so that raises eyebrows. You like to track rivals but Mary has disappeared since trials but Keely is ready to run however it pans out, if it’s fast or not.”

Painter reckons there remains huge scope for improvement and he recently joked with Hodgkinson’s father that her peak is still five years away. And he is sure she will eventually go close to the world record of 1:53.21, set in 1983 by Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova.

“My philosophy is that we start with speed and we're working more like a 400m runner at the moment – we’re not doing anywhere near as much mileage as some people,” Painter said.

“But that will filter in once she gets to like 24. If we can keep the speed and develop the aerobic side as well, that's when we'll go really quick.

“With shoe technologies developing the way they are, she already thinks she can run 1:53, which is fabulous to have that belief and I believe she can. Before she retires, she'll run 1:53 – whether she gets the record we’ll see but we'll give it a go.”

Fans have become excited at the prospect of a British sweep of the podium places in Paris with Jemma Reekie ranked third in the world.

But Painter is eager to play down talk of teenager Phoebe Gill challenging for a medal and is pleading for patience around the St Albans-based talent.

“A lot of people are putting a medal around Phoebe’s neck as well and I feel we have to be careful and look after Phoebe,” he added. “She's very young and if you watch her races when she ran the two 1:57s, in her last 100m she's working hard and the mechanics are failing because she's a young girl.

“I don't think we should be throwing medals at her right now. She can make the final and, you never know, she may well go on and get a medal.

“But when you look at how she's run the 1:57s, I don't think she's in medal territory just yet.”

2024-07-27T04:59:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd