Jemma Reekie reckons too much pressure is being placed on Keely Hodgkinson’s shoulders ahead of the women’s 800 metres at the Olympics.
Hodgkinson is the resounding favourite for gold with bookmakers rating her chances of victory as high as 75%, the strongest among all Team GB athletes.
Tokyo fourth placer Reekie can’t help but reflect on how gold is being hung around her team-mate’s neck.
“It’s not fair to put every bit of pressure on Keely,” said Reekie. “Just let her do her thing. We’ll all be rooting for her.”
The third Team GB athlete in the two-lap event is 17-year-old Phoebe Gill, who has risen from promising junior to Olympic medal contender thanks to a stunning 1:57 clocking in Belfast and a statement victory at the UK Athletics Championships.
“I’m sure Keely will be feeling a bit of heat going into the Games,” said Gill. “But she’s such a mature athlete. I know she’ll be able to deal with it.
“She’s such a lovely person - she spoke to me after the Trials, and I was trying not to fangirl because I’ve been looking up to her for so long.”
Part of the reason for Reekie’s remonstrations might be a desire for more recognition of her own achievements, which are considerable.
The Kilbarchan native, who finished an excellent fourth in Tokyo, has successfully reinvented herself after a 2023 in which she contracted glandular fever and acrimoniously split from her coach.
Now based on the south coast and working under Jon Bigg, Sally Gunnell’s husband, Reekie took a humongous chunk off her personal best, which now stands at 1:55.61, at last week’s London Athletics Meet.
“It’s been a horrible three years!” said Reekie. “I’ve made some changes and it’s been really exciting this past year.
“I’m a completely different athlete. Tokyo was only three years ago but I feel like I’ve grown up a lot in that time. I’m much more confident in myself and that comes with age, but it also comes with being happy in your environment.
"It's been amazing to work with Jon. I've known him for years and years and liked the set-up they had. It's been so smooth to move over to there and credit to him, Sally, and everyone down there, the training group that have helped me settle in.
"I'm thriving and it's nice to see with the personal best that it's working. It gives us lots of confidence that we're doing the right things.
“I’ve been a professional athlete since I was 16, I’ve grown up in the sport and learned to make decisions for myself, learned my confidence and what works for me. It does take time to do that and to settle in.
“From where I came from to where I am now, it’s incredible how quickly we got there. It was a rough couple of years but I’m happy to be where I am, and I think it will make me a much stronger person in the long run.”
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