by Stuart Weir
Women’s 800
I am so intrigued by the women’s 800 that I was even excited about the prelims. I know, I know, I should get out more! But it really was quality stuff. 22 ladies under two minutes and 8 personal bests. Ethiopian Tsige Duguma was fastest in 1:57.90, and Mary Moraa (Kenya) was second quickest in 1:57.95. But even the times are irrelevant as this was racing to finish in the top three – not the pacemaker-assisted Diamond League time trials to which we have become accustomed. It is a shame that Athing Mu is not running, although I understand she is in Paris, presumably fulfilling sponsors’ obligations.
From my biased perspective, it was particularly intriguing that three British athletes are capable of reaching the final and doing some damage. Keely Hodgkinson is probably the favorite – but that is a subjective judgment – she controlled her race, winning in 1:59.31, but why use up extra energy running a 1:57 in a prelim if 1:59 will do the job. She summed up her approach: “I’m just happy to qualify because it was quite a tough heat. I’m just glad to make it through safely. The semis will be fun. In the final, I know I just have to give everything, but in the heats and rounds, you have everyone giving it their all, but I am trying to save my energy, and you are trying to not make any mistakes”.
No one in Tokyo can forget the finish of the women’s 800 and Raevyn Rogers’ late dash to grab a medal. And it was Jemma Reekie who was pushed into fourth place. Since then, Jemma has had a rough time with illness and the need to change coaches and location. To see her control her race and win at 2:00.00 was a joy. Jemma reacted: “It felt good, I’m in good shape. I focused on just staying in control and getting it done. I’m back where I belong – I’m back chasing those medals. I know the semis will be hard, but I will go out and do it again.”
Then there was 17-year-old Phoebe Gill, summed up beautifully in a British Athletics tweet: “2023 English schools champion. 2024 Olympic semi-finalist”. She was in a fast race and did what was necessary, coming third in 1:58.83. She said afterward: “It was swift, I was getting a bit worried at 600m that I would have to run the repechage, but I am happy that I found it in my legs to qualify in third. I’m so used to front-running in my races, but against these professionals, you have to be on your game constantly. It’s the Olympics, the best competition in athletics, and seeing my face on the screen, I was trying my best not to cry”.
I don’t know Phoebe, but I’ve been in interview situations with her. She is a precocious talent but still comes across as the girl next door, worrying as much about getting her mathematics homework done as reaching an Olympic final! I wondered how she would cope with the tactics of the Olympic trials – I need not have. Again, one could reasonably have asked if she would have been overawed by her Olympic debut – no sign of it. In a sense, there’s no pressure on her as making the Olympics and the Olympic semi-final at 17 is beyond reasonable expectation.
Speaking to the British press last week, she described her approach to Paris as wanting to get as much as possible out of it but adding: “It’s easy to say that I want to come into this games with no expectations, but I think every athlete always puts some goals in their head that they’d like to do. For me, it’s just to progress through as many rounds as possible and to have fun and run with freedom throughout the entire time because, you know, that’s when I start to excel when I’m not too stressed out about the environment around me. I just can’t wait to be running with these amazing crowds of people, and hopefully, it will produce some fast times, but we’ll see what happens”.
For someone who, two months ago, had never run sub two and had no experience in international racing or running in front of a big crowd, she has come a long way.
So now, in a new way, we have 18 who have qualified for the semifinals and 31 who have not but have yet to be eliminated. The 31 will go in the repechage on Saturday morning, with the semi-finals on Sunday evening.
