ANDY YOUNG, the coach who has masterminded the rise of Jemma Reekie, believes the turn of pace she has is better than almost any other athlete he has ever seen.
Reekie has been in scintillating form in the past few weeks, breaking the British indoor record over 800m, the mile and 1500m. And while she did not break any more records at the Muller Grand Prix in Glasgow on Saturday, she produced a phenomenal burst of pace in the 1500m to power past Ethiopia’s Dawit Seyaum in the final 100m to take victory.
It was an impressive performance from the 21-year-old and for Young, it cemented his belief that she has the ability to mix it with the very best.
“It’s pretty special, not many people have that. I’ve not seen near enough anyone who’s got that kind of kick,” said Young of Reekie’s speed.
“If you can come to the biggest Grand Prix in the world, on your home track, and you can deliver that on the back of what’s been an exciting two weeks. And to put a 30 second last lap, you don’t get much better than that and I think she can be very proud of herself.”
Young also coaches Laura Muir and so at present, has the two best female middle-distance runners in the country. Until very recently, Muir was head and shoulders better than her younger compatriot but Reekie has closed the gap significantly this winter.
Her record-breaking performances over the past few weeks may have taken some observers by surprise, but Young has seen it coming, particularly after she had a sinus operation which stopped her succumbing to regular sinus infections as she had in the past, as well as going onto a gluten-free diet which helped her overall health immensely. However, Young admits she has exceeded even his expectations, but there is still more to come.
“I’d seen it coming last summer over 800m and I thought she was going to run something special over 800m,” he said.
“The 1500m, I’d seen her do good stuff in training but I wasn’t quite sure it was 4 minutes indoors good. But since she’s managed to get healthier, it’s beginning to show.
“We’ve been working for four years on her technique and it’s still not there yet but at least the legs move in a forward direction now and the knees lift. There’s more to do but it all adds together.”
The Olympic Games in Tokyo are now only five months away and Reekie appears certain to make her Olympic debut. And while Young knows how many variables there are at an Olympic Games, he is optimistic about her chances in Tokyo.
“She’s only 21 and this will be her first Olympics,” he said.
“But if she can navigate the heats and the semis, which isn’t easy at an Olympics, and get to the final and deliver a performance like that, it’s an exciting prospect.”
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