Keely Hodgkinson's coach has explained why he is worried about Mary Moraa as the women's 800m clash at the Olympic Games fast approaches.
Keely Hodgkinson’s coach Trevor Painter is wary of Mary Moraa as Hodgkinson’s clash against Moraa at the Paris Olympic Games fast approaches.
Painter is treading carefully as he looks to ensure the Briton sheds the silver tag and for once, wins a gold medal. Hodgkinson goes to the Olympic Games with a ton of experience, since she picked a silver at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
With the absence of defending champion Athing Mu, the youngster has been tipped to finally win her gold medal but Painter is worried about Moraa’s abilities.
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Jamaican 800m star fires warning shots at Mary Moraa & Co ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
The Jamaican believes she has all it takes to be crowned Olympic 800m champion as she gears up for a tough battle against Mary Moraa, Keely Hodgkinson, and Co at the Paris Olympic Games.
The tactician noted that Moraa is yet to race after the Kenyan Olympic trials, making it difficult for him to asses her form as they head to the global bonanza. Moraa finished second at the trials, sealing her ticket to Paris and has been training since.
Meanwhile, Hodgkinson is fresh-from setting a personal best time of 1:54.61 at the London Diamond League, and she will be hoping to continue her unbeaten run at the trials.
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“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,” he said as quoted by the Mirror.
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Great Britain’s 800m team to the Olympics comprises Hodgkinson, Phoebe Gill and Jemma Reekie who will all be looking for a spot in the final and hopefully get medals.
However, Painter was quick to note that fans should not put a lot of pressure on youngster Gill to medal since she is just starting out her career.
“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. 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,” he said.
“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.”