Track queen cautions Aussie teen sensation

ATHLETICS: Commonwealth Games legend Raelene Boyle has cautioned 18-yearold Queenslander Riley Day to “forget the medals” and aim solely for the 200m final this week.

Day, the youngest Australian to win the national sprint is ranked fourth in the Commonwealth in the 200m this year with her 22.93 personal best.

But Jamaica’s Olympics sprint double champion Elaine Thompson is among the class Commonwealth opponents yet to run a 200m this early in the year.

“The most important thing for her is forget the medals. It’s a reasonable field so if she makes the final anything else is a bonus,” said Boyle, a winner of seven Commonwealth gold medals and an Olympic 200m silver medallist at age 17.

“I’m told by a number of people she has good instincts for sprinting. She is quite intense in the gym. She is going have to relax a bit about herself. But it’s good she has a sub-23 sec 200m time at that age.”

Day, from Beaudesert, said she believes she will be able to again lower her 200m personal best time of 22.93 sec at Carrara Stadium and said her goal is to make the final in an event which has its heats on Wednesday night.

While Day has been sensible in not fanning any talk of her winning a Games medal, England’s Bianca Williams won the 2014 Commonwealth 200m bronze medal with a time of 22.58 and Williams finished just .01 in front of Day when they raced in Brisbane on March 28.

“It’s daunting but really cool, the thought of running against an Olympic champion,” said Day, who turned 18 late last month.

“I’m not going to put pressure on myself because they are such high-calibre athletes (but) I do hope to make the final.”

Sydney’s Games entrant Maddie Coates was runner-up to Day in the national 200m final.