KEE is to be like fearless golden girl – insists chief
SKY BLUES AND WASPS CHIEFS INSIST RICOH ARENA PLAYING SURFACE
Don’t be scared that you’re quite low down the rankings, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get top eight. Christian Malcolm
BRITISH Athletics chief Christian Malcolm has urged his team’s stars to heed the example of Keely Hodgkinson and show “no fear” as they build towards the delayed Olympics in Tokyo later this year.
The 19-year-old capped her senior international debut by storming to victory in the women’s 800 metres at the European Indoor Championships in Torun at the weekend.
Tokyo is likely to come too soon for Hodgkinson to make an impression herself but Malcolm, who took up the role of Olympics head coach in 2020, believes the manner of Britain’s 12-medal haul in Torun bodes well for the future. He said: “I never put expectations on medals so to get 12 is good but I think more importantly, the athletes drove an attitude of being able to step up to competition and be fearless.
“I think that’s the key - be fearless. Go out there and don’t be scared. Don’t be scared that you’re quite low down the rankings, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get top eight or a personal best.
“You have to be fearless in these competitions. It’s not about being scared of what your opponents will do, it’s trying to focus on what you can do.”
Hodgkinson elbowed her way into an increasingly-crowded women’s middle-distance mix which already includes established stars like Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie.
But Malcolm is adamant that despite her dramatic success she should not rush towards Tokyo, indicating instead that Paris in 2024 may prove a more sensible target for the
Wigan-born star. Malcolm added: “I think it is about her development at this stage. She has shown she is in great shape but we want her to have a long and fruitful career as well.
“Sometimes being thrust into a major championships a bit early, some athletes benefit, but for others it is about taking a step back.
“There are three big championships next year which she can pick from if she decides not to go for the Olympics. There won’t be any pressure from me.”
The British athletics squad who travelled to Torun last week have been forced to self-isolate after a member of the support staff returned a positive lateral flow test for Covid19.
British Athletics confirmed the 46-strong squad must undertake a period of 10 days in isolation in line with government guidance.
A number of positive tests blighted the Championships despite strict protocols.
COVENTRY City and Wasps chiefs have given assurances about an improved playing surface at the Ricoh Arena.
The state of the pitch has been heavily criticised by the Sky Blues in the past due to its dual use with top flight rugby club which has meant the grass has cut up badly and not been conducive to Mark Robins’ attractive, play out from the back style of football.
But City chief executive Dave Boddy and his Wasps counterpart Stephen Vaughan have revealed that the Ricoh pitch will undergo major renovation work in the next two summers and that there will be a collaborative approach between the two clubs, both financially and physically, in order to produce and maintain the best surface possible. A pitch committee has been set up to oversee that and both clubs are confident of being able to see big improvements in the condition of the grass in the future.
“The key is that we are going to work very closely together,” said Boddy, “and as part of the licence agreement we have set up a pitch committee that will oversee what happens on the pitch and how it’s maintained and looked after.
“They are planning to do a full renovation this summer. In the gap between the seasons last summer they didn’t do one because of Covid and because the timing was so tight.
“We are jointly investing in another set of growing lights which, as you can see are on the pitch now, so there will be a second set of lights in situ and it will be very much a collaborative situation where we work very closely together.”
The bank of giant lamps are used by all the top end clubs and work by providing artificial sunlight to promote growth.
Boddy added: “Mark Robins and I came to look at the pitch in the summer with Stephen Vaughan and his grounds team and it was in a far better condition than it was when we left here, so it’s already better than it was when we last played here.
“And with the work that’s going on in the summer it should make the surface even better.
“We had a billiard table at St Andrew’s last season and we’re hoping to achieve a similar effect here. “We had no control over the pitch previously. I don’t mean that in a detrimental way. We asked for things and told them what we wanted but there will be a real working partnership as to how the pitch is prepared moving forward.”
Vaughan said: “It is a different pitch to what they’ve played on here before. It’s a hybrid surface and, as it happens,
We have set up a pitch committee that will oversee what happens on the pitch and how it’s maintained.
Dave Boddy