JEMMA’S SILVER LINING
Reekie seals second from ‘terrible’ place in ‘23
Jemma Reekie felt it was “good but not good enough” despite bouncing back from hell to land silver at the World indoor Championships in Glasgow.
The Scot, who turns 26 on Wednesday, helped herself to an early birthday present with a time of 2:02.72 in the women’s 800metres final but she couldn’t overhaul Tsige Duguma coming off the closing bend.
The Ethiopian, 23, took a shock victory with a bold run at the front but it was redemption for the home favourite after near misses as well as personal heartache.
Twelve months ago Reekie was broken amid an ugly split from former coach Andy Young during a training camp.
It topped up the after-effects of glandular fever that left her “terrified” and a shadow of the performer who saw bronze slip agonisingly away at the Tokyo
Olympics when her legs turned to jelly with the finish in sight.
Rebuilt in Brighton by 1992 Olympic champ Sally Gunnell and her coaching husband Jon Bigg, the Scot was in the perfect spot at the bell but lost out, with France’s Noelie Yarigo crossing third.
But Reekie said: “I was in a terrible place this time last year, if I’m honest.
“I’ve kept quiet because every athlete just wants to move on.
“But if you told me 12 months ago I’d have walked away from World Indoors with a silver, I’d have been very happy.
“It’s been an emotional year. A lot of people don’t see behind the scenes, the wobbles I’ve had – even the past few weeks... the times that have been tough and it has taken an army to get me back to where I am today.”
It trumped British bronze in the women’s 4x400 relay after lowering the UK record for the second time in a day.
Sisters Laviai and Lina Nielsen, Ama Pipi and anchor Jessie Knight
clocked 3:26.36 as the Dutch held off the USA for gold. Georgia Bell came fourth in the women’s 1500m, won by Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, to leave the British team fifth in the medal table.
It ends a champs in which Josh Kerr hailed the fans who spurred him to gold on Saturday and vowed to bring home more medals – starting with the Olympics. The 3000m champ said: “When you have a crowd like that behind you, anything’s possible. They deserved a gold medal because they came out in their thousands.”
I was in a terrible place just this time last year
JEMMA REEKIE ON HER SILVER MEDAL SUCCESS