SPARKLING JEM
Reekie’s silver lining
JEMMA REEKIE finally smashed her medal duck with silver in the women’s 800 metres on the final night of 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 but she couldn’t overhaul Tsige Duguma off the closing bend.
The Ethiopian took a shock win with a bold run at the front but it was redemption for the home favourite after near-misses and personal heartache.
Twelve months ago, an ugly split from ex-coach Andy Young at a training camp in South Africa tore her apart.
It topped up the after-effects of glandular fever that left Reekie “terrified” and a shadow of the performer who saw bronze slip agonisingly away at the Tokyo Olympics.
With the event’s Big Three of Mary Moraa, Athing Mu and Brit rival Keely Hodgkinson sitting out, there was never going to be a better chance to bag a first major medal than on the track that was her training base for several years.
Rebuilt in Brighton by Sally Gunnell and her coaching husband Jon Bigg, Reekie insisted only gold would do.
But although she was in a perfect spot on Duguma’s shoulder as the bell sounded, there was no way past with France’s Noelle Yarigo coming third.
Reekie said: “I knew those girls were going to throw something at me. They were just better. I came here wanting to learn something and I have.
“I wanted to walk away with a gold medal in front of this home crowd but I’ll take my first senior medal.
“I’ve got one now and I want one of those Olympic ones.”
It trumped bronze for the Brits in the women’s 4x400m relay after lowering the UK record for the second time in a day. Laviai and Lina Nielsen, Ama Pipi and Jessie Knight clocked 3:26.36 as Holland held off the USA for gold.
Now the attention turns to Paris 2024 where Reekie will join a clutch of British medal contenders. Josh Kerr and Molly Caudery raised the hype with golds here in the 3000m and pole vault.