Former Beagle is looking to make her mark in the 800 metres

Woodford Green athlete Revee Walcott-Nolan says she must continue to stay focused in her bid to get it right in next month’s all important World Championships Team Trials.

The 22-year-old middle-distance prospect, who recently joined Woodford Green Essex Ladies after a spell with local rivals Newham & Essex Beagles, was disappointed with her 800m display at Meeting International de Montreuil European Athletics Classic Permit event last Thursday in the Parisian suburb of Montreuil, France.

She finished seventh in 2:04.85, just below her season’s best of 2:04.00 in Eltham, South East London a few weeks before, while current British 800m champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, who incidentally also heads the domestic rankings, claimed victory in 2:00.73 ahead of Kenya’s Nelly Jepkosgei (2.00.82) and Morocco’s Malika Akkaoui (2.01.79).

“The race didn’t go very well,” said Walcott-Nolan. “I was getting pushed around quite a bit. The first 600m didn’t go quite to plan.”

Walcott-Nolan, who is currently ranked tenth in the domestic women’s 800m standings, will continue her preparation for the World Championships Team Trials this Saturday at AtletiCAGenève EAP meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

The big-hitters of the division in Oskan-Clarke, Adelle Tracey, Lynsey Sharp and vastly-experienced Marilyn Okoro are all expected to challenge fiercely for the prized London 2017 places in Birmingham on July 2, billed by British Athletics as ‘Super Sunday’.

But Walcott-Nolan, who last year graduated in Sports Science at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, is very determined to upset the form book and get her dream Team GB place at Stratford’s London Stadium.

“Obvious the aim is to qualify for the team but I need to get some training in,” she admits. “I’ve had a few mad races but I know that I’m fit so hopefully it will all come together for the trials.

“The women’s 800m is a really competitive division right now. I just want to get my confidence back and try to enjoy it at the moment. But I need to run fast times and must need to stay focused.”