Jemma Reekie is among the nicest folks on the circuit. I take pleasure in her Scottish accent, which, for me, requires some focus. This piece on Jemma is by Stuart Weir, and is his third piece on Doha. Stuart Weir has interviewed Jemma many occasions.
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Jemma Reekie third in Doha
Jemma Reekie opened her outside season with third place within the Doha Diamond League. Her time, in a sluggish, tactical race through which the sector ignored the pacemaker was 4:07.44. The race was gained by Nelly Chepchirchir in 4:05.00. Reekie ran a intelligent race, retaining out of bother to complete behind two Kenyans however forward of seven different east Africans.
Reekie had beforehand run 2 indoor 800s in France however had determined in opposition to a aggressive indoor season due to the lateness of the world championship, telling me that she didn’t assume peaking for a European or World Indoors in February/March would assist her to be at her greatest in mid-September.
Reekie had completed fourth within the 2021 Olympic 800, in a race through which six of the highest 7 together with her had run a PR. REekie was set to take the bronze medal till a late run by Raeven Rogers left Reekie 0.09 seconds out of the medals. In Paris final 12 months she was the quickest semi-finalist to not make the ultimate. Athletes are sometimes judged simply on the principle championship of the 12 months – which might make 2024 a failure – however Jemma is ready to take a look at the large image and take positives from her first full 12 months working with new coach, John Bigg. 2024 was a 12 months through which she had obtained a medal on the World Indoors and run a PR on the London Diamond League. Her Diamond League report was spectacular, successful in Stockholm, second in Doha, London and Poland, third at Pre and Lausanne, 4th in Zurich: “I believe we had a number of positives from 2024 and we realized rather a lot however it was nonetheless laborious not attaining what I wished to realize. However it’s solely been a 12 months, working with John and we’ve obtained a lot to sit up for. I’ve proven bodily that I can do what we have to do and extra. It’s simply that I would like that further time.
“Paris was actually laborious. It was my second Olympics and the second Olympics I went to when a medal would have been a sensible purpose. It was actually laborious strolling away, not even making the ultimate, so I believe it was a very difficult one and it’s one thing that my entire group and myself have realized from however London was nice. I’d not been was in a position to run a private greatest for a very long time and to get London performed and get that private greatest was a giant confidence enhance for me and John as a result of we’ve been working collectively and we’re doing a lot new coaching that it was like, ‘OK, that is working, we’re going the correct course’. And that was a giant breakthrough from the previous few years and a affirmation we’re doing the correct factor. But additionally there’s nonetheless masses that we will work on”.
Jemma has usually being seen as simply an 800 runner however her ambitions transcend that.
“I believe by the subsequent Olympics I’d nonetheless positively be the 800 however I’ll be working extra 1500s over time coming as much as that. I actually do assume it helps my 800 and possibly after the subsequent Olympics I is perhaps doing the fifteens as properly, however I nonetheless assume I’ve a lot to provide within the 800 and a lot to enhance on, that I’m positively gonna concentrate on the 800 for the subsequent Olympic cycle.
She admitted that she didn’t benefit from the 1500 coaching however noticed it as helpful, growing her stamina for the 800. “That’s what I’m going for simply now, the 800 is what I’m having fun with, what I’m loving. I’ll faucet into the 15, however positively gonna concentrate on the 8 for now”. I as soon as identified to her that Jess Judd had first represented Britain at 800 however was now working 10K, half marathons and was planning a full marathon. She gave my remark brief shrift : “I’m not doing a marathon”.
Doha was a great first outing in 2025 with heaps extra to return.
