'Hungry for a medal' - Goule eager to secure podium spot at World Indoors

BIRMINGHAM, England:

"I am hungry for a medal more than ever." Those are the words of national 800m champion Natoya Goule, who is set to face the starter in the heats of the event on today's third day of the IAAF World Indoor Championships here.

Goule, who turns 27 on March 30, will enter the championships with a time of 1:59.86, which ranks her second in the world this year.

Great Britain's Laura Muir and Ethiopia's Habitam Alemu, who have both run 1:59.69, are the only women who have gone faster than Goule in the world this year.

The former Manchester High School star told The Gleaner that she is very confident of doing well for the country at the championships.

I am going into this championships expecting to do well because I trust God and I trust myself. I trust my coach and I trust my training," said Goule, who failed to make the final at the last championships, which was held in the United States in 2016.

"I saw my heat, and I know if I go out there and run to my full potential, then I know that I will definitely make it to the final," she said.

"My expectation is to make it to the final, and once I make it to the final, then I will be aiming for a medal, because everyone is coming to this championships wanting a medal and so I am ready for the competition," Goule said.

 

IMPRESSIVE RESULTS

 

The diminutive middle distance runner dded that she had run a number of impressive times in training, and so once she was able to execute her race properly, then she would be challenging for a medal.

"This is like the best ever I have been running, and the results that I have been getting are impressive. I am feeling happy, I am feeling relaxed, and mentally, I am feeling very good," she said.

Sprinters Kimmari Roach and Everton Clarke will also bow into action today when they compete in the men's 60m event. Roach is set to run in Heat Two while Clarke will compete in Heat Five. O'Dayne Richards is down to compete in the men's shot put final.

Kimberly Williams and Shanieka Ricketts will line up in the final of the women's triple jump competition, and Ronald Levy is set to compete in the heats of the men's 60m hurdles.

The Jamaicans will also compete in the heats of the men's and women's 4x400m relay events today.

 

Schedule

 

- 5:15 a.m. M 60m Heats (Kimmari Roach, Everton Clarke)

- 6:00 a.m. W Triple Jump FINAL (Kimberly Williams, Shanieka Ricketts)

- 6:50 a.m. W 800m Heats (Natoya Goule)

- 6: 57 a.m. M Shot Put FINAL (O'Dayne Richards)

- 7:31 a.m. M 4x400m Relay Heats

- 8:20 a.m. W 4x400m Relays Heats

- 1:30 p.m. M 60m Hurdles HEATS (Ronald Levy)

- 2:08 p.m. M Triple Jump FINAL (Clive Pullen)

- 2:11 p.m. M 60m Semi-Finals

- 3:05 p.m. W 400m FINAL (Tovea Jenkins)

- 3:39 p.m. W 1500m FINAL (Aisha Praught)