No excuses for 800m runner Goule

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Inadequate recovery time could have contributed to former Manchester High middle distance standout, Natoya Goule, not attaining the IAAF World Championships 'B' standard qualifying time of 2:01.30 in the 800 metres, as just under an hour after running the 400 metres she was back on track for the two-lap event at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships on Saturday.

She nonetheless gave a gusty performance, as she clocked a personal best, 2:01.45, to finish second to Kenia Sinclair who retained her 800m title with a season best 2:00.96.

Goule refused, however, to blame her 400m race, in which she placed fourth with a time of 52.55 seconds to advance to the final, for her missing out on the 800m qualifying time

"I am not blaming it on the 400m, because 45 minutes was a good time for me to get back, because I ran 52.6 in the semis as I just went out there to get the fourth spot and not to run any big time," Goule sought to explain. "So I am not going to say it was the 400m, I just believe this is the time that I was supposed to run today," she added.

The 20-year-old is confident that she will be able to meet the qualifying standard at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) championships next month.

Goule said: "If I go to the CAC I know I will make the time, as there are two girls, one from Columbia and one from Cuba, who I know will push me, so that will help me to run a better time and even run the time I want to run which is 1:59."

She was also very pleased to have finished runner-up to her role model, Sinclair.

"I am very pleased to know that I came second and to know that I ran with an Olympic finalist," Goule expressed. "She helped me to run a personal best today and it was a great experience, so I am very proud and thankful," she added.

Sinclair, who has been advising Goule, was very pleased with the youngster's performance.

"I talk to Natoya a lot and I keep telling her when you go out there to race, fear no one and approach it as if you are the best," Sinclair shared.

The joint National Junior College Athletic Association indoor and outdoor MVP for 2011 who currently attends South Plains College can also run the 1500m. She has, however, delayed deciding on which event she will focus on until after the completion of college.

"When I get out of school I will chose one, because right now I am a freshman and I have three more years left in university, so it is going to take a while before anybody knows what exactly I am going to run," Goule declared. "I will just be doing the 800m at nationals next year; I won't be doubling, as I want to concentrate on the 800m at the Olympics," she added.