Kim Gevaert wins the 100m in Heusden (© Nadia Verhoft)
"I have the ambition to reach both individual sprint finals in Helsinki", said Belgium’s Kim Gevaert at her press conference yesterday as she set out her goals for the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Helsinki, Finland (6-14 Aug).
The 27-year old double European 60m Indoor champion and 2004 Olympic 200m finalist is looking forward to the Championships with growing confidence.
"Breaking my national 100m record last week in the Heusden-Zolder Grand Prix (11.12) really gave me a boost. I'm feeling 97% physically healthy now and intensive hamstring treatment will continue in the next days. I'll be more than ready when the first sprint rounds are scheduled on Sunday (7)."
Gevaert has really come of age as a world class sprinter, and she is one of the few athletes on the circuit who has the skills to combine both sprint distances at the highest level.
Arron the favourite for the dash
"I have never wanted to drop one event. I competed in all the sprint events at many Championships now, thus becoming one of the more experienced athletes out there. I feel as if I'm in the best form of my life. I've never been in a big 100m final before and this is my chance to add that to my tally. Christine Arron should be the favourite to become Helsinki's sprint queen, but she has been unlucky on too many occasions and it remains a guess," confirmed the sprinter.
Gevaert's coach Rudi Diels expects the women's 100m battle to be wide open. "Arron could be the clear winner if she wasn't in contention for the TDK Golden League Jackpot as well. The pressure on the French can prove to be very high."
"My best chances lie with the 200m", admits Gevaert. "I've been very consistent at the distance and I know there is more to come than my seasonal best performance of 22.68. Allyson Felix (USA) and Veronica Campbell (JAM) seem to be out of reach for the other girls, unless Arron has a surprise act to offer. The bronze medal could go to …" - Gevaert is hesitating and blushing a little - "why not to this Kim Gevaert ?”
“Well, everything will depend on form, on lanes, on weather conditions and on good luck when you're out there in the blocks to race the final. I will try my best and give it all that I have."
8 rounds in the individual sprint tournament could be followed by two relay appearances by the Belgian. "The team may not look as strong as it was last year", said Rudi Diels, but "some girls didn't quite reach the individual level that we'd expected. But sprint relays often are decided more on team skills than on individual talent. That's why the Belgian team believe in their chances to reach that final again."
Ivo Hendrix for the IAAF
