Goule on target for fantastic season
Published:Thursday | February 10, 2022 | 12:07 AMHubert Lawrence/Gleaner Writer
AFTER A fine run at the New Balance Grand Prix in New York on Sunday, Natoya Goule-Tappin is on target for a strong season in the 800 metres. That’s the view from her coach, fellow Jamaican Mark Elliot.
Goule scurried into an early lead and covered the first 400 metres in 58.16 seconds and finished in a world-leading time of 1 minute 59.62 seconds. It was her fourth sub-two-minute mark of her career and Elliot loved the way she ran.
“Getting out at 58 seconds is what I wanted her to do and she did it,” he said.
“… coaches always have criticism no matter what, but indoors because it’s four laps, her third lap was a bit slow for what we’re working on, but it was a great run, out front by herself after the rabbit left, so it was a pretty good run.”
Her 200 metre splits – 28.35, 29.82, 30.97 and 30.50 – yielded a big improvement over her season’s best of 2 minutes 02.14 seconds a week before at the Millrose Games. With that in mind, Elliot said, “it’s coming around for sure”.
He reckons Goule-Tappin is on her way to a good season, indoors and outdoors.
MAIN GOAL
“She is right on target, even a bit ahead, and one good thing about Natoya, and it stems from back in her high school days, she sustains through the season and just keeps building. So it’s good to look forward as far as even the World Championship in Eugene,” Elliot said. “That’s the main goal of course, and we’re on target there too,” he underlined.
The Manchester High School graduate was world ranked at number 3 by TRACK AND FIELD NEWS in the 800 for 2021 but blotted a great season with an eighth-place at the Olympics. The coach says that result is driving her in 2022.
“… It’s an experience and, you know, in life all of us go through experiences and a lot of people would wish that they had that kind of experience. That’s an Olympic final, you know. I wish I had that experience. I would take it any day. She definitely learned from it and hopefully can do better this time around,” the Clemson University track and field director offered.
Kenia Sinclair is the only other Jamaican woman to race in an Olympic 800-metre final and Sinclair did it in 2008.
Goule’s career includes NCAA titles for Louisiana State University and Clemson, the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze in 2018 and a place in the 2019 World Championship final. Now 30, she holds the indoor and outdoor Jamaica records at 1.59.13 and 1.56.15, respectively.