Bouncy Goule-Toppin predicts ‘hot’ women’s 800m semis
PARIS, France — A new-look Natoye Goule-Toppin earned herself a Saturday off by sweeping to a comfortable victory in the sixth and final qualifying heat of the women’s 800 metres.
The multiple national champion never looked in difficulty as she led her challengers from start to finish to win in 1:58.66 — the third-fastest time of the qualifiers — before warning that the hardest part is still to come.
Goule-Toppin, the national record holder at the distance and unaccustomedly sporting straight blond locks, is bidding for a first global medal to cap a distinguished career in the two-lap race.
“I felt great. I didn’t run to run too hard but wanted to make it an honest race and my coach wanted me to make at least 58 or 57, and I got there without even trying too hard,” she said after emerging from the newly laid Stade de France track.
“I’m running and hearing my feet on the track because of how bouncy it was.
“It was like a runner’s dream out there — you can run without a lot of effort and still run fast. I ran a good 700 and didn’t need to push hard on the straight; I could just hold my form,” she noted.
Goule-Toppin added: “I’ve got to run a PR [personal record] if I get to the final as these girls are not playing. It’s hot, maybe the hottest race here!”
“I knew I had to get into the top three. As I’d told anyone who asked that I was running Friday, Sunday [semi-finals] and Monday [final] and did not mention Saturday: I was not coming back tomorrow!”
Her teammate and fellow middle distance runner Adelle Tracey will have to run in Saturday’s repêchage rounds — four additional races for athletes who did not make the top three in the heats — as she tailed off in a tough encounter two races earlier.
Tracey, the Jamaican record holder over 1500m in which she will also double up, faced British world leader Keely Hodgkinson, who has run 1:54.61 this year, and American trials winner Nia Akins, among others.
“This was my first 800m of the season. I had an unfortunate [foot] injury in May and came here to use the rounds as a little bit of over-speed [training] for the 1500m.
“I’ve got another chance in the repêchage and will use that towards my strengths — and hopefully that will also help with the 1500m next week,” Tracey said.