Samantha is confident about world championship

Gordon’s golden girl, Samantha Kinghorn, heads to Dubai today (Thursday) in hopeful mood for the World Para Athletics Championships.
Sammi Kinghorn in action at Jedburgh last weekend (picture by Bill McBurnie)Sammi Kinghorn in action at Jedburgh last weekend (picture by Bill McBurnie)
Sammi Kinghorn in action at Jedburgh last weekend (picture by Bill McBurnie)

Sammi (23) is taking part this time on November 7-8 in just one major event, the 100 metres – and possibly in the relay race at the end.

However, reducing her main focus to a single solo discipline has helped a lot with her preparation and concentration, as well as giving her a new directional approach.

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Sammi was sidelined for several weeks during the summer by an operation – another reason for reducing her racing – but she has been happy with how things have gone in training.

She’d been concerned about the lost time – but the different build-up had given her a new confidence for Dubai and strengthened her ambition to make the squad for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

“I feel like I am pretty much back to where I was before and I feel confident that I can do my best and get a place on the podium,” she said.

Memories, of course, are still fresh of Sammi’s glorious triumph in London in 2017, when she became a double world champion with gold medals in the T53 100m and 200m – her favourite discipline – plus 400m bronze.

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“Coming away with two golds and a bronze for me was such a shock – I had never done 100m in a major event before,” she recalled.

Last weekend, Sammi also found time, as always, to come home for the Jedburgh Running Festival and take part in the wheelchair race.

“I love the Borders and I wouldn’t be in the position I am in without the support of Gordon and the local people,” she said.

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