Tracey moving up

THOUGH THE 800 metres has been her bread and butter, Adelle Tracey is moving up.

Tracey, who competed as a Jamaican for the first time this season, is excited about her 1500-metre prospects. After setting personal bests at both distances, she is hoping one day to set national records in the longer event.

Her debut season for Jamaica saw her reach the semi-final stage of both races at the World Championships in the United States city of Eugene, Oregon, and then win medals in each event at the recently concluded NACAC Open Championships in Freeport, Bahamas.

Tracey’s new lifetime best in the 1500 – four minutes, 02.36 seconds – isn’t a mile away from Yvonne Graham’s 1995 Jamaican record of 4.01.64.

That’s the event Tracey is targeting these days.

“I’ll always run 800s because I think I can run a great 800 off the work I’m doing for the 1500 now, but definitely going forward, I think my coach sees a lot of potential in the 1500 and I think I’d love to demonstrate that, because I actually used to run more 400s than 800s, that’s if you work hard, and do the mileage, you can progress and run a longer distance. So hopefully I can show that,” she revealed, in a recent interview.

The 2018 European Championships 800-metre fourth-place finisher cut her best-ever time in the two-lapper to one minute, 59.20 seconds to reach the Eugene semis. Earlier this month, at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Poland, she brought Graham’s 28-year-old record into view.

Continue that legacy

“I know that there have been some good Jamaican 1500 runners in the past and I think it’s important to continue that legacy,” she said respectfully, “and to see more Jamaican women in middle distance events, especially longer events, the 1500 metres, the 5k and up. You know, I’ve definitely seen those records there so hopefully, in the future I can do my best to try and set some records.”

Last weekend, the former British international raced into third in Freeport with a time of 1.59.54 behind the USA pair of Ajee Wilson and Allie Wilson in the 800m and then into second place in the 1500m.

“I feel really pleased that I knew I was kinda coming into form, coming into my prime and it’s really great that I could do that in the Jamaica vest and I’m just excited for what’s to come,” she said, brimming with anticipation.

With the 2023 World Championships set for Budapest, Hungary, she is expectant.

“There’s another World Champs, another opportunity to see what I can do on the world stage, and yes, I’m really just looking to step up there again and improve on what I’ve done this year,” she hoped.

Coached by 1996 British 800-metre Olympian Craig Winrow, Tracey underlined: “I loved competing twice this summer for Jamaica and it’s been a really positive experience for me.”