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Tokyo 2020: Jemma Reekie feels no extra pressure to deliver

Tokyo 2020: Jemma Reekie feels no extra pressure to deliver
© Reuters
Jemma Reekie, Hodgkinson and Bell have all qualified for Tuesday's 800m final.

Jemma Reekie dismissed any extra pressure as the spotlight turned on her to deliver for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 23-year-old reached Tuesday's 800 metres final along with Great Britain team-mates Keely Hodgkinson and Alex Bell.

Team GB's chances at the Olympic Stadium suffered a damaging blow after Dina Asher-Smith pulled out of the 200m and revealed she suffered a serious hamstring injury last month.

Dina Asher-Smith was hampered by injury
Dina Asher-Smith was hampered by injury (Mike Egerton/PA)

She failed to reach the 100m final – won by Elaine Thompson-Herah in 10.61 seconds on Saturday – and broke down in tears as she explained she nearly did not make it to Tokyo.

Asher-Smith was expected to challenge for both the 100m and 200m but Reekie insisted there is still no more weight on her to claim a maiden senior medal and help salvage British hopes on the track.

She said: "I don't feel pressure from anyone else, I put a lot of pressure on myself and I expect a lot from myself. I'm quite hard on myself, I just want to do well. I don't feel pressure from elsewhere.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Day Eight
Reekie is joined in the final by Alex Bell and Keely Hodgkinson. (Mike Egerton/PA)

"I was watching every sport and every time someone gets a medal, no matter the sport, it lifts all the athletes.

"British 800 metres running is amazing right now and I'm so excited looking ahead. I definitely think the British girls can do well in the final.

"I stand on the start line to try to win it and I'll do the same again. If I come away with a medal I'll be really happy."

Reekie came second in her semi-final in one minute 59.77 seconds with Hodgkinson winning her semi-final while Bell finished third in her semi but still qualified faster than her team-mates in 1.58.83 minutes.

"It was a really good race, I executed it well, listened to my coach and I'm looking forward to the final," said Reekie.

"I'm really confident and that's come from the training I've done in the last few weeks in the holding camp. I know I'm in amazing shape but it's an Olympic final, I've got to race it smart.

"I'm not under-23s any more, I can't afford to make mistakes. I'll just do my best and hopefully come away with a medal."

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James Guy and Adam Peaty celebrate victory on July 31, 2021
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Olympic medal table header
CountryGold medalSilver MedalBronze MedalT
ChinaChina34241674
United StatesUnited States29342790
JapanJapan22101446
AustraliaAustralia1751941
Olympics flagRussian Olympic Committee16222058
Great BritainGreat Britain16181852
Today's Olympic highlights header

Thursday's key events


ATHLETICS
· The women's heptathlon continues with the long jump, javelin and 800m, with Katarina Johnson-Thompson now out of contention following an injury (1.10am-1.40pm)
· Andrew Pozzi pursues his dream of an Olympic medal in the men's 110m hurdles final (3.55am)
· Tom Bosworth and Callum Wilkinson are among the British hopes in the men's 20km race walk (8.30am)
· Holly Bradshaw aims to improve on fifth in Rio to challenge Greece's Katerina Stefanidi and Anzhelika Sidorova of Russia for an unlikely medal in the women's pole vault (11am)
· London 2012 champion Kirani James goes up against current world champion Steven Gardiner in the men's 400m final (1pm)

MARATHON SWIMMING
· One of the toughest Olympic events takes place in Tokyo Bay as GB's Hector Pardoe takes on the men's 20km marathon swim (10.30pm Wed)

BOXING
· Galal Yafai takes on takes on Kazakhstan's Saken Bibossinov for a spot in the gold medal bout of the fly (48kg-52kg) class (6.48am)

DIVING
· Lois Toulson and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (daughter of First Dates' Fred Sirieix) line up for the women's 10m platform (semi-final 2am; final 7am)

HOCKEY
· Australia face Belgium in the men's final (11am)

> Today's schedule in full
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