Lord Sebastian Coe believes that with the likes of Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Morgan Lake and the eagerly anticipated return of Olympic Champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, there will be a resurgence of popularity within the sport.
Comparing the rivalry between the three multi-eventers to the likes of himself and the encounters he and fellow Brit Steve Ovett shared during the 1980s, Coe believes that the aptitude for success that Johnson-Thompson, Lake and Ennis-Hill possess will once again spark a long-awaited revival of British dominance.
‘Head-to-heads are what get people excited’ said Lord Coe.
Britain has always posed a threat in the Heptathlon on the global stage, boasting two Olympic Champions including Denise Lewis – the former national record holder – along with World and European junior champions.
Although an abrupt withdrawal from last season hampered any chances of Johnson-Thompson winning a major medal, she has produced fine form already this year, taking the European indoor title and breaking Ennis-Hill’s national record in the process.
Coe also stated that they (Johnson-Thompson and Lake) are invaluable assets, not only to the nation but to the sport, as ‘they are like the kids next door and that is really important so that people can identify with them’.
Amidst the negativity of the doping scandals that surround the sport at the moment, the three athletes and their individual qualities are what help to maintain that which is good in the sport of Athletics.
With the World Championships to come later this year, the prospect of a British head-to-head makes only for a more compelling wait. Should Ennis-Hill replicate anywhere near the form she demonstrated three years ago, the clash could be on the same level of rivalry as Dayron Robles and Liu Xiang, Seb Coe and Steve Ovett or even Carl Lewis and Mike Powell.
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