Gemma Reekie “loves” running the 800m and mile at the Commonwealth

“The mile is a really great event and it’s nice to do something different.

“I’m really excited to learn and move on. I won’t be progressing full time, I’ll be returning to the outdoor 800m.

“I’m enjoying it so far. I think I could be a great 1500m runner in the future. So, I’m dipping my toes in to see how it goes. I’m enjoying it, the training is really good.”

With her recent indoor success, the two-time Olympian is happy with her form as she heads to Toruń, but insists her enjoyment remains the priority ahead of the outdoor season.

Riki spoke candidly about how failing to reach the 800m final at the 2024 Olympics prompted her to prioritize her mental health.

The 1500 meter race qualifiers will be held in Toruń on Friday, with the final being held on Sunday.

“It’s definitely getting there,” she said. “We’ll see how I go this weekend over this distance. I’m definitely having a lot of fun, that’s the main goal.

“I don’t have any pressure this weekend at all, other than myself. So, I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see what I can do.

“In the last two outdoor seasons, I have not been able to participate in the finals, so this will definitely be the first step forward to getting to this final.”

Riki, along with fellow Team GB star Laura Muir, began working with coach John Page in March 2023, but has brought other people, including psychologists, into her squad to extract small advantages.

“I’ve been with John for a while, and we’ve been working on a lot and I’ve gotten stronger and stronger as the years go by,” she said.

“It’s just adding those 1 percent gains and new people to your team, which I really enjoy. I think athletes can always work on something.”