The coach behind the success of Olympic golden girl Keely Hodgkinson has revealed what gives an athlete the edge on the biggest stage.
Trevor Painter, who grew up in Wigan and now coaches middle-distance runners in Manchester with his wife, Jenny Meadows, says the mindset of an athlete will often determine the direction of their career.
Hodgkinson who won the gold medal in the 800 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympics, currently holds the world indoor best for the 600 metres and is a four-time British national senior champion.
Painter said: “You can never guarantee an Olympic medal, but a large thing is the mindset. An athlete who goes the extra yard and does a little bit more – that’s a good sign.
“Does the athlete turn up on time, are they attentive, do they want to learn? It all has to do with character traits.”
Embed from Getty ImagesPainter and Meadows have coached Hodgkinson since 2019, during which time the Atherton-born athlete has shattered numerous track records under their guidance.
The success of the 22-year-old has boosted the coaching duo’s reputation, leading to a surge in the number of runners eager to join the M11 Track Club – more than doubling, with interest now extending beyond the UK.
Painter added: “There’s a Polish girl, a Danish girl, an Italian, two French, three Irish, an Argentinian, and a Mexican.
“The interest since Paris has gone through the roof, everyone wants to be in the group and we’ve had to turned some really good standard athletes down because its full and we are at capacity.”
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