Diamond Race Glory the Target for McCorory

This year she’s back and returns to the Eternal City as the early leader in the 400m Diamond Race following a superb performance in the opening meeting of the season in Doha.

In the intervening two years the Amercian has won the World Indoor title, the IAAF continental Cup and five more IAAF Diamond League meetings to add to her maiden win in New York in 2012.

Yet due to the strength in depth in the women’s one lap sprint, the 26 year old has yet to secure a Diamond Trophy, something that she is keen to put right in 2015.

“This year I started my season particularly early by running at the Drake Relays and I did awesomely,” she explains. “So I think the season is going great. I definitely want to win the Diamond Race. I think that it’s possible and I think that I can do it. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, so I just get out there, run the best race that I can run every time and it will happen.”

If McCorory can match her performance from Qatar in Italy, she will secure a further four points in the Diamond Race and, with Stephanie-Ann McPherson the only other athlete in the Rome field with points to her name this season, extend her lead at the top of the standings.

“I just want to continue to hit all the points that my coach asked me to hit and definitely have a strong finish and to overall continue to work on my race,” she says. “I want it where it needs to be as I head towards Beijing.”

With another Diamond League appearance on the cards in New York in ten days’ time followed by the US Nationals later in the month, the reigning US Champion knows exactly what she wants from the season.

“It would be nice to run faster than 49.4, which is my PR (set last year in winning the US title), so that would be a bonus,” she smiles, “but as I said I just want to put all the pieces of my race together so that when I get to Beijing I’m ready.”

With a rich heritage in 400m runners in the USA and a pool of talented athletes, even running 49.48 doesn’t necessarily ensure a place in the spotlight, but McCorory isn’t worried:

“I do feel like I get credit for my performances,” she comments. “But I also feel like I still have a lot of work to do as far as becoming a consistent runner is concerned. Last year and this year I’ve been doing a great job, but when I run I don’t really run for the credit. I just want to perfect my craft and be the best athlete I can be. If I can do that, then credit will follow.

I feel like with the 400m, it’s always so tough that on any given day anyone can become your main rival. The best thing to do is focus on yourself and run your own race at all times. If you do that, then I feel that all will always end well.”

Roll on Thursday evening.


Dean Hardman for the IAAF Diamond League