QUEEN of the country, Kelly Caffel is now ready to become a terror of the track.

That's the assessment of coach Harry Wilson, and he should know because he was the man behind Steve Ovett's capture of an Olympic 800m gold in 1980.

And it's the 2000 Games on which Wilson has his sights set to bring Olympic glory to Oxfordshire.

Wilson reckons the 19-year-old Oxford City star will reach her peak in two years' time, but he is eager to protect Caffel from any unnecessary pressure.

"Kelly's got the potential to be world-class over 1500m," said Wilson. "The Sydney Olympics are more than in the back of our minds, but I don't want to say too much about it because I don't want to get people's expectations too high.

"1998 was a great year," Wilson added. "She's so confident and the fact that she can run at her best in top quality races is a sign that she isn't afraid of competing against the best."

Caffel became the first British runner to win the Grand Prix race in Brussels last month, just seven days after crossing the line as first British girl in the European Cross Country Championships in Italy.

"She led all the way round. It was a muddy course which didn't really suit her," Wilson said. The Oxon teenager helped record an English 1-2-4 as she stormed to victory.

Caffel opened up a 30m lead in the first of the three-lap race over 4K and had extended it to double that distance on the final lap.

The Sandford-on-Thames girl cruised home in a time of 15.19, a clear ten seconds ahead of her closest rival.

Those two victories, however, didn't earn Caffel a place in the main BUPA Great North Race race at Durham earlier this month.

"I was expecting to be in the main race, but was put in the open one," she recalled. "I was upset at not being asked."

Caffel made her point with an emphatic solo victory, turning the under 20 event into something of a procession.

The sociology and social psychology student at Loughborough University will have to compete in senior company in certain races this year and it's going to pose problems initially.

"The distance nearly doubles and she's really pushing it over the 4K courses she is tackling at the moment," said Wilson.

"That's understandable, though, because she's primarily a 1500m runner. When she enters the senior category she won't do a great deal, she'll be getting ready for her summer training."

Wilson has his sights set on guiding Caffel to the European Under 23 Championships in Gothenburg in August. "If she gets picked for that then that will be a big step forward," said her coach.

Story date: Thursday 28 January

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.