EUROPEAN SEASON REVIEW - GENEVIEVE GREGSON
Published Tue 22 Sep 2020
EUROPEAN SEASON REVIEW | GENEVIEVE GREGSON
Three Word Analysis: Another steeple, please.
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EVENT
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Season’s Best
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Personal Best
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1500m (1)
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4:09.40
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4:09.40
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3000m Steeplechase (1)
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9:44.01
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9:14.28
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5000m (2)
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15:24.33
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15:06.67
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On paper Genevieve Gregson’s 9:44.01 for the 3000m Steeplechase suggests the Australian is a long way off her best, but the performance left significant room for improvement if she were to run another steeplechase.
Entering ISTAF Berlin with the 8th fastest time in the meet’s history to her name (9:23.69 in 2018), Gregson made her intentions clear early when racing full of confidence in the slick field.
The dual-Olympic finalist’s aggressive tactics saw her feature prominently throughout the first 2000m of the 3000m journey, including progressing from sixth position up to fourth position during the second kilometre.
It was only then that the national record holder was reminded of the brutal nature of the steeplechase, as the last two laps took their toll on Gregson but provided invaluable conditioning over the barriers.
Gregson’s disappointment was minimised by the elation of a 1500m personal best just days later in London, where she broke 4:10 for the first time in her lengthy career when running 4:09.40 to beat all bar one.
The compressed European season seems to have done the Australian no favours, with Gregson’s performances gradually progressing over her campaign but the calendar quickly becoming scarce of quality events.
The 15:24.33 she clocked over 5000m in Ostrava indicated just that considering her 5000m season opener of 15:38.22 in Monaco just three weeks earlier.
A personal best over 1500m coupled with a strong improvement over 5000m suggests Gregson is trending in the right direction in 2020, and a strong showing over 3000m in Doha on September 26 can be expected.
By: Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 23 September 2020
