TOP British medal hope Kelly Sotherton is looking to write her name in history books when the Olympic athletics events commence.
Sotherton starts her heptathlon campaign tomorrow and hopes to conclude it just over 24 hours later with a medal to complement the bronze she won in Athens.
Victory would ensure she joins the legends of British multi-eventers, with Mary Peters, Da
ley Thompson and Denise Lewis all vowing to cheer her on.
"Just to be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys would be amazing," said Sotherton, who has now booked into the Olympic Village after spending the last fortnight at the British training camp in Macau. "They've achieved the ultimate in their sport by winning Olympic golds and I've got my chance now. I don't know whether it will ever come again, so I'm going to do everything within my power to take it."
Sotherton – who describes herself as the "favourite underdog" - might take inspiration from Lewis. She arrived in Sydney having taken bronze four years earlier, like her fellow Birchfield Harrier she also knew that the clock was running out on her career.
"Kelly's got to seize the moment, like me she has a chance to change the rest of her life," said Lewis. "They can never take away your Olympic title. You are a champion for the rest of your life. It's now or never."
The full article contains 239 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
