IAAF Ambassador Kelly Holmes during Kids' Athletics (© Getty Images)
Dame Kelly Holmes' advice for her two protégés competing at the World Youth Championships in Bressanone is simple: “Just treat it as another competition.”
Rowena Cole and Louise Small will race over 800 metres and 1500m, respectively, at the sixth staging of the championships, which have blooded many future Olympic gold medallists.
Sprint ace Usain Bolt, middle distance star Kenenisa Bekele and pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva all emerged onto the world stage at the biennial event, which was established by the IAAF 10 years ago.
Holmes did not have the chance to benefit from such an initiative and believes the championships, which begin tomorrow, play a major role in assisting athletes to prepare themselves for senior careers.
“Unfortunately not, it wasn't around for me,” said Holmes, who as an IAAF Ambassador spent a day at the South Tyrol venue passing on the formula of how, despite many setbacks, she became a double Olympic gold medallist.
Holmes, winner of the 800m and 1500m at the 2004 Olympics, said: “I think it gives a great opportunity for the young who have a talent to find a level where they can actually learn what they can achieve.
“These championships offer a great learning curve, something youngsters need to go through before facing the distractions and problems which arise at senior level.
“They're going to be very, very nervous, but will learn first hand the procedures they need to understand if they stay on course and successfully make the transition to senior international level.”
Having observed the South Tyrol atmosphere, Holmes added: “They're extremely nervous because the atmosphere is different to anything they've ever been to.
“It's multi-cultural, multi-national and that's something that they've never experienced.”
Cole of Coventry and Small from Aldershot are members of Holmes' highly successful 'On Camp With Kelly' training group, and she continued: “I think the ones that are going to handle it most are the ones who treat it just like another competition.
“I told Rowena and Louise that, because basically that's what it's like.”
The opening day's programme will see Shauna Thompson and Jodie Williams in action over 100 metres and hopes are high the pair can win early medals for the Great Britain team.
Thompson, 17, from Sale Harriers contests the shorter distance before later in the week taking part in her speciality 200m, where she reached last year's world junior semi-finals.
Williams, who represents Herts Phoenix, has already been recognised as a phenomenal talent and, despite being only 15, currently lies sixth in the UK senior rankings with a time of 11.47 seconds into a very strong headwind.
Expectations of the pair will be high, particularly after Asha Philip and Ashlee Nelson claimed the gold and bronze medals at the last championships in Ostrava two years ago.
David Martin, Press Association Sport for the IAAF
