BIRMINGHAM, England — Olympic and World Championships finalist Natoya Goule says she is determined to work her way up the podium at the Commonwealth Games as she targets an improvement in her bronze medal from the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in tomorrow’s final at Alexander Stadium.

Goule, who easily won her heat in 1:58.39 on Tuesday, says her fifth-place finish in the World Championships final in Eugene has prepared her well for a push in Birmingham, adding that she feels better than she did at that championship, where she ran 1:57.90 in the final.

“It felt very comfortable and I just want to go into the finals and feel that comfortable as well and then I know I will produce the time that I want,” said Goule in reference to her mark in the heats.

“That experience in Eugene prepared me and made me mentally stronger because, you know, coming fifth in such a great field at the World Championships, with most of those runners not being here, that shows me that I should get a medal here. If I don’t get a medal, it’s going to be sad,” Goule said.

“I’m looking to improve that placement from 2018 and I know I have a shot to do better, and I know what I can do. I know how my training has been going and I’m better than even what I did in Eugene. So I know that God is preparing me for something great,” she said.

Goule shared that she and her coach, Mark Elliott, have been working on several things in training which she hopes to put into practise tomorrow.

“Definitely me running through the line is one of the things I am looking to improve on, and just maintaining my strength and my speed because I already have it, and just being more patient. When I’m in practice, I’ll be more patient with how I do my reps, and it’s paid off,” Elliott said.

The final will take place tomorrow at 6:45 pm (12:45 pm Jamaica time).

— Andre Lowe