BBC Home
Explore the BBC

CBBC

Sport

Last Updated: Saturday May 12 2007 10:55 GMT

Sportsround meets Kelly Sotherton

Kelly Sotherton

Kelly Sotherton is one of Great Britain's top athletes and has started the season in fine form, winning silver at the European Indoor Athletics Championship earlier this year in the pentathlon.

Her total of 4,944 points was a British and Commonwealth record and means she should be challenging for medals at the World Championships later this year in Japan in the heptathlon.

But will her form on the track prepare her for the ultimate test, a Sportsround interview


This is a 200m sprint, quick questions. What are your favourite and least favourite events?

My favourite event is all of them. I do enjoy all of them, even the lovely javelin, I love it. But the worst events are actually the first and last events in a funny way.

The first event because you have to get it so right and the last event because it's the end and you've got to run with your eyeballs out all the way to the end and you know it's going to hurt.

High jump next. What's been the highlight of your career so far?

Most people might think that it would be the Olympic bronze medal but the highlight would be the European Indoors recently in Birmingham, because I performed out of my skin and nearly beat the Olympic champion, I think I should have beaten her. And I got the third highest score of all time too.

800m question now, so there's more time for an answer. Isn't it a bad time to be a heptathlete at the moment as you have to compete against Carolina Kluft - one of the best female athletes ever?

It's going to take a magic performance to beat Carolina. But I'm getting closer to her and the rest of the girls are getting closer too. Hopefully come the Olympics in Beijing next year there are going to be a few more people challenging for gold medals.

100m hurdles question. You were a really sporty kid, but what if you're kid who isn't born into a very sporty family?

It starts with eating healthily, and then just go out get a ball and have a kick around and have some fun. That's what I did when I was younger and I was the tomboy who got everybody involved in sport.

Shot put. What music helps you get in the mood to compete?

At the moment I'm into Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit. I love something that's got a really good beat or good tune.

Javelin next, so let's get to the point. What are the best and worst things about being a professional?

The money that you can earn is a good thing, in and out of the sport. It's a good thing obviously because it helps you pay the mortgage.

The worst thing is sometimes not being able to be yourself and have your own opinion.

Finally the long jump, what is your long term goal?

In any athletic career it has to be Olympic gold.

When I'm training and finding it tough, maybe in a running session with half of it left to go, I just think I could be running down the home straight winning my Olympic gold medal and I think that all the time to keep myself going.



BBC Homepage >> | CBBC Homepage >>

Meet the Team | Help | Contact Us | News sources | Privacy & Cookies Policy