Katie Snowden set her sights on the European Championships after making the women’s 1500m final at the Commonwealth Games last month.
The Herne Hill Harriers star finished 11th in a final that saw the winner, South African Caster Semenya, set a games record.
Having now competed in her first senior Games, Snowden is eager to progress up the ranks in the 1500m.
Snowden, 24, said: “My main aim this season is to make the European Championships in August.
“The British Championships in July will be very competitive with the likes of Laura Muir and Laura Weightman, who are world class.
“But my aim is to finish high up.”
Snowden won gold in the 800m at both the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011 and the 2015 England Athletics Under-23 & Under-20 Championship and European Trials.
In comparison to her 800m record, she is still relatively young in her 1500m career.
“I was pleased with my time in the final as I ran my second quickest time ever,” said Snowden.
“Tactically, I could have run it better and I was frustrated with the position I came in.
“This will hopefully improve though as I gain more experience racing over the distance.”
Snowden, who has been with the Harriers since she was 12, clocked her second fastest 1500m time of her career.
Although Snowden was pleased yet frustrated by her performance in the final, senior team manager at the Harriers and Katie’s coach for two years, Geoff Jerwood believes her dedication paid off.
“As an athlete she is very talented but she is also very hardworking,” said Jerwood.
“It’s wonderful, everybody at the club is so proud of what she’s done.”
At the age of 14 her explosiveness caught the eye early on and showed her potential for longer distances.
Jerwood said: “She ran in an open meeting at our local track and she ran a 400m race in 56.4 seconds.
“That was one of the fastest times of any British woman at that time and I’m struggling to think of anyone since who has run it at that age.”
Now training with her current coach Rob Denmark at Loughbrough University, Snowden feels she can take the next step.
Because of her progression through the Harriers to the senior England team, there could well be more runners looking to follow Katie’s lead.
“People have followed her example through the system, she’s played a very key role in people looking to her for inspiration,” said Jerwood.
“Tokyo is the long-term target and anything between here and there she’ll be looking to gain experience for.”
