Promising Otago middle-distance runner Rebekah Greene (Hill City) has proved she has the temperament to become a successful international runner in senior ranks and compete at the Olympics.
At the top level it is the tough mental approach that makes the champions.
The three track and field knights - Peter Snell, Murray Halberg and John Walker - won Olympic gold medals because they were not fazed by the occasion.
Greene proved she has the temperament to succeed internationally when she won the silver medal at the world secondary schools cross-country in Slovakia in April.
She followed this up at the world junior track and field championships in Canada this month when she broke a 29-year-old New Zealand record when qualifying for the 1500m final.
Greene (16), a pupil at St Hilda's Collegiate, broke the women's aged 16 record of 4min 21.18sec that Sue Bruce (Canterbury) ran in 1981.
Greene's time of 4min 18.90sec was 3.08sec faster than the Otago senior women's record she ran in February.
It also lifted her from seventh to third in this year's open women's rankings for the 1500m.
Greene is guided by former Australian coach Jim Baird who has concentrated on her technique and running style and has not over-worked her.
Her performance in Canada was the best by an Otago athlete at the world junior championships since Blair Martin (Caversham) finished 10th in the 10,000m in 1994 in 29min 41.70sec.
Greene has performed magnificently on the international stage this year, but it would be folly to suggest she could make it to the Olympic Games in London in 2012.
The qualifying standard in the 1500m for this year's Commonwealth Games at New Delhi is 4min 10sec and 2min 01.50sec for the 800m.
The qualifying standard for the London Olympics is expected to be between 4min 04sec and 4min 05sec for the 1500m and 1min 58sec for the 800m.
Greene still has a long way to go to reach these times.
Greene went on to finish 11th in the final of the 1500m in Canada.
She found the pace, in the blustery conditions, too difficult.
Her time was 4min 27.75sec.
The race was won by Ethiopian Tizita Bogale in 4min 8.06sec, but she was pushed all the way by the surprise silver medallist Ciara Mageean, of Ireland, whose 4min 9.51sec was a personal-best by 6sec.
The experience in Canada highlighted some deficiencies for Greene who was not able to back up a top performance with another one two days later.
It showed that she does not yet have the endurance and strength needed to go through the process of a heat, possibly a semifinal, and final at an Olympic Games.
Greene should forget about an Olympic Games spot in 2012.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016 could be her year.
But she is capable of reaching the podium at the world junior championships in two years.
