ROSE Davies "recorded every single day" from the London Olympics in 2012 and "watched it on repeat" after school.
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The Merewether runner, now 21, says "it has always been a massive dream of mine" to compete at an Olympics. Now she is a step closer to making it a reality following a career-best performance and breakthrough national 10,000-metre title.
Another chance to post a maiden A-qualifier could still be on the horizon, as well as a crack at the country's top 5000m event in Sydney next month, but for the time being Davies has put herself in an ideal position to earn a spot on the team for Tokyo courtesy of claiming the prestigious Zatopek crown in Melbourne last week.
Representing Australia this year would be the icing on the cake for the Scott Westcott-coached athlete, however, she says her Olympic flame would continue to flicker for Paris 2024 regardless of any further impacts from COVID-19 or the coming selection process.
"It would be a dream come true," Davies told the Newcastle Herald.
"I had it [Tokyo] in the back of my head but I never gave it much thought. I always thought that if it was going to be a year it would be Paris 2024.
"If it happens I would obviously be over the moon, but if it doesn't I'll be back to the drawing board. Training won't be interrupted and I'll just do my own thing still."
Davies stopped the clock at 31 minutes, 39.37 seconds to secure her victory at Box Hill Athletics Track on Australia Day.
This was a PB by 1:45.55 but it fell short of an automatic Olympic time (31:25).
"Hopefully I can get another 10km done," she said.
"I'm sure Nic Bideau will try and put one on in Melbourne or Box Hill again [during the next few months]. So hopefully we can but if it doesn't happen I won't be fully disappointed."
Davies' most recent 10,000m mark, despite missing the A-qualifier by 15s, was the second quickest by an Australian female on home soil, fifth fastest ever at Zatopek and puts her seventh on the country's all-time list.
In terms of the current pecking order for Tokyo she is behind Ellie Pashley (31:18.29) and Sinead Diver (31:25.49), who have both already secured marathon times as well.
This means Davies would be next in line if Pashley and Diver get the nod for the longer event, but getting picked isn't a guarantee.
The Novocastrian is keeping her options open by eyeing off the national 5000m championships in the state capital on March 13, preluded by a warm-up race over the same distance in Victoria the week prior.
"I thought going into this year if it [Olympics] was going to happen it would be the five," she said. "But you never know, it still might be the five or it might be the 10."
Davies needs to shave 20s off her 5000m personal best (15:30.15), posted 12 months ago, to reach an A-qualifier.
She will likely run the 1500m at the Olympic trials in April.
The former Adamstown-New Lambton Little Athletics member, who works at Souths Leagues Club, said she "wouldn't change anything" about her Zatopek performance and says "I wasn't expecting to win it so early, maybe a couple of years down the track".
Davies, a St Francis Xavier's College graduate, reckons the COVID-19 break last year has helped her improve.
"We were so lucky we could train normally," she said.
"I just had a good three to five months uninterrupted, solid training with no distractions.
"Not nailing every session but just getting it done ... I think it definitely worked to my benefit."
Davies is mentored by 2016 Olympian Westcott and trains at various locations across the region including the Fearnley Dawes Athletics Track in Newcastle, Carrington and Glenrock.
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