Tamsyn Lewis

By Leonard Siragusa

March 3, /2008

MELBOURNE, March 11 AAP - New world indoor 800m champion Tamsyn Lewis has the potential to win a medal at the Beijing Olympics, her former coach Peter Fortune said today.

At the 2000 Olympics, Fortune coached both Lewis - then an up-and-comer who was unlucky to miss a berth in the 800m final - and 400m gold medallist Cathy Freeman.

And he now believes the 29-year-old is ready to deliver on her potential after beating the likes of superstar Maria Mutola to win the world indoor title in Spain.

"She certainly can do it. I think she's capable of making the final in Beijing and if she makes the final in Beijing, anything can happen," Fortune said.

"Winning gold medals is a tough ask but between now and Beijing, anything can happen.

"The athletes have got to be there on the day, and if they're all there in the final, I think any one of them can win."

Fortune admitted Lewis would have to produce something special to beat 800m world champion Janeth Jepkosgei.

The Kenyan middle distance runner clocked one minute 56.04 seconds at last year's world titles in Osaka.

Lewis's PB is 1:59.21 set eight years ago. But her former mentor said Lewis was now racing tactically better than ever before and had the ability to change pace quickly following plenty of speed work.

"Tactically, it may have been a weakness in the past, being a bit one-dimensional in her race approach," Fortune said.

"But now she has the ability to relax and kick and that helps her making it through semis. She's certainly thinking her races these days."

It was that tactical improvement that helped Lewis claim glory in Spain. The Australian bolted through a gap in the field with 350m to go to burst to the lead. And despite being overtaken by Ukrainian Tetyana Petlyuk in the final stages, Lewis fought back to win.

AAP