
Revee Walcott-Nolan heads to the Olympic Games in the form of her life, looking to remove the 0.01s that denied her a place in the semi finals in Tokyo. In the latest in the Road to Paris series, Revee spoke to James Rhodes about her season, life in the On Athletics Club and goals for Paris.
“I’m so excited”
When Revee Walcott Nolan toes the line of the Stade de France on Tuesday 6 August, it will be 1,100 days since her Olympic debut in Tokyo. Those three- and three-quarter laps of the Olympic Stadium were a tale of two emotions. A PB when it mattered most, on the biggest stage of them all. Even if COVID meant the stands of that stage were emptier than usual. At the same time, so close but so far. The fastest race of her career, but cruelly 0.01s short of advancing to the semi-finals.
A lot has happened since that morning in Japan. A stress response in her shin ruled Revee out of the 2022 season, an unfinished 1500m in Ostrava the one visit to the track. If that year was defined by a lack of racing, the next was anything but. Twenty-two track races, almost evenly split between 800m and 1500m. Faster than ever before over both, including a first sub-two 800m at a BMC meeting in Watford.
The season did not end after not making the team for the World Championships in Budapest. Focus went onto the 1500m. Three races, three weeks, three PBs – ending the season with 4:03.84 in Zagreb. Almost two and a half seconds faster than she had ever run at the start of the season, but less than half a second shy of the Olympic standard.
It was a welcome return, and the goal for 2024 was clear. A second Olympics.

Photo: James Rhodes
Big Changes
In the quest to reach Paris, last October Revee joined the On Athletics Club Europe. Spearheaded by Thomas Dreißigacker, the group is based in Switzerland during the summer and South Africa in the winter. Her teammates include George Mills and Aimee Pratt, who join her on the Great Britain team in Paris. It has been a wholly positive experience:
“The whole set up, the coaching, the team around me, every little thing has played a massive part in getting me to where I am today. I’m really thankful to be in such a great team”.
It has paid dividends, and Revee has enjoyed an upward trajectory as the season progresses.
The Olympic standard was ticked off at the Ostrava Golden Spike in late May (2:02.42), following fast season openers in Doha (4:03.99) and Marseille (4:04.05). Getting under the 4:03.50 mark changed the approach and mentality for the following races, which provided further breakthroughs.
4:00.77 in Stockholm, followed by 4:00.43 in Bydgoszcz. Step-change times and ever closer to the time-barrier strongly associated with the 1500m.
“The first half of the season was focused on running the standard, and every race I was going into I was thinking ‘watch the clock’. I was focusing on what times I was running. As soon as I’d run the standard, I could be free and just race to race. With that came the 4:00. I think that now I have no actual worry about running specific standards, I can just go and push myself and see how fast I can go”.

Photo: James Rhodes
Not Easy
Of course, getting to Paris is easier said than done, particularly in the ultra-competitive 1500m. Five women with the qualifying standard lined up for the British Championships. With only the top-two guaranteed selection, there was no easy ride.
The race – for those on the outside – appeared particularly slow. Georgia Bell won in 4:10.69, followed by Laura Muir in 4:11.59 with Revee third in 4:11.79. No automatic selection, but as close to certain as one could get.
It was a race, and time, Revee felt ready for.
“On the start line I didn’t really know how it was going to play out, I thought it could go either way. A really fast race where someone might take it out, or it was going to be really slow – like it was. I had to prepare myself for both sides.
I knew I wasn’t going to take it out, I’ve done that before and I thought ‘this is my year to let someone else do that if they want to’. The first couple of laps were really slow, but I don’t mind that. I ran well!”

Photo: James Rhodes
Looking Forward
It will be a very Olympic different experience this time round. Tests, marks and distancing replaced by friends, family and fans. It is an experience to be looked forward to. There are clear goals for Paris, and the rest of the season. Naturally, a PB that starts with a three is up there; it is something Revee is “desperate for”. As she says, “it’s coming, it will come in due time”.
However, that is not the focus of the next fortnight.
“I’m feeling really confident at the moment. My progression has been so good this year and I feel like I’ve nailed the training in terms of peaking at the right time. Sometimes, in previous years, I’ve found that hard to do. If it carries on the way it’s going, I should perform well in Paris.
I always aim to enjoy myself. After being knocked out in the heats in Tokyo, my expectations are a lot higher than that. I want to make it through the rounds, I want to make it to the final and then see how far I can go”.
The heats of the women’s 1500m take place on Tuesday 6 August. Revee will be joined by Georgia Bell and Laura Muir.

Photo: James Rhodes