2016 Olympian Jessica Thornton has joined the Viking Athletics squad from Sydney

If everything goes exactly to plan for Vikings athletics coach Brett Robinson, the Tokyo Olympics 4x400m relay could see two of his pupils pass the baton between each other.

IF everything goes exactly to plan for Vikings athletics coach Brett Robinson, the Tokyo Olympics 4x400m relay could see two of his pupils pass the baton between each other.

Robinson’s 400m squad has been slowly growing in reputation, especially due to the international exploits of teenager Ellie Beer, and how now attracted an Olympian to the Gold Coast.

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Jessica Thornton has been based in Sydney since representing Australia at the 2016 Olympics but has now officially joined the Vikings squad with high hopes of enhancing her Tokyo 2020 chances.

Robinson has been remotely coaching the 2014 400m Youth Olympic Champion for three months but welcomed Thornton to the Coast last Friday following the easing of border restrictions.

“I am good friends with her former coach and we have a proven formula with 400m and are comfortable we can get it right and I think Jessica was chasing someone to be really direct with her about what she’s doing wrong and right,” Robinson said.

“We were both had some reservations initially about how remote coaching would work but we’ve been communicating most days and doing zoom calls and she’s been sending me videos an emails so she can operate at the level she needs to be.”

2016 Olympian Jessica Thornton has relocated from Sydney to the Gold Coast to train under Currumbin sprint coach Brett Robinson to enhance Tokyo 2020 prospects. Jessica Thornton training at Somerset College.. Picture Glenn Hampson

Thornton has spent the last few weeks in a moon boot due to a broken foot but like many, the 22-year-old has benefited from the cancellation of national titles and the postponement of the Olympics and will use the extended lead up to push her case for a second Olympics next year.

As a two-time open women’s beach sprint champion, Robinson said Thornton has fit right into his squad of multi-talented athletes.

2016 Olympian Jessica Thornton has relocated from Sydney to the Gold Coast to train under Currumbin sprint coach Brett Robinson to enhance Tokyo 2020 prospects. Jessica Thornton training at Somerset College.. Picture Glenn Hampson

“She fits our model really well as she’s not just a track sprinter,” he said.

“It’s like she’s popped out of the same mould and she’s bonded and connected with the group straight away.

“The group has gone to another level this week and their desire to be competitive with her has seen all the girls lift to try and compete with her at training.”

And rather than compete directly with Beer for an Olympic spot, Robinson believes the two have the potential to head to Tokyo together.

2016 Olympian Jessica Thornton has relocated from Sydney to the Gold Coast to train under Currumbin sprint coach Brett Robinson at Somerset College to enhance Tokyo 2020 prospects. . Picture Glenn Hampson

“The dream is they hand the baton to each other in the relay,” he said.

“They are both capable of running an individual qualifier but the postponement has given them more time and their personal bests aren’t that far off qualifying as it is.

“It’s worked in their favour.”

Social distancing regulations forced Robinson to coach his squad remotely or in small groups but the athletes have recently reunited and are training towards the hopeful resumption of competition in January before the Olympics in July 2021.