Asha Philip says Britain's sprint stars are itching to jump out of the blocks and prove they can match the very best of the USA and Jamaica.
The 24-year-old, who won relay bronze at the Commonwealth Games after coming fourth in the 100m, is set to chase a repeat of her 2014 victory at next month's Glasgow International Match at the Emirates Arena.
But with the likes of Dinah Asher-Smith and Bianca Williams creating a intense scrap for domestic supremacy, Philip claims the bar will be raised further as the summer's world championships beckon.
"As individual sprinters, we're doing quite well," she said. "The females in Britain have performed well over a number of years. And as a relay squad, we broke the national record twice in ten days. That wasn't expected because we were all tired and winding down from two championships. It's given us all a boost. It's nice for us and all the girls can't wait to race another relay next year. And it's going to be a fight for a place."
Philip, who will also compete at February's Sainsbury's Grand Prix in Birmingham, has become the odd woman out in Loughborough after joining the male-dominated training group there overseen by sprints coach Steve Fudge. It has been a fresh start, she claims, with the new pair of eyes required as the build-up begins towards the Rio Olympics.
Yet the Great Britain international is among many who will wonder if medals and places have been lost amid the current doping scandals threatening to engulf athletics. And it has become an additional challenge to set them to one side and focus solely on winning clean.
"When we're competing, there is nothing we can do," she said, "As athletes we have to concentrate on ourselves and how we perform. At the end of the day, they're allowed to run. They're just another competitor. If we worry that they're on drugs that means they're affecting us and we won't be concentrating on what we came to the championships for. We have to leave it to the federation to deal with it."
Meanwhile European champion James Dasaolu, another Glasgow probable after his 60m win 11 months ago, has insisted Linford Christie's UK 100m record isn't his top target in his planning with Fudge, despite moving into second place on the all-time list.
"I just want to improve and be more consistent in my start," he said. "I'm going to try and do more work in training and get over my injuries. I've been very consistent this winter, apart from a cold. We don't talk about times. We talk about technical aspects of my racing."
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