Athens - Britain's middle-distance great Sebastian Coe believes his compatriot Kelly Holmes can achieve a rare double of 800 metres and 1500 metres at the Athens Olympics.
Holmes surged to an unexpected gold medal in the 800m on Monday, laying to rest the tag as a perennial also-ran, and just 24 hours later on Tuesday begins her bid for the 1500m gold.
"Kelly ran one of the best 800 metres races I have ever seen," Coe told a press conference here on Tuesday.
"And I think she can go on to do the double. She is tough enough to say 'that was great' but there is the next half to achieve."
Coe is the only man to win two Olympic 1500 metres titles but acknowledged that completing the middle-distance double was extremely hard.
He tried and failed twice.
In the 1980 Moscow Games, he was beaten by fellow Briton Steve Ovett in the 800m before winning the 1500m.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Brazil's Joaquim Cruz sprinted past him in the shorter race before the Coe bounced back to win the metric mile.
"I was talking about this with Steve Cram and Steve Ovett this morning. I tried it on three occasions, Crammy tried it and Steve tried it," Coe said.
"I think Peter Snell is the only person in modern track and field to have achieved it. It is extremely hard."
Snell, a New Zealander, won the double at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Coe said it was an advantage for Holmes to be going straight back into competition after winning the gold medal.
"If you have won the first one it gives you enormous confidence for the second. Kelly is an athlete who has come down from the 1500 metres to run the shorter race.
"Her opponents know she is the only one in the 1500 who has got that 800 metres speed."
Holmes' victory lifted a British team still reeling after hot favourite Paula Radcliffe failed to complete the marathon, staggering to a halt 36 kilometres into a race run in the heat of the evening.
Radcliffe has yet to make a decision on whether or not she will run the 10 000m here.
But Coe, who now heads London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics, said he thought it was unlikely that Radcliffe would try to redeem her Games.
"I have not spoken to Paula but I feel that after what she went through on Sunday, she won't run it," he said.
