![John Steffensen is aiming for athletic glory. John Steffensen is aiming for athletic glory.](/images/transform/v1/resize/frm/silverstone-feed-data/e740e806-e9e1-41c4-b6b6-4a37b90b0b30.jpg/w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
AUSTRALIAN 400m star John Steffensen has promised to “put on a show” at the Commonwealth Games and deliver athletic gold.
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The national champion and Olympic relay silver medallist from Athens believes he is coming into peak form for the Games and has the ability to match his own hype.
“My coach John Smith says he knows I’m going to win gold — he’s told me to go out and put a show on for my country and that’s exactly what I plan to do,” Steffensen said.
“All the way through my preparation I’ve said to my coach that there are only two major races I want to win — the Australian championship and the Commonwealth Games.
“I’ve won the Australian championship so I’m halfway towards achieving my goal. If I win the next major race in March at the MCG I’ll be very happy.”
Steffensen’s preparations, however, have not all gone according to plan after he finished behind countryman Clinton Hill at the A Series meet in Brisbane last week.
A final pre-Games meet will be held at Olympic Park tonight but Steffensen has chosen to remain in Sydney to finalise his training alongside English runner Malachi Davis.
The pair has a strong friendship but Steffensen won’t have any sympathy for his mate at the MCG when the 400m heats start on March 20.
“Malachi is competing in the 400m for England, so we could end up racing each other for a Commonwealth Games medal,” he said.
“We spent a lot of time training together in the US last summer.
“We’re best mates and we’ll continue to be regardless of what happens in Melbourne.
“I’m fine with that as long as it’s me who ends up with the gold.”