POLLY Maton could well come away with a medal during next week’s World Para Athletics Championships in London, according to her coach Colin Baross.

Maton, who will be entering in both T47 long jump and 100m when she heads to London, came fifth in the 100m final and seventh in the long jump final at last year’s Rio Paralympics.

Following that success, Baross has noticed a difference in mentality from the Urchfont teenager and is feeling confident ahead of the Championships.

“We are confident this time around. When we went in to the World Championships two years ago we had slight niggles and injuries,” said Baross.

“The build-up wasn’t as we would like, but this time around it has been much better, we have had niggles, but they haven’t stopped us from training.

“We feel like we are in slightly better shape, if she runs well and some of the others don’t run so well she could be in with a medal.

“We just want to take a step forward at a time. The whole idea is to keep moving on.”

With her sights firmly set on Tokyo in 2020, Baross stressed that Maton is well on target to achieve that.

With a World Championships and Paralympic Games behind her already, he believes the experience the 17 year old has accumulated will only stand her in good stead.

“The experience will help her immensely, in Rio last year she made the final and qualified outright, which was something we hoped for,” he added.

“Then she ran in the final and Polly messed up her race when she tightened up and tried to do something different after the girl next to her pulled up.

“So now we take the view that 100m is 100m long and a metre wide, and anything which happens outside of that is none of her business.

“When she went to Doha last time she couldn’t run because the hamstring was an issue and she came eighth.

“Then when she went to Rio she came seventh, so the target would be to come sixth this time, we plan on chipping off each bit and then when it comes to Tokyo she could be in with the chance of a medal.

“If she runs her best in the 100m then there could be an opportunity for her to medal but I don’t know.”

Maton is poised to start her world championships in the T47 (upper limb(s) affected by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement) 100m on Monday.