By Paddy von Behr
DARTFORD’S Adam Gemili admits he is welcoming competing individually over just the 200m at the upcoming world championships – but he doesn’t want it to be the case for long.
Gemili effectively secured a run in the 200m for Moscow a month before the selection date after clocking a personal best of 20.30s at the European U23 trials.
However, the 100m proved a little more difficult and, despite winning gold over the distance at the European U23 championships in Tampere, he couldn’t post a time of 10.15s or lower.
And so Gemili, who finished fourth in the 200m in Finland, missed out although he could still run 100m as part of Britain’s sprint relay quartet, which is eight-strong for Moscow.
Gemili, who flew off to the British holding camp in Barcelona on Monday, made his Olympic debut in the 100m at London 2012 last summer but isn’t overly fazed with just running the 200m individually in Russia, although he admits he eventually could be.
He said: “I feel in a lot better shape than last year if I am honest.
“I have got the 200m at the world championships and I can’t wait.
“To be able to do another event will be great.
“I did the 100m at the Olympics last year and now I am doing the 200m at the world championships.
“I have been doing a lot of 200m training and doubling up at racing so hopefully I will take it to Moscow and do well there.
“I will be as ready as I can be to do the best I can out there and hopefully I will be able to do both the 100m and 200m at future competitions.”
Gemili warmed up for the world championships with a run over 100m at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games back at the Olympic Stadium but still couldn’t run under 10.15s.
He did post a season’s best of 10.16s to win an all-British race by the width of a vest over Harry Aikines-Aryeetey but Gemili admitted the victory was all that mattered in London.
“It was a season’s best, which I am happy with,” he said.
“The race itself wasn’t brilliant again but I am glad to come away with the win.
“My reaction time was really, really bad.
“If I get that right, then the rest of my race I felt was a lot, lot better.”
The Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games is the final event in the Sainsbury’s Summer Series.
For more information on Sainsbury’s support of world class athletics and disability sport go to sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/occasions/anniversary-games
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