Gemili proves he is ‘around and kicking’

Adam Gemili hopes his performance at the World Championships shows he is not Britain’s “forgotten man” as preparations ramp up for next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

Gemili was part of the British team that took silver in the 4x100 metres relay, but just as notable was his fourth place in the 200m final.

The 26-year-old was dropped from individual to relay funding last winter but came within 0.05 seconds of bronze in Doha earlier this month.

Asked if he had proved people wrong with his display, Gemili said: “I hope so but I’m not trying to prove people wrong, just showing people that I’m still around and kicking, that I have still got potential and I’m not just the forgotten man.

“And hopefully this has re-lit that belief in a lot of people.”

Gemili has suffered from hamstring problems in recent seasons but is determined to recapture the form which made him the European 200m champion in 2014.

“It’s the reason our sport is brutal and you can see that with the top, top athletes,” he added. “If people are injured then they can’t train and can’t perform and you’re only as good as your last race.

“People always forget what people have done in the sport. But it’s nice to be back healthy and challenging the world’s best and people can see that and think, ‘Oh yeah, we forgot about Adam. He’s not bad is he?”’

The 26-year-old said a medal is his baseline target as he looks ahead to a third Olympics, and a chance to improve on his fourth place in the 200m final in Rio, when he missed out on bronze by three thousandths of a second.

“I don’t train all season just to make other people look good and fill lanes,” he said. “At the level I’m at if you’re not aiming to be the best, what’s the point of doing the sport?