Prescod looks to Worlds after he snubs Euros
‘We made performancebased decision, not hype’ Sprinter and team-mate Ujah set for Birmingham
Reece Prescod insists he has to think about the “bigger picture” after opting not to compete at next month’s European Indoor Championships in Glasgow ow – a an eve event t at which he would be overwhelming favourite to win in gold.
Despite competing ting only once this season, Prescod cod sits top of the European 60 metre rankings with his personal best 6.53sec from this month.
Both he and Chijindu hijindu
Ujah are expected ed to dominate their British ritish rivals at the Birmingingham Indoor Grand nd Prix today, but neiither have made e themselves availaable for selection for or Glasgow.
Not only does s that mean Britain will struggle to extend a record of f at least one male le 60m medallist at the past 16 editions of the event, ent, but it means Prescod, who won European 100m silver last year, will forego a huge chance to win the first major jor senior title of his career by putting all his energy into preparing paring for the World Championships hips this year.
“It’s always good d to have a medal but, actually, what’s hat’s the bigger plan?” he said.
“Do we want to push training out for another two or r three weeks, be tired for one more e week, not get a break and come straight back in [for outdoor training]?
“We made a performance-based decision rather than hype. A lot of people get caught in hype and the big thing for me this year was just to think. Stop and say ‘forget everything’. No emotion, no nothing, just be logical: ‘ What’s the goal this year and what’s the aim?’ “People don’t understand it. ‘ You guys are sprinters, you should run at every competition, you should win this and that.’ But there’s a bigger, deeper meaning behind it.” Prescod’s decision is part of a wider shift in his life that, he says, involves “making “ma smart decisions” on an and off the track. “Last y year, the season went well but it could have been better. bette I could have done mor more,” he said, of a year in which he moved fourt fourth on the British all-t all-time 100m list with a personal best of 9.94sec. “There are still guy guys out there who are faster than me, doi doing better things than me, so it’s about how I get better. “Last y year, I was big on Fifa [vi [video game] and playing it a lot. This year, I’ve rep replaced it with listening to podcasts and reading.
“When I’m driving to places, last year it was house m mix all the way – boom, bo boom, boom – and two hou hours later I had a headache headache.
“This “This y year, it’s podcasts. Before, I l liked to go out but now it’s 1 1am and I’m like, ‘why are y you out?’ “Small d decisions make a big differen difference. It’s making profession professional-based decisions rath rather than get caught up in silly stuff. Even the little things like starting your morning – the things you do set the tone for the day but you don’t realise it.
“If I listen to chill music and get to training, I’m in a nice, positive space.
“But if I put on something aggressive in my car, when I get to training I’m completely in the wrong mind to go and learn skills.”
With Prescod and Ujah – the only two British men to run the European indoor 60m qualifying standard this season – not eligible for selection, a host of other sprinters will be desperate to dip under that 6.60sec mark in Birmingham today before the team is confirmed tomorrow.
All three surprise British Championship medallists are among them, as is double reigning European 60m champion Richard Kilty, on the comeback from Achilles surgery.
Laura Muir will attempt to add the indoor mile to her haul of Brit-
ish records when she looks to surpass Kirsty Wade’s mark of 4min 23.86sec that has stood for 31 years, although she is more concerned with fine-tuning preparations for the defence of her 1500m and 3000m European Indoor titles next month.
“I am definitely not averse to getting a British record,” she said.
“It’s funny, every time I race, it’s: ‘Are you going to do this? Will you do that?’
“I just want to race and come away with the win. Whatever happens, happens.”