Inside track on the rising stars of Great Britain athletics 

Laura Muir Mile

I absolutely adore Laura – she’s probably the nicest girl you’ll ever meet and one of my best friends on the team. She’s quiet as a mouse and keeps herself to herself, but at the same time she’s dead friendly and an absolute animal on the track. Most of the guys struggle to keep up with her in training. We spend a lot of time away together at altitude camps and we became good friends at the 2015 Beijing World Championships. I’m an awful influence because I try to get her to eat things like cake, but she’s incredibly dedicated and only has one treat day a week.

Katarina Johnson-thompson 100m hurdles and long jump

I got to know Kat quite well after the Rio Olympics because I was looking at buying a house in Liverpool [her home town], so she gave me some advice. The one thing that people may not know about her is how much she loves her two sausage dogs. It makes me laugh because they are literally like her kids and she’s made a big sacrifice not being with them now she’s training in France. It’s great to see her happy and enjoying athletics again, because she’s had a lot of pressure on her over the last few years. Unlike Laura, she does like a takeaway.

Dina Asher-smith 100m

Dina is just a lovely member of the team. It’s frustrating because she is so bright, so talented, so athletic and has it all. There is no one she won’t talk to. My fiance gets on with her brilliantly and he has also become great friends with her mum, Julie, who is famous on the athletics circuit. Julie is brilliant and my fiance has taken her on as his drinking partner at any event where they are together. Dina sometimes gets embarrassed by her mum, but it’s lovely to see the family side of things because things can become lonely as an athlete.

Adam Gemili 200m

I’ve known Adam for quite a while and he always comes up to me when we’re on teams to ask how I’m getting on. Some people questioned him being such a young team captain at the Rio Olympics, but he was so inclusive and he’s got so much experience. A lot of people assume sprinters are going to be a bit egotistical, but that’s not true and Adam is a fine example of that. He always goes out of his way for anyone in the team. He’s another who has had quite a lot of pressure on him, but his performance [finishing fourth over 200m] in Rio was fantastic.

Jazmin Sawyers Long jump

Just thinking about Jazz makes me laugh. She loves her music and I had the pleasure of having a bit of a party with her after Rio. She’s such a brilliant singer and it was really nice to see her on The Voice doing something away from athletics last winter. A lot of people do not realise how much focus athletes have every day of their life – it’s not just a nine to five job. It’s hard work, so seeing Jazz doing so well at something else is great. Like Dina Asher-smith, she is just so talented. It’s annoying really – all I can do is walk fast, but these girls can do everything.

Andrew Butchart 3,000m

“Butchy” and I had a bit of a similar Rio Olympics, where we both finished sixth. I remember talking to him on altitude camp and he had no plan at all – he didn’t know how long he was there for or when he was going to Rio. Since then he has changed and become this really professional athlete. He’s cocky, that’s for sure. You know when he’s on a training camp because there’s plenty of banter and he probably crosses the line every day, but I love having him there. He’ll rip you to shreds, but he’s lovely and I’ve had some great heart-to-hearts with him.

Andrew Pozzi 110m hurdles

Everyone knows his story of overcoming injuries, so it’s really nice to see him performing so well again. He seems like a guy who really deserves some success and I hope his story has a happy ending. I’d say he probably reminds me a bit of Adam Gemili in the sense that he’s a gentleman and he’s so supportive of everybody in the British team. He’ll always come up to you and say hello. If you’re at a hotel and need someone to sit next to at dinner, he’s someone I’d definitely go to for a chat. He’s a very interesting person, but he’s equally as interested in you.

Morgan Lake High jump

Morgan makes me laugh because she has a terrible reputation for losing everything. From phones to bags to kit, she will lose it – I remember her losing something like an expensive bag at the holding camp before the Rio Olympics and I saw straight away where the reputation comes from. I don’t think she’ll deny it, though. She’s comes across as being very quiet and shy, but she’s just one of those people who takes a while to come out and she’s very comfortable around her friends. There’s no ego there with her at all and it’s easy to forget that she is still very young.

Asha Philip 100m

Asha is the life and soul of the team. She’s such a brilliant personality and is one of the first people I’ll go up to for a chat and a laugh. At the British Indoor Championships this year, we had some hilarious moments posing on the track the day before the competition, blowing kisses to one another. She’s just full of joy and up for a joke. But she also looks out for people. She’s definitely up there with my favourite members of the team.

Elliot Giles 800m

Elliot is somebody who doesn’t realise how talented he is and where the next season or two could go. I remember when we were at altitude camp together, he saw my Twitter was a verified account and he said, ‘I don’t want a blue tick because I’m not good enough’. That just highlighted how quick his progress has been. He’s a really nice guy who appears quite shy and quiet, but when he’s around his mates he comes out of his shell. I can wind him up quite well, and we always have good banter together.