Adam Gemili from Dartford. Picture by DECA TEXT&BILD

Dartford sprinter sets new records in Gold-winning run

Adam Gemili set a host of new records when became the World Junior Champion in Barcelona last night.

The 18-year-old ran a new PB time of 10.05, which is a new championship record, and a new British Junior record beating the previous best of 10.06 set by Dwain Chambers 15 years ago.

The Blackheath and Bromley athlete blitzed his opposition in the final with the USA’s Aaron Ernest finishing second in 10.17s, while Odean Skeen of Jamaica completed the podium with 10.28s.

He breezed into the final earlier in the day with a 10.18 run in the semi-final. He sprang onto the Olympic radar in Germany in June when he became the fastest Brit this year with a 10.08 run which earned him his place in Team GB.

When being interviewed trackside after the race he said: “I want to thank my mum, my dad, my sister, my coach, my training group and the whole of the GB team, the support they have given me is amazing, especially in the last few days.

“I could hear them all cheering for me on the start line, it really did help. I just told myself to stay relaxed and stay focused. I am not going to lie, I was nervous before the race: it’s a World Junior final, it’s in this stadium in Barcelona, how can you not be nervous? But you need to use your nerves in a good way, try to use them to help you run and I did it.”

“This is a massive stepping stone for the Olympics. If I had only made the final, it would have been a great achievement, to win makes it huge.”

When asked if a sub-10 time is on the cards at the Olympic Games, he said: “I honestly do not know. I am feeling good and I am running well, I just feel there is a whole lot more to come.”