0:00:06 > 0:00:08It's strange to be back at a place where I spent
0:00:08 > 0:00:11so much of my athletic life.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13There are so many happy memories here,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15tough times as well as the very best.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18It's where I learned how to be an athlete.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21It's where I prepared for the biggest challenges of my career.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25The pride of Sheffield, the pride of Great Britain,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Jessica Ennis is the Olympic champion.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31New challenges await me now as my athletic career is behind me,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34so it's time for the new generation to step forward.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And over the next half an hour, we'll be looking at
0:00:36 > 0:00:39some of those individuals who I'm hoping are going to follow
0:00:39 > 0:00:42in my footsteps at the World Championships in London next week.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I'm just pulling up here in Loughborough to meet Sophie Hitchon.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56She and I were both amongst the medals last year in Rio
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and it was a really exciting time.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02And for me it was nearly the perfect ending to an amazing career,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05but for her, winning that bronze medal in the hammer,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08it was the start of a really, really exciting journey.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Last roll of the dice for Sophie Hitchon.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Oh, it's down the middle. It hangs in the air.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Is it big enough?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It is!
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Sophie Hitchon has saved her best for last.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Hello. Hello! How are you? Good, thanks, how are you?
0:01:26 > 0:01:30It's a new lifetime best. It's 74.54.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33She's guaranteed the bronze medal.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Nice to be back in Loughborough. Really?
0:01:36 > 0:01:37I feel nervous, coming here,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39because I always feel like I'm about to compete.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44How has life changed since coming back from Rio
0:01:44 > 0:01:46and winning your bronze medal?
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It's difficult to say, really, because I always think...
0:01:48 > 0:01:52People ask me that and I'm like, it hasn't really changed.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Because I think, as an athlete, you're always looking on
0:01:55 > 0:01:57to the next thing and I think it's difficult,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00always, coming off the back of a really good year
0:02:00 > 0:02:03because it just goes really fast. Yeah.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05You'll have plenty of time to reflect when you retire,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07so you don't have to worry.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11So, growing up in Burnley as a kid, were you always into athletics
0:02:11 > 0:02:14or was it something that came on a bit later in your life?
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So, I was always involved in athletics, and my family was,
0:02:17 > 0:02:22and I grew up around it. And my mum has a picture of us
0:02:22 > 0:02:25at an athletics meet when I was a little baby.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27And, yeah, I was only a few days old,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29so I've always grown up around it.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34But I didn't really start competing until I was quite a bit older,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37about 13, 14 I started competing.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39But I've been round it my whole life,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42so it wasn't too difficult to get into.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45So was it your parents that did athletics as well? Yeah.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46What events did they do?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So, my dad was a sprinter, did, like, the 100 and that.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53He won English Schools in his day. Oh, wow! Yeah.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I'm his clone, in many ways.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58You've outshone him now, though.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And then my mum was a club athlete,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06so I was kind of raised around athletic competitions and stuff.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12But I didn't start competing until I was about 13 and I kind of started
0:03:12 > 0:03:16doing sprints and shot put and kind of the easy events, and then...
0:03:16 > 0:03:19They're not the easy events, shot put is really hard!
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Well, I mean, it's easy to pick up, you know, just pick one up,
0:03:22 > 0:03:27and it's easier than hammer or hurdles on something. Yeah.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Did you enjoy hammer from day one?
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Because I know for me, with the heptathlon,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I absolutely hated it at the beginning.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34I remember doing it for the first time
0:03:34 > 0:03:38and not being able to let go and I was like, "I'm going to hit myself,"
0:03:38 > 0:03:42which is basically impossible, but, you know, it's...
0:03:42 > 0:03:44But, yeah, I was like, "Oh, I can't do it,"
0:03:44 > 0:03:46and I think the mind-set of an athlete is always like
0:03:46 > 0:03:49you want it to be perfect, so if you don't get it right
0:03:49 > 0:03:51the first time, you're like, "I'm not going to do it again."
0:03:51 > 0:03:54I didn't feel like I was going to be good at it,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Kind of got really frustrated and, you know, things weren't...
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I couldn't let go and it wasn't, just wasn't how I wanted it to be.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And then I kind of kept going and got a little bit of success and
0:04:06 > 0:04:12I think when you're a young athlete you kind of live off
0:04:12 > 0:04:13that little bit of success
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and it kind of gives you confidence to go forwards.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Did you worry about that transition, going into senior level competition,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22or was it something that you found quite easy to do?
0:04:22 > 0:04:23I found it difficult...
0:04:24 > 0:04:27..kind of, yeah, breaking through that barrier
0:04:27 > 0:04:29to get into the senior level,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33but obviously I came forth at the World Championships in 2015.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37It was a real breakthrough for me and a real confidence-builder.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You know, yeah, I can really live in this environment
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and I can compete against these girls,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and that was the real breakthrough moment for me, yeah.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Good.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Your coach, Tore, how does your relationship work?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Do you get on really well? Do you have times where you disagree?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02We do get on really well,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04but there are obviously times when it gets frustrating,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07obviously when training is not going so well
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and you're trying to work through things.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It is really difficult.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Like, it is that pressure cooker environment that, you know,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19some days you're just... you're just difficult to deal with,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23but I feel like he is good at dealing with it.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24He's good at handling it. Yeah.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28More from Sophie later in the programme,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30where we'll be catching up with her at training.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33But while she's already made an impact on the global scene,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36for Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, his journey is just beginning.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Phil Jones caught up with him at the team's holding camp in Paris.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43INTERVIEWER: Can I just ask you to do a loud clap
0:05:43 > 0:05:44in front of your face, please?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49That's for no other reason than he likes to...
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Hey, I wouldn't be surprised!
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I promise you, I wouldn't be surprised.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56If I was in your position, I'd be like,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59"Can you hold your ear and hop on one foot, please?"
0:06:00 > 0:06:02They're not going to say no to the BBC!
0:06:03 > 0:06:06I was born in England, born in east London, Newham,
0:06:06 > 0:06:07then I moved to Jamaica when I was 13,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09resided there for five years
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and then I got a track scholarship to a university in the States,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16where I studied international trade and finance.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18During the mix, I made a couple of teams.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I made the World Youth, I made European juniors,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and then I made the European senior team,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Olympic team and now World Championships.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27It's been an incredible journey, an incredible rise.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Did you always think that was within you when you were in front of,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32what, 30,000 fans in Jamaica?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Mentally I always thought I was capable of doing something,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37but when you actually do it,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39that's when you come to the actual realisation,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41because it's now manifested,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43your thoughts have manifested and become reality.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And that can only spur you to greater things
0:06:45 > 0:06:48because you know that what you've dreamed off is attainable.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51You've attained it, in actual fact. And it's motivated me.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Winning is contagious, you know,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and you want remain at that level and just stay focused and ensure
0:06:56 > 0:06:59that the sacrifices you've made to get to this point,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01they are paying off so it's all worth it.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Are they building blocks of belief that you're adding to
0:07:03 > 0:07:04each time you run,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07so you're kind of adding to those building blocks event by event?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Definitely, but you don't want to get too high on your highs
0:07:10 > 0:07:11nor too low on your lows.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13You have to be able to refocus, rechannel your energy
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and understand there's more work to be done.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Winning trials, it was great, but then I had London Diamond League.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21I didn't perform like I wanted to then. While I believe
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I think I took a bit too much emotion from that occasion,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28but I also believe what happened at London helped me
0:07:28 > 0:07:30take a step back, allowed me to refocus
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and understand there's a bigger picture, which is worlds.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37And at the worlds, in your event it seems it's pretty much wide open.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Is that fair to say? Definitely. I believe every event is wide open.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45You've got six guys under sub 20 and maybe eight guys under sub 10.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47In previous years the numbers were much higher,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50so I believe... Everybody believes within themselves that they can,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52you know, do something special.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55How important is it for you to know that you're one of those guys,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57though, that can run sub 20?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00And sub 10. And sub 10, yeah, you're one of the rare breeds.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02But I'm just trying to run the 200.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I know I've done it and I know that I'm in better shape than
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I was in last year, so it's just about piecing it together.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08What matters is position, you know,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11what matters is getting top two finish in the first two rounds
0:08:11 > 0:08:15and then in the final, ultimately get a medal.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17What about that experience from Rio?
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Did it surprise you, being on a global stage, a senior stage?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Did you learn a massive amount from it, or not?
0:08:23 > 0:08:27I learn every day, but Rio within itself was a big,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29big learning curve for me and I think I needed it.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It's helped me become the person I am this year.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It's helped me understand sport on a world level,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38an elite level, and what it takes to compete with the world's best.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And what about the attention that comes with more people
0:08:41 > 0:08:42getting to know your name
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and all the attention that goes around being more famous, maybe?
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Is that something that sits OK with you?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I draw the positives from it all, you know.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52I love the fact that people now believe in me, people are now
0:08:52 > 0:08:56becoming familiar with my name and I only draw compliments from it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It's exciting times for myself and hopefully I can channel
0:08:59 > 0:09:03that energy onto the track and accomplish some special things.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07And to have the championships in London,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10it's going to give that added edge, that added excitement. Definitely.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14And especially when you're from that area in the first place,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16as you are, so how special is it for you?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Second to none.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I believe it's everybody's dream in their sport to be able to
0:09:21 > 0:09:22compete in front of their home crowd
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and for that to prophesise and actually come true
0:09:25 > 0:09:28is something that I'm definitely not taking for granted
0:09:28 > 0:09:29and I'm looking forward to it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The sprint is going to be really competitive in London
0:09:36 > 0:09:38and I'm really looking forward to watching it.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42But one of the toughest events is going to be that women's 1,500m,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45where Great Britain has a fantastic chance in Laura Muir.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48She's already had success earlier on in the season
0:09:48 > 0:09:50but she has struggled with some injury problems.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52But she's back into great form
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and Paula Radcliffe caught up with her in Monaco.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Laura Muir stretches away
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and comes to win the gold medal for Great Britain.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06European indoor champion and a new championship record,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08a new British record.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11INTERVIEWER: So, Laura, things are really picking up
0:10:11 > 0:10:12to the World Championships
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and you're coming in off an amazing indoor season
0:10:15 > 0:10:16where you did that double.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18She's now got two gold medals!
0:10:18 > 0:10:21She's the champion again, and it's another record.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Just to contrast that a little bit,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26because I remember the Laura Muir that kind of walked out
0:10:26 > 0:10:30so distraught from the World Indoors in Sopot in 2014
0:10:30 > 0:10:35and how much you have matured and taken those huge leaps forward,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38so it has to feel that you are in a good place going into London.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Yeah, certainly.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I mean, I think I'm lucky, sort of, at this stage of my career,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I've got a lot of championships underneath my belt.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Yeah, I think, kind of 2013, 2014,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48I was, you know, in good physical shape
0:10:48 > 0:10:52but I think I had to catch up in terms of that mental side
0:10:52 > 0:10:54of dealing with the championships and the pressure and everything.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But I think having gone through all that put me in good stead
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and, yeah, I feel really relaxed and really confident ahead of London.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Coming into the championships,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I mean, you missed a little bit of training with the foot injury,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06that, I guess to reassure people at home,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09a lot of distance runners pick up at different points in their career.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Sometimes is it may be a good thing just to hold you back a little bit,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16a little bit more frustration to come out and take out on racing?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Yeah, I mean, I think it wasn't until, sort of,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20I was in the pool for a couple of weeks, you know, swimming
0:11:20 > 0:11:23and aqua jogging and I think it's not until something is taken away
0:11:23 > 0:11:26from you that you really appreciate how much you love your sport.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Yeah, it kind of gave me a fresh mind-set going back into it
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and I kind of had to take two in the middle of July
0:11:32 > 0:11:33but it's all going well so far.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36We know you're in great shape and you're strong, you can
0:11:36 > 0:11:39cope with the physical impact of doing the double,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41but mentally, as well, is there a way that you go about it?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Do you think just first about the one event
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and then move on to the second one?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Yeah, for me, it's almost kind of round by round.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51So I won't even think about the 1500m final until I get there.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53I want to concentrate on the heat and then the semis.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56It's so easy to take it for granted that you're going to be in the final
0:11:56 > 0:11:58but it's nerve-racking... Sometimes the hardest part
0:11:58 > 0:12:00is to actually get through the rounds.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03And the 1500m, would that be the one that you think you've probably got
0:12:03 > 0:12:05the stronger chance in
0:12:05 > 0:12:07or are you thinking they're pretty equal at this point?
0:12:07 > 0:12:10I don't know, I'm quite inexperienced in the 5K
0:12:10 > 0:12:12but I still think I can have a good shot at it.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And the competition for the 1500 is very, very strong just now.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17The girls are running very fast.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20For your top three, you've got Sifan Hassan, world lead this year.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Olympic champion, Faith Kipyegon,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24and then the world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26so you've got the three big ones, yeah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28And then Laura Muir. And then me.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Coming home strong, with home support, as well,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32which is a big advantage.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Are you going to be able to savour and enjoy some of that?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Yeah, I hope so. Yeah, I mean...
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I mean, the atmosphere in there is always brilliant
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and past Anniversary Games, the crowds there have been
0:12:43 > 0:12:46fantastic and that's one of my sort of career highlights so far.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Laura Muir will be clock-watching all the way down here.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51She's got this race won, that's for sure.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55And Laura Muir, the new British record.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Kelly Holmes has been obliterated.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02I always say I hate running against home athletes cos
0:13:02 > 0:13:04they always seem to pull it out of the bag on the day,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07so I hope we'll have a few British athletes
0:13:07 > 0:13:11that really come into form over that championship.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13While Laura Muir is on the verge of a breakthrough,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Shannon Hylton is right at the start of her career.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19I remember how that felt, it's a really nerve-racking
0:13:19 > 0:13:20but exciting time.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23She's already won the 200m at the British trials
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and she's one of two sets of sisters on the team,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28with Laviai and Lina Nielsen,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and they're all really exciting prospects for the future.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Let's find out a little bit more about Shannon.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Shannon Hylton leading at the moment from Desiree Henry.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Henry trying to respond but it's Hylton and Henry competing.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44And through comes Bianca Williams
0:13:44 > 0:13:47but Shannon Hylton holds on to become the champion.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Held off the best of the rest.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55To make my first senior individual home Champs is just amazing.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58This year, I really had it in mind to qualify for the World Champs.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02I did come off the back of last year quite in a bad way
0:14:02 > 0:14:04but I really did want to qualify for the World Champs
0:14:04 > 0:14:06and I just tried to work so hard and I'm so happy
0:14:06 > 0:14:09that I've now qualified and I'm really excited.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I am so happy.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Shannon is... I'm going to get emotional but she is so tal...
0:14:17 > 0:14:19She is talented, isn't she?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21She's had such a year, full of injuries.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Some of them where you think, if it weren't for that, you could
0:14:24 > 0:14:29have done so well and now she's going to London, so I'm so happy.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32To be supported and have Dina alongside me is, like,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35it's amazing because we're both flying the flag for, not only GB,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38but for Blackheath Bromley as well, so that's really great.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50My twin sister Cheriece, yeah, she's always there for me.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52It's like we always go through things together
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and it's just nice to have that person alongside you,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57especially through the hard training sessions.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00And she always gets it, to have someone there,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02always knowing what you're going through.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03It's just amazing to have,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06like, a best friend as well as a training partner.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Coming back off the back of last year, it's taught me
0:15:09 > 0:15:12a lot about myself, I learned a lot.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14It was hard, but you've got to just pick yourself up
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and bounce back and, yeah,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I've shown myself that I've got quite a strong character
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and, yeah, I'm quite resilient and I just try and...
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Like, my motto in life is to try
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and always turn negatives into positives,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30cos I know life as an athlete isn't always going to be plain sailing,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34so, yeah, I've just got to bounce back and that's what I try to do.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It's great that British sprinting is in a really good place right now
0:15:40 > 0:15:44and everyone's going to have to push themselves even further now
0:15:44 > 0:15:47because the level is just getting higher and higher, so, yeah, it's
0:15:47 > 0:15:50just reaching new limits and testing yourself and seeing what you can do.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01It's really strange to be back in here because I spent
0:16:01 > 0:16:05so many years training and moaning and lifting heavy weights
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and this is the place that really made me as an athlete.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12It's where I prepared for some of my biggest challenges in my career,
0:16:12 > 0:16:13to get stronger and faster
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and be able to contend with the women in the rest of the world,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21so some really great memories here, but some really tough times as well.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27The 800m was one of the events that I absolutely dreaded.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It was possibly the worst part of the heptathlon for me
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and I could never imagine doing a marathon,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37but for Josh Griffiths, his first was in London, where he finished as
0:16:37 > 0:16:40the top GB male and also qualified for the World Championships.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42What a fantastic story.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47The London Marathon, that was going to be my first marathon.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I was hoping to run under 2:16,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51which was the Wales Commonwealth Games qualifying time.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53It was going to be a bit of a long shot but it was something
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I had trained for a long time and I was looking forward to.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58And there's an athlete wearing 1154,
0:16:58 > 0:17:03who might have been in the mass race, could well be Josh Griffiths.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Now, this could be a real surprise here.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08That's under 2:15.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Towards halfway,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13I kind of caught up with some of the lead British runners
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and, you know, still, I was just worrying about my watch and nothing
0:17:16 > 0:17:19else, really, cos I thought, these guys are in a different race
0:17:19 > 0:17:23and worked my way through the field and crossed the line,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25realised what happened and it was just all crazy.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Could this man here be representing Great Britain
0:17:29 > 0:17:33in the World Championships in London?
0:17:33 > 0:17:37I kind of thought, wow, I think I've just qualified for London
0:17:37 > 0:17:40but, you know, I didn't want to count my chickens or
0:17:40 > 0:17:43anything like that, I just waited for the phone call a couple
0:17:43 > 0:17:46of days later, cos I guess I just couldn't believe what was happening.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Well, I have the very best of British with me now.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51What about the reaction from your fellow athletes
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and people that you've been maybe running with for years?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Yeah, they were just really excited and, you know, I think
0:17:57 > 0:18:01surprised as well, but excited more than anything that, you know,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I get to race at the Champs in the summer and I guess it
0:18:04 > 0:18:06kind of makes them believe too that it can happen to them as well.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09That's the great thing about running,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12it's a true democracy because if you're good enough and you train
0:18:12 > 0:18:15hard enough and you're fast enough, then you should get selected.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Do you feel that you've sort of become a poster boy as well
0:18:18 > 0:18:23for club runners who can achieve amazing feats
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and join the elite in the way you have? Yeah, definitely.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30I mean, I know people probably better than me
0:18:30 > 0:18:32who just haven't made the jump, really,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35but you've just got to continue to work hard and believe
0:18:35 > 0:18:38in yourself and what I achieved in London just shows it's possible.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42If I got to become a full-time athlete or anything like that,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44you know, it would be a dream come true, really,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47as it is for any club athlete to make that jump.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51The benefits of being here, I take it, as a newcomer to the team is you
0:18:51 > 0:18:54can pick the brains of some of the more experienced people, like Hugh?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Yeah, there's a whole host of people here with loads of experience
0:18:57 > 0:18:59so, you know, it's great to be able to chat to them,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03kind of, you know, understand how the whole Champs atmosphere works
0:19:03 > 0:19:05and things like that, dealing with nerves.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06What a performance from him.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11The London Marathon was amazing, the crowd there, and it's going to
0:19:11 > 0:19:14be similar if not better at the World Champs this summer.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But, you know, hopefully this time, people will actually know my name
0:19:17 > 0:19:18and can shout for me too.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Yeah, I'm just really looking forward to it,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22it's going to be a great experience.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34As a heptathlete, I've pretty much tried most of the events -
0:19:34 > 0:19:38sprinting, hurdling, throwing - but racewalking is never an event
0:19:38 > 0:19:41that I've tried and I don't think I'd be very good at it.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44But Tom Bosworth, he finished sixth in Rio last year
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and he's already broken a world record this season.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50He told Steve Cram his story.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54I felt a lot of pressure going into that race.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57The noise in those last two laps.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Oh, I want to do it all again. It was that special.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The feeling was incredible. I wish I could bottle that up.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13I had no idea I'd go that quickly.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17COMMENTATOR: He knows he's heading toward something really special here.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20When I saw the clock, as you could see from my reaction,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23I couldn't believe how far under the time I was.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29COMMENTATOR: Smashed it. A new world best.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35It's been a phenomenal two or three years for you really, in terms
0:20:35 > 0:20:38of the progress you've made, and Rio was a step in that.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I was never this world-class junior athlete, it has taken me
0:20:42 > 0:20:45a long time to develop and get stronger and faster
0:20:45 > 0:20:47and now I've finished top eight in an Olympic Games.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Also it's really stretching the field out now.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It is gutsy, courageous.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55London I just want to back up what I did in Rio.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59That was a complete shock. I finished about 30 places higher than
0:20:59 > 0:21:04I was ranked, so showing that I'm being classed as a top-eight athlete
0:21:04 > 0:21:07is what I want to do and with the training this year who knows?
0:21:07 > 0:21:08And on home turf.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Given what you have said, then, what do you need to do to go to the
0:21:11 > 0:21:14next stage which I guess is being in real medal contention?
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Year on year, all I've ever done is try
0:21:17 > 0:21:21and train better, eat better and just becoming more consistent,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24getting that bit faster. I've done a lot more altitude this year
0:21:24 > 0:21:27so I'm trying to look for those one percents.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29And you are going to have this brilliant
0:21:29 > 0:21:33opportunity in front of the home crowd on the streets of London,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36what do you think that will be like?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Er... I'm hoping it'll be the best day of my life.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I missed London 2012 by 19 seconds, I missed the qualifying time
0:21:42 > 0:21:45so that was agony for me
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and I remember thinking about London a few years later,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49how far away that feels and now we're here
0:21:49 > 0:21:55but I never dreamt I'd be a contender on the day and I've said
0:21:55 > 0:21:57it before, but it's like the 12 man in football - having a home
0:21:57 > 0:22:01crowd behind you and, for me, it's so inspiring
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and I hope I can inspire others and put the performance in.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Is there a danger that you get carried away with the occasion?
0:22:07 > 0:22:08Yeah, it's a 20k race.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12I can't go flying off at the beginning. So, something
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I'm really proud of is I'm quite mentally strong
0:22:15 > 0:22:17so I think I can hopefully almost put the cheers
0:22:17 > 0:22:22and the nerves to one side, focus on the job in hand
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and then, when the crowds need to... I need their help, that's
0:22:26 > 0:22:30when I'll tune into them and hopefully they'll help me home.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32You were talking about altitude and your training,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37you're very much part of the endurance community now
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and you come on camps with Mo and the rest of the guys,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43how important has that been you?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I've loved it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46For me, personally,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49for racewalking it's like coming in from the cold into the team
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and we're away from home a lot of the time and so if you can be
0:22:53 > 0:22:55friends with these people when you're away from home,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57that makes life a lot easier and training
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and that environment far more enjoyable, just by spending
0:23:00 > 0:23:02time with these people and training with them
0:23:02 > 0:23:06and seeing that I work just as hard as they do
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and they can actually relate.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12It is not this strange event that nobody knows anything about.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15You're leading the way, obviously, and your performance in Rio
0:23:15 > 0:23:18must have helped in terms of that exposure,
0:23:18 > 0:23:23do you feel as though you can't just concentrate on being as good a
0:23:23 > 0:23:26race walker as you can be, but you have to be a flag-bearer as well?
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Yeah, I've said recently it's nice there are other guys and girls
0:23:30 > 0:23:32now coming through.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Five qualified for London but they're not just good,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37they're getting world-class already,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39a lot quicker than I did so that's great.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44I'm going to end up being beaten soon enough by another Brit
0:23:44 > 0:23:45and that's great for the event.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48For me, it is great because I have got to that point I'm world-class
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and for them to beat me they have to be world-class,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55I'm really pleased to have started that journey for racewalking and
0:23:55 > 0:23:59the depth will grow and grow whilst we have the talent coming through.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Back in Loughborough, hammer coach Tore Gustafsson
0:24:06 > 0:24:08is overseeing a training session with Sophie Hitchon.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10In the weeks leading up to a major event
0:24:10 > 0:24:13getting the balance right between physical
0:24:13 > 0:24:15and technical work is really important.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17How many times a week do you throw?
0:24:17 > 0:24:22We throw every session, so every session that we do, we throw.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I think hammer's one of those events it is not that much
0:24:25 > 0:24:27impact on your body.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30We are starting on the descent into the competition so it gets
0:24:30 > 0:24:35to the point where you don't train so much, it's not as strenuous.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And how are you feeling, are you excited?
0:24:40 > 0:24:41I don't know about you but I always felt
0:24:41 > 0:24:43I just wanted to know what would happen.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I wanted to know how everything was going to pan out
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and you have no way of telling. You need a crystal ball!
0:24:58 > 0:25:02It's incredible to see the speed she turns and the coordination
0:25:02 > 0:25:07it takes to do that, I can't imagine throwing a hammer ever.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08It's amazing to watch.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Keep your head going with the ball. It's good.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23To me, that looked smooth and incredible but how was it?
0:25:23 > 0:25:27You know, you're not going to train now, now you just
0:25:27 > 0:25:32basically warm up and get the feeling and shut it down.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36And the rest of it is just make sure you have pop in your legs,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and a bit of confidence.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44It is simple but it is hard to do so don't make it more complicated
0:25:44 > 0:25:48because it is all ready hard to do so, "Oh, this..." No, it's fine.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52It's good. Are you looking forward to the Worlds now,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54are you getting excited?
0:25:54 > 0:26:00Yeah, I mean, obviously for us, this is a process.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04She's not going to be ready for another three, maybe five years,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09it just takes time and the hardest thing has been to get
0:26:09 > 0:26:13people to understand it because as soon as she starts to do good, then
0:26:13 > 0:26:16they're all like... Want it all the time, yeah.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Yeah, demanding this and this. Get over it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22You're right, it is a process and something that takes... You have
0:26:22 > 0:26:25to develop over time and with Tony he was so good at that.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Take your time, and as an athlete you want it now though.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Yeah, but it is my job to say, hey, get over it.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34You are not that good yet.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37You are going to be good soon, couple of years.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42I think in general, I think everything she's doing is great
0:26:42 > 0:26:47and all I want to see is she's better this year than she was
0:26:47 > 0:26:51last year. Are you going to show it in every competition? No.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55But to me it is like she hasn't even got close to the limit.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Well, you are doing a pretty good job so far. Stick with it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Who's to say?
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I think when you think you are good, that is when you have problems.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I think it's nice as well when you get a little....
0:27:06 > 0:27:08once you win a medal and you just taste it a bit.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12You have got to be really hungry.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16I think you see it in some people they have that attitude,
0:27:16 > 0:27:22if it doesn't work out, they get angry and that's what I want.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24That's what you want.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29I don't want somebody to explain why it didn't work out. Who cares?
0:27:29 > 0:27:31It is over now. Get on with it.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Sophie seems pretty headstrong. Oh, she's an animal.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37And she knows what she's doing, which is good.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39The reason I think she does it,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42you did it, is excitement. You can't get it anywhere else.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45And you just go, and if you succeed it's like you're never
0:27:45 > 0:27:48going to have that experience in your life ever.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50It's the best feeling.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52I'm excited for you guys.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55We'll do our best, how's that? You'll be great. You'll be great.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59It is a really exciting time for British athletics,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and although in many ways it's the end of a golden era,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05where we bid farewell to some of the sports' big names,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08there are some really exciting new faces coming through.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10And for many of them, it's the start of their journey
0:28:10 > 0:28:13at the World Championships in London next week,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and I'm really excited to see how the next generation gets on.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22London. Are you ready?
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Mo Farah wins the gold!
0:28:29 > 0:28:31It is a mammoth jump!
0:28:32 > 0:28:35David Rudisha is going to win the world title!
0:28:35 > 0:28:37It is going to be Dafne Schippers!
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Laura Muir now, she has smashed the British record.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Usain Bolt!
0:28:45 > 0:28:47I'm ready.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01The latest of our Premier League commentaries for you this season,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03the whole game in full here on 5 Live.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04BUZZING
0:29:04 > 0:29:07It's been a knockout day in the Premier League.