Akabusi sets Greene target

Greene: Going For gold

Kriss Akabusi believes Dai Greene must finally break his long-standing British record if he is to win Olympic gold in London this summer.

The 400m hurdler will head to the Games as one of the favourites for glory having claimed the world, European and Commonwealth titles since 2010 and he now has the opportunity to complete the set with the biggest prize of all.

Akabusi is adamant Greene has all the credentials to top the podium once again but feels he's in for a much tougher challenge than in previous years and needs to become even quicker.

The Welshman is widely expected to one day lower the national best of 47.82 seconds, which was set at the 1992 Olympics, and Akabusi fears he might miss out on a medal unless he does it in front of the partisan home crowd.

Akabusi, whose record time helped him win bronze at the Barcelona Games, said: "The time will come if you focus on performance. The hurdles is a series of races in one event. Hopefully if you do each stage right you'll get a personal best and in Dai's case - a new British record and the Olympic gold.

"I think he'll need to break the British record to become Olympic champion, for sure. I think he'll be able to medal just outside the British record but even that will be a tight call.

"He's going to break it sooner than later if he stays healthy. But you can't chase times. He is heir apparent, no doubt about it - he's a quality athlete with all the attributes so he'll get there in the end.

"I'm very happy to pass it on. Nobody owns that record. Nobody can take away what I've done - I've been the British record holder for 22 years but you only ever hold it for a time. Not eternity.

"When I broke the record I took it from a phenomenal man in David Hemery, and when he broke it, the time was an Olympic and world record. So I'm honoured to have taken the record into transition and if I pass it on to Dai this year - he'll be a great guy in the pantheon of British record holders."

Akabusi believes it's Greene's tireless work ethic that has propelled him to the top of the world and hopes isn't fazed by the pressure of being favourite.

Hard working

He said: "I like the way Dai is a very disciplined young man. He's committed to the cause and a good student of his event. He's not getting carried away with all the fame or all the fortune - he turns up every day on the track and puts in the work.

"He goes to the line knowing that nobody else has trained harder than he has. He brings out the best in himself and he's a very confident man - but importantly not complacent. He's got fortitude, the skill and the ability to deliver.

"This time round there's going to be a totally different set of nerves. Going into the world championships he wasn't favourite to win gold - although he himself would have been confident he could.

"But now, when he goes into the Olympic arena everybody knows who he is and the other athletes will be focused on him and thinking about him during their preparations. He goes there with the reality that the whole world is against him - except for 60 million Brits!"

Greene will be one of just a handful of British track and field athletes hotly tipped for victory but Akabusi doesn't want the public to hang gold medals around their necks already.

He said: "I've been very impressed with the likes of Greene and Mo Farah, who both became world champions last year but I'm very keen for the public to understand that it's not easy to go and win a gold medal.

"Nobody has a devine right to one, no matter how good you are. Someone like Jessica Ennis for example is clearly talented but has a massive weight on her shoulders. She broke the world indoor record recently but it still wasn't enough to win! There's not many of us who can go to work and do the best performance the world has ever seen, only to find out you haven't won.

"It isn't easy. I do think there will be some positive surprises but unfortunately there will be some sad surprises. I do remember in 1992 going to Barcelona and seeing Michael Johnson and Sergei Bubka all failing to achieve what the whole world thought they would. It just is not easy."

Bright future

Meanwhile, Akabusi is confident youngster Perri Shakes-Drayton can impress in the women's 400m hurdles.

The 23-year-old will be hoping to go one better than at last year's World Championships when she finished third in the semi-finals and Akabusi thinks the Games will provide her with the platform on which to build a great future.

He said: "I'd expect her to make the final and then anything can happen. What we saw from her at the world indoors is that she's a very steely competitor, full of grit and determination.

"The only thing that might go against her is her youth and relative inexperience. That said it could work in her favour because when you're younger you believe anything is possible. We can't put any pressure on her as she's a young girl going for the experience but I do think she'll break her personal best for sure."