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| Chijindu Ujah keeps check on emotions after joining select group | Chijindu Ujah keeps check on emotions after joining select group |
| (2 months later) | |
| One of the first things Chijindu Ujah did after stunning the world – and himself – by shattering the 10-second barrier at the BK Games in the Netherlands on Sunday was to turn to his coach, Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo, and ask him why he was not crying. | One of the first things Chijindu Ujah did after stunning the world – and himself – by shattering the 10-second barrier at the BK Games in the Netherlands on Sunday was to turn to his coach, Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo, and ask him why he was not crying. |
| Tawiah-Dodoo had promised to let the tears flow when the 20-year-old Ujah did “something special”. But running 9.96sec and becoming the third-fastest Briton behind Linford Christie and James Dasaolu over 100m did not quite cut it. | |
| “He told me he wasn’t going to cry just yet because he was expecting it,” Ujah says, chuckling. | “He told me he wasn’t going to cry just yet because he was expecting it,” Ujah says, chuckling. |
| So what would change his coach’s mind? Tawiah-Dodoo, clearly delighted with his young gun’s performance, jumps in. “Not a time, a medal!” | So what would change his coach’s mind? Tawiah-Dodoo, clearly delighted with his young gun’s performance, jumps in. “Not a time, a medal!” |
| That will surely come but not as immediately as some would hope. For while Ujah is the fifth-fastest man in the world over 100m this year – and the quickest British athlete – it is almost certain he will not be selected for the England team for the Commonwealth Games in July because his time was outside the qualifying period. | That will surely come but not as immediately as some would hope. For while Ujah is the fifth-fastest man in the world over 100m this year – and the quickest British athlete – it is almost certain he will not be selected for the England team for the Commonwealth Games in July because his time was outside the qualifying period. |
| It seems a bizarre decision given that the Games are still six weeks away but Ujah is happy to bide his time. “My body’s still young so to take anything too early would be a bad idea,” he says. “The Europeans [in Zurich in August] is the goal.” | It seems a bizarre decision given that the Games are still six weeks away but Ujah is happy to bide his time. “My body’s still young so to take anything too early would be a bad idea,” he says. “The Europeans [in Zurich in August] is the goal.” |
| Ujah is also planning to start a course in business management in September. Mind you, the business of athletics is not treating him too badly given Sunday’s race earned him €3,000 (£2,400), his biggest race cheque. | Ujah is also planning to start a course in business management in September. Mind you, the business of athletics is not treating him too badly given Sunday’s race earned him €3,000 (£2,400), his biggest race cheque. |
| “It seems surreal,” he says. “People say that I’m among some great guys in history but it hasn’t really sunk in. I don’t even have an agent but my coach is helping me a lot.” | “It seems surreal,” he says. “People say that I’m among some great guys in history but it hasn’t really sunk in. I don’t even have an agent but my coach is helping me a lot.” |
| So is Greg Rutherford, the Olympic long jump champion, whom Ujah trains alongside at Lee Valley athletics centre in north London. “He’s really inspirational and motivating,” Ujah says. “On Sunday he was giving me advice about staying relaxed and I was rewarded with that time.” | So is Greg Rutherford, the Olympic long jump champion, whom Ujah trains alongside at Lee Valley athletics centre in north London. “He’s really inspirational and motivating,” Ujah says. “On Sunday he was giving me advice about staying relaxed and I was rewarded with that time.” |
| Ujah insists that fast times will not give way to good times. “I have to stay consistent and grounded. I know that, if I can get out with everybody, my top speed is pretty good but I want to get consistent around that mark [9.96sec] and try to win every race. There’s still a lot more to improve on.” | Ujah insists that fast times will not give way to good times. “I have to stay consistent and grounded. I know that, if I can get out with everybody, my top speed is pretty good but I want to get consistent around that mark [9.96sec] and try to win every race. There’s still a lot more to improve on.” |
| That is bullish talk from someone whose personal best until last month was 10.26. But, as the engaging athlete from Enfield explains, he struggled in 2013 because of injury – even though he won the European junior championships. | That is bullish talk from someone whose personal best until last month was 10.26. But, as the engaging athlete from Enfield explains, he struggled in 2013 because of injury – even though he won the European junior championships. |
| The talent was always there, ever since he was spotted running in the borough championships as a 16-year-old and ran 100m in 10.8 a year later. | The talent was always there, ever since he was spotted running in the borough championships as a 16-year-old and ran 100m in 10.8 a year later. |
| “In 2012 I ended the season on 10.26 and unfortunately in 2013 – at the end of the indoor season – I picked up an injury that really put me out for a bit of time. What I ran in the European juniors was just me on comeback.” | “In 2012 I ended the season on 10.26 and unfortunately in 2013 – at the end of the indoor season – I picked up an injury that really put me out for a bit of time. What I ran in the European juniors was just me on comeback.” |
| Naturally Ujah now wants to match his talent against Usain Bolt. He was star-struck when they met in Lee Valley before the London Olympics in 2012. “He was just stopping down to do a session. I took some pictures with him because I was just young and amazed.” | Naturally Ujah now wants to match his talent against Usain Bolt. He was star-struck when they met in Lee Valley before the London Olympics in 2012. “He was just stopping down to do a session. I took some pictures with him because I was just young and amazed.” |
| For now Ujah is focusing on domestic competition. British sprinting had waited 14 years for someone to break the 10-second barrier. Now two men – Dasaolu and Ujah – have done it in less than 12 months. With such as Adam Gemili and the world 60m champion, Richard Kilty, also competing in the British trials in Birmingham in a fortnight’s time it should get pretty spicy. And Ujah, for one, cannot wait. | For now Ujah is focusing on domestic competition. British sprinting had waited 14 years for someone to break the 10-second barrier. Now two men – Dasaolu and Ujah – have done it in less than 12 months. With such as Adam Gemili and the world 60m champion, Richard Kilty, also competing in the British trials in Birmingham in a fortnight’s time it should get pretty spicy. And Ujah, for one, cannot wait. |
| “Two of my team-mates have also run sub-10.2 sec – Sean Safo-Antwi and Deji Tobias – so things are really hotting up in British sprinting,” he says. “It could be at the stage where the British trials become harder than getting to a European final. Hopefully we can drive each other to superb times and make the world alert.” | “Two of my team-mates have also run sub-10.2 sec – Sean Safo-Antwi and Deji Tobias – so things are really hotting up in British sprinting,” he says. “It could be at the stage where the British trials become harder than getting to a European final. Hopefully we can drive each other to superb times and make the world alert.” |
| Some would say that Ujah’s perception-altering performance on Sunday has already done that. | Some would say that Ujah’s perception-altering performance on Sunday has already done that. |