The 100 metres looks certain to be the most talked-about race in this year’s world championships, but do not expect CJ Ujah to be drawn into a discussion about a victory for Usain Bolt over Justin Gatlin being good for the sport.
“I am in the race myself,” the British No 1 said when asked who he wanted to win. “I don’t want to talk about other people reigning supreme, I am going to compete to the best of my ability.”
It has been a good summer for Ujah, 21, who ran 9.96sec for the second time in his career when he came fourth to Bolt in the Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium last month.
That proved a point to a lot of doubters. Last summer he had run the same time but failed to make the Great Britain team for the European championships in Zurich. This time he ran it having won the 100 metres in the British trials.
Ujah went to Zurich as part of the relay squad but never got to race. “It was good motivation,” he said. “It would have been nice to run but it also gave me that hunger, that desire to go on and make the team this year.
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“It showed me I didn’t want to be in that position again.
“That was definitely one thing I was thinking of going into the trials. The trials and the world championships were the two championships I wanted to perform at.”
Ujah has his eyes on a place in the final, although he knows that he may have to run faster than ever to do that. “I’m really excited, if I execute my race anything can happen,” he said. “From the start of the year, the final has been the aim. That’s realistic.
“We’ve had more sprinters run sub-ten [seconds] this year than ever, so it’s going to be interesting. It depends on how you handle the rounds.
“Fatigue will definitely play a part, but I will need to run around my PB to make the final.”