Express & Star

Matthew Hudson-Smith vows to return better than ever

Wolverhampton track star Matthew Hudson-Smith has vowed to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown stronger as he turns attention towards Tokyo 2021.

Published

Like every other athlete, the 400-metre European champion has seen his career temporarily placed on hold by the global healthcare crisis and for the moment it remains impossible to know when the 25-year-old will race again.

What is known for certain is the Olympics, the primary focus of his year, will not be taking place, with the Games already pushed back by 12 months.

Hudson-Smith, currently training alone at his home in Florida, has vowed to use the time as constructively as possible. He told the Express & Star: “In terms of my future plans, it doesn’t change anything.

“Tokyo 2021 is now the immediate goal.

“I will use this time to work on my weaknesses and get even stronger to avoid injuries when we can start back proper training and competing.

“At the moment I don’t have any idea if there will be a 2020 season or when it will be.

“All I can do is keep fit and stay positive and be ready to run whenever things start up again.

“I have been watching the news reports and seen how this is affecting so many people and greatly admire and support the front line workers who are fighting this head on at the moment.”

In addition to the Olympics being postponed, athletics have seen a host of Diamond League meetings cancelled.

Though the European Championships remain tentatively scheduled for late August, World Athletics has announced the qualifying period for Tokyo 2021 is now suspended until the end of this year.

Hudson-Smith, who grew up in Lanesfield, has been based in Florida since 2017 when he moved across the Atlantic to work with his current coach, Lance Brauman.

He said: “Like many places around the world we are at home in order to try to stop the spread of Covid-19 and ‘flatten the curve’.

“We don’t have our regular team training as the practice facility is closed. I have been doing exercises at home and going out for runs on the grass by myself just to maintain my fitness.

“I think (postponing the Olympics) it was the right thing to do by the organisers and the IOC.

“They had no choice really based on what is going on all over the world.

“Of course, from a personal point of view I have been training hard for the 2020 season and was looking forward to Tokyo 2020, but we have to see the bigger picture.”