Express & Star

Wolverhampton athlete Matthew Hudson-Smith polishes up for Diamond League

Wolverhampton athlete Matthew Hudson-Smith is preparing for a Game of Thrones-style battle against the world's best – in front of his home crowd.

Published

The 400-metre runner is injury-free after a nightmare end to 2015 saw him miss the World Championships in Beiing, writes Tim Spiers.

That slowed his progress after a stellar 2014 in which he won silver at the European Championships in Zurich and picked up a gold in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 4x400m relay.

But after returning to full fitness he will next month take on the likes of Olympic 400m champion Kirani James and Olympic 800m silver medallist Nijel Amos in a world class field at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium.

The Diamond League meeting comes exactly two months before the start of the Rio Olympics.

And Hudson-Smith, originally from Lanesfield, can't wait to show what he can do on his home turf.

"I've raced there since I was 10 years old," he told the Express & Star.

"It's my territory. It's like Game of Thrones – defend your castle!"

"My mum, my dad, everyone will be here. I'll have to put on a show for them.

"I've said a lot of times, Birmingham's just the start of the stepping stone against the world class athletes who more or less will be there at Rio.

"Every race is preparing me for Rio and the sort of standard I'm going to face."

Hudson-Smith began his season last weekend in Germany and 'died a lactic death'.

But the 21-year-old will be raring to go for the Diamond League clash – and is expecting a fast race.

"I'll be against an Olympic champion, three or four 43-second runners...it's going to be rapid!

"I'm injury-free, my first race went alright, I died a lactic death but it was the first race, I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things.

"Not many people can say they've raced against an Olympic champion in front of people who've watched you grow up.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

Hudson-Smith joins the likes of Mo Farah, Dina Asher-Smith, Robbie Grabarz, Dafne Schippers, Kirani James and Adam Gemili in a star-studded field at the Birmingham Diamond League on Sunday, June 5.

For tickets visit britishathletics.org.uk

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.