Coe's Record Under Threat As Burgin Builds Momentum

UK Athletics Championships

Venue: Alexander Stadium, Birmingham Dates: 2-3 August

Coverage: BBC iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website & app. View sum details

Whatever happens next, Max Burgin will make judge he experiences Tokyo this year.

The record-breaking 23-year-old has already booked an end-of-season vacation to research Japan, a state he has ever wanted to visit.

Ideally, though, he will do truthful pinch a World Championship badge successful his possession.

Given his issues complete caller years, Burgin is not taking thing for granted earlier this weekend's important UK Athletics Championships successful Birmingham.

Careful not to jinx his momentum, he is only consenting to admit this is "definitely nan champion first half of a play I've had successful a agelong time", speaking to BBC Sport.

The signs are so highly promising.

Only 4 men worldwide person tally faster than Burgin this year, aft he lowered his individual champion to 1 infinitesimal 42.36 seconds erstwhile pursuing nan reigning Olympic and world champions complete nan statement astatine nan London Diamond League.

That clip is wrong 1.5 seconds of David Rudisha's 2012 world record, and made him nan third-fastest British man successful history.

It was nan latest denotation nan Halifax jock is opening to uncover his existent potential, having smashed world, European and British records arsenic a junior.

"I've had a batch of hurdles and haven't needfully progressed successful nan aforesaid measurement group had hoped for maine backmost then, but I'd for illustration to deliberation I'm complete a batch of nan challenges of nan past 5 aliases six years," says Burgin.

"Finally, I americium getting backmost to nan trajectory that I was showing erstwhile I was younger and breaking each these records."

Comparisons were drawn to British middle-distance greats Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram arsenic Burgin collapsed done - doing truthful astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson.

Their careers person taken alternatively different paths, pinch a operation of injuries and bad luck starring Burgin to fearfulness his early committedness was "slipping away".

"There were a batch of parallels successful our development," he adds. "Obviously her profession has perfectly taken disconnected and possibly excavation has stalled a small bit.

"But, looking astatine what she's achieved and knowing that I person that aforesaid benignant of ceiling, that decidedly gives maine confidence.
Knowing that, 1 day, I'll beryllium capable to get up there."

Burgin mislaid 12 months, and missed nan Tokyo Olympics successful 2021, pinch hamstring and groin injuries. A calf rumor - later diagnosed arsenic heavy vein thrombosis - past denied 2022's fastest man nan chance to compete for a world medal.

He yet debuted connected nan world shape successful Budapest 2 years ago, contempt struggling pinch a nervus rumor affecting his Achilles, and past summertime became nan first British man to scope nan Olympic 800m last since nan 2012 Games successful London.

Burgin and his begetter Ian, besides his coach, person grown accustomed to mounting short-term goals.

But, considering his large ambition for this World Championship twelvemonth amid a play of comparative consistency, he says he will "definitely beryllium gunning for a medal" should he make nan last successful Tokyo.

That itself is nary easy feat, amid expectations nan existent procreation will soon surpass Kenyan Rudisha's erstwhile seemingly untouchable clip of 1:40.91.

To person that opportunity, Burgin must first decorativeness successful nan apical 2 successful Sunday's last astatine nan British trials, wherever world bronze medallist Ben Pattison, besides 23 and nan second-fastest Briton successful history, is among nan competition.

The brace are besides quickly closing successful connected Lord Coe's 44-year nationalist grounds of 1:41.73.

And, having already removed much than a 2nd from his individual champion this year, that is simply a people now firmly connected Burgin's radar arsenic he strives for nan world medals his talent has agelong promised.

"It feels achievable astatine nan moment, 0.6 seconds is simply a batch erstwhile you're getting down to these faster times, but it's not impossible," he admits.

"There are a fewer accelerated races to spell this play and I'll decidedly beryllium wanting to person a spell astatine that.

"It's very apt that, if you want to situation for a World Championship medal, you'll request to beryllium moving a British grounds pinch nan measurement nan times are going."