Heading into the final of the 100m in Barcelona much of the focus was on whether Dwayne Chambers could deliver a medal. While all eyes where focused on the controversial sprinter it was another British athlete, who ten years ago was regarded as the hottest young property in sprinting, that stole the headlines.
Mark Lewis-Francis was just 17-years-old when he burst onto the scene at the Crystal Palace Grand Prix winning the 100m 'B' Final in 10.10sec. His career seemed to be on a upward curve when he won the World and European junior titles and ran sub ten seconds at the World Championships in 2001.
After winning Olympic relay gold in 2004 it all seemed to going to plan for the Birmingham sprinter. However, Lewis-Francis never managed to take that next step and remained on the fringe. Then came two career threatening Achilles injuries and it seemed as though his potential would never be fulfilled.
Yet, after his surprise silver medal at the Europeans he could very well still be the future of British sprinting. "Heading into Barcelona I was one of the forgotten athletes, but this helped me get my mind right and stay focused," explains the man who ran 10.18 in Barcelona. "I was able to go into the championships as an underdog as all the attention was on Dwayne and I think that really helped me."
After returning from serious injury and having lost his lottery funding the silver medal was just reward for a sprinter who has struggled to live up to expectations.
"It was an amazing, amazing moment and I think that it has only just started to sink in. It has been a long time coming but I always knew the day would come when I would achieve.
"After the Achilles injury I was physically and mentally down and it was hard to get back to running quick. There where doubts that I would get back to my best but my coach has to take a lot of credit for working me hard and keeping my mind right."
The coach that has made such a big difference to Lewis-Francis is one of Britain's greatest ever sprinters Linford Christie. The British record holder was the first ever European to break the ten-second barrier and won gold in all four major competitions.
Christie has helped his fellow Brit regain his confidence and Lewis-Francis picks him out as a major factor in winning silver in Barcelona. "I am in a good place as I am working with a guy who has been there, done it and won the crown. If I can't learn from Linford then I can't learn from anybody."
Still just 27 years of age, Lewis-Francis can look to his coach for inspiration. Christie was 32 when he won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and in doing so became the oldest champion by four years. The strict coach even made sure that his young athlete could not celebrate for long, calling him in for training just one day after returning from Spain.
"Linford definitely humbled me when I got back as we had a training session straight away. We decided that I would continue to run in a few more competitions and we are focusing on the Commonwealths where hopefully I can maintain the good form."
With many top British athletes taking the opportunity to rest it will be a golden chance for Lewis-Francis to prove his talent in Delhi. However, the true test will more likely come next year when the British sprinter faces the likes of Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell at the World Championships.
"All in good time," he says after being asked whether he could challenge the Jamaicans and Americans. "It was a great honour to win a European medal but there is still a lot of work to be done.
"This is my first season back from injury and I am competing against some of the best in the world. I know it will be tough next year but I didn't think I could win a medal in Spain so that has given me a lot of confidence and made me believe that anything is possible."
If the talented sprinter can remain injury free then there is no reason why he cannot once again break the ten-second barrier and become a genuine contender.
PUMA ambassador Mark Lewis Francis wears PUMA running shoes and apparel available at www.pumarunning.com
