After years of censure Mark Lewis-Francis proved his doubters wrong in 2010, winning individual silver at the European Championships and then the Common wealth Games, where he also took relay gold. Now, while the other British athletes who competed in the Delhi Games take a break, Lewis-Francis is approaching on through the indoor season without a pause, his sights set on a medal at the European Indoor Championships in March."I'm doing so well I don't want to stop," says the 28-year-old ahead of opposing at the first major event on the indoor calendar, the Glasgow grand prix tomorrow. "I'm still on cloud nine after the 2010 season. Nobody expected that.
I didn't even expect to have such success and I don't want it to end. I was out for such a long time, so to be back is something I don't want to miss again. I haven't got that long left, so I just want to embrace every minute of it while I can."Lewis-Francis is confident he can beat the European outdoor sprint champion,over 60m indoors. "I think I had him for 60m [in Barcelona], I think I definitely did," says Lewis-Francis, who finished 0.7sec behind the Frenchman. "I don't think he was thrashing me for 60m in the 100m, he's just got a really strong last bit to his race. It could be interesting. I don't want to hype it up but it could be a different race this time."
The British team will have to qualify for their places at the trials next month but another name Lewis-Francis may have to look out for is the 33-year-old Dwain Chambers, the European indoor record holder."We'll see what happens," says Lewis-Francis. "If I can go to the European champs and get a medal and then build up my self-confidence for the world champs this summer because we all know the world champs is going to be solid, it's not going to be easy that could just prepare me for it."Despite having won medals at the Olympic Games memorably taking 4x100m relay gold at Athens in 2004 and the world championships, Lewis-Francis is yet to win an individual medal on the global senior stage, an achievement he says he is not happy to retire without.
I didn't even expect to have such success and I don't want it to end. I was out for such a long time, so to be back is something I don't want to miss again. I haven't got that long left, so I just want to embrace every minute of it while I can."Lewis-Francis is confident he can beat the European outdoor sprint champion,over 60m indoors. "I think I had him for 60m [in Barcelona], I think I definitely did," says Lewis-Francis, who finished 0.7sec behind the Frenchman. "I don't think he was thrashing me for 60m in the 100m, he's just got a really strong last bit to his race. It could be interesting. I don't want to hype it up but it could be a different race this time."
The British team will have to qualify for their places at the trials next month but another name Lewis-Francis may have to look out for is the 33-year-old Dwain Chambers, the European indoor record holder."We'll see what happens," says Lewis-Francis. "If I can go to the European champs and get a medal and then build up my self-confidence for the world champs this summer because we all know the world champs is going to be solid, it's not going to be easy that could just prepare me for it."Despite having won medals at the Olympic Games memorably taking 4x100m relay gold at Athens in 2004 and the world championships, Lewis-Francis is yet to win an individual medal on the global senior stage, an achievement he says he is not happy to retire without.
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