Adam thrilled to head for World Indoors as one of five Scots with GB and NI

Tuesday 15th March 2022

Adam in action at the British Indoors when he won the Men’s 60m gold to book his selection for World Indoors (photo by British Athletics/Getty Images)

Five Scots picked for World Indoors 2022

By Peter Jardine, Head of Communications

Adam Thomas is Belgrade-bound this week to fulfil one of his athletics career ambitions – competing for GB and NI at the World Indoors.

But the 26-year-old sprinter also hopes Serbia can be a staging post on a journey to racing for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

It’s fully 10 years since Thomas had his Scottish eligibility confirmed – his mother Michelle is from Aberdeen and the family lineage had Scots Guard connections before a move to Aldershot.

Now, at last, the upper echelon of the sport is very much within reach with the Bracknell-based Scot having won the Men’s 60m tittle at the British Indoors to book his GB selection. Adam’s 6.56 run also broke the 6.60 Scottish Record set by Nick Smith in 2010.

‘I had Nick’s 60m Record very much as a target that weekend as I’d been close to it already this season with a 6.61 and 6.62,’ said Adam.

‘To get that in the final and win the race at the British Champs and make sure of selection for GB and NI was a brilliant feeling.

BBC Scotland coverage on Adam and Jenny Selman

‘It was the culmination of years of hard work and also a true reflection of where I was at in training. In sprints, as in other disciplines, you are always looking to see if your performance can demonstrate exactly where you are at and that’s what happened that Sunday as I went through three races.

‘Now with the support of my coach, Laurance Kingsbury we want to see if I can go quicker in Belgrade.

‘If I could make the semi-finals then we would treat that like the British final. I guess if I run 6.56 or thereabouts and don’t progress to the final then you just have to accept that – you can only try and run your best on the day.

‘It’s very exciting and the GB kit arrived last week and that was a big moment after working towards that as a goal.’

Photos via British Athletics/Getty Images

Back based in Bracknell where he trains at the local track, he reflects that a spell in Loughborough wasn’t ideal for him.

Years earlier, he switched from football to sprinting when clearly being part of a talented sporting family.

‘I was a country level footballer in Berkshire as a youngster but I am maybe talking 13 or 14 at that time,’ he recalled.

‘My eldest brother, Dean, was a better player and he was at Reading when Brendan Rodgers was there. He was striker or sometimes a winger and I was the same – just trying to use my pace.

‘But I moved into athletics more seriously at 15 and I’d had enough of being kicked.’

He can cover 100m minutes in ten seconds and a fraction – 10.18 is his PB – yet patience has been a virtue.

‘I was at Uni at Loughborough and stayed on afterwards. It is such an athletics bubble, though, that there’s a bit of pressure which comes on.

‘It took me a while to find out who I want to be as an athlete and working with a sports psychologist and Lawrence in the past couple of years helped that.

‘I had a couple of injury-hit seasons but I did plateau. When that happens, it’s all about finding the motivation to keep going.’

Adam at the Manchester International in August 2019 with fellow event winner that night, hurdler Heather Paton

Out of plain sight, but not out of mind.

That’s how Adam feels about scottishathletics and indeed athletics in Scotland with our #SALtogether approach on social media playing a hand in that.

‘I have to say that there’s a really strong community with Scottish sprinting, no matter where athletes or coaches are based,’ he said.

‘It’s maybe small in numbers but we’re always very supporting of each other and I appreciate the backing of the governing body over the years.

‘I think I am so lucky to be eligible for Scotland through my mum. My grandad passed away a few years ago and at that time I felt it would be lovely to honour him by wearing a Scotland vest.

‘I’ve managed that up to now at events like Loughborough and Manchester but clearly the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is a huge target.

‘I’m very hopeful that my 60m form in the indoor season will translate to quicker times outdoors.’