After Gemili (pictured top, on right) had run 10.08sec at Regensburg his coach Michael Afilaka suggested that he may concentrate on the World Juniors rather than taking up any option to run in the Olympics.

Gemili did enough to earn selection at the weekend's Olympic trials in Birmingham by finishing in the second automatic place behind Dwain Chambers (pictured below), who has still to run the qualifying time this season.

He told BBC Radio Kent: "I'm an 18-year-old and I've qualified for the Olympic Games, so to be picked at this age in front of all the sprinters in the whole country feels amazing."

"It took a while to sink in.

"The night after I ran I didn't get to sleep until three in the morning.

"I just couldn't believe it – it was a new feeling for me."


He added: "My plan is to go to the Olympics and compete with the world's top sprinters, and not get beaten too badly."

The former Chelsea trainee, who has more recently been playing football for Dagenham & Redbridge, only made the full-time switch to athletics in January.

His decision to run only the 100m rather than doubling up over 200m at the World Junior Championships before the Olympics offered an early clue as to his ultimate plans.

"I've got two weeks until the World Juniors so I'm just going to get my head down and train hard for that," he said.

"That was my aim for this year until I ran 10.08 and the Olympics became a possibility.

"After that it's all focused on the Olympics."

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