Akabusi Backs Greene To Take His British Record

Kriss Akabusi is backing Dai Greene to break his 18-year-old British record in the 400 metres hurdles this week at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi saying that the right man has come to take on the baton of one of the hardest records to beat in British athletics.

Greene, the European champion in Barcelona, recorded a time of 47.88 seconds in Split in August, just six hundredths of a second behind Akabusi's mark that was set in winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics.

Akabusi's record beat his own British record set in 1990 which, remarkably, bettered the previous best British time set by David Hemery at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. It means that just two men have held the 400 metres hurdles British record in 42 years. As far as Akabusi is concerned it is high time for a change.

"I'm very excited about seeing the prospect of Dai breaking my record and I"m fairly confident he's going to do next week in Delhi," said the multiple medal-winner. "I never believed it would last for 18 years, even if I took a record from Hemery that lasted 22 years. I'm really proud to have been its keeper for so long. It's an event where it's clearly not an easy record to break and to be the next British record holder will be quite an achievement for Dai.

"I have no doubt the record will go and it will be taken by Dai, hopefully in Delhi. It deserves a big stage to be broken at and the Commonwealth Games will do nicely. No-one's got too close after me but now Dai's here and he's looking the business. Apart from being a great athlete he's also a good man, with a big heart and a good head on his shoulders. I'm more than happy to pass the baton on to Dai, and just as I was able to get the record below 48 seconds so I believe Dai will take it to below 47.5 seconds, if not in Delhi then next season, for sure."

Akabusi will be watching the drama unfold next Sunday on TV at home in Buckinghamshire but if Greene beats off the expected challenge of fellow Welshman Rhys Williams, as he is favourite to do so, and wins gold with the record Akabusi will be quick to call.

"I'd be genuinely delighted to see it go and I've already told Dai by text that he's good enough to do it. I'll miss not being the British 400 metres hurdles record holder but it really is time for someone else to take it on. That someone is Dai."

Greene revealed last night that when he missed the record by six hundredths of a second in Split Akabusi sent him a text that read: "Close, but no cigar."

They have maintained a friendly text relationship ever since. "Kriss was a fantastic athlete and to have him saying so many wonderful things about me is very flattering," said the 24-year-old from Swansea.

"I do feel as if I'll break the record here in Delhi but my first goal has to be winning the gold medal. If I can do it and break the record at the same time then that will be even better."

If he succeeds in both goals Greene will follow in the footsteps of Hemery and Akabusi, and the latter believes it is a record that may take another 18 years to beat.

"If Dai gets it down to the low 47 second mark then it will take some beating. It might take another 18 years to achieve it."