GB sprinter hails 'dream come true' senior debut

A 19-year-old sprinter said reaching the semi-finals of the European Athletics Championships was "a dream come true".

Ebuka Nwokeji, from Northampton, competed in the men's 200m race during his first tournament as a senior British international in August.

He was the youngest male athlete selected for Great Britain's team in Birmingham and clocked 20.83 seconds, finishing sixth in his semi-final heat.

"I feel blessed to have even been able to compete; To make a senior team and to make the semi-finals is a dream come true," Nwokeji told BBC Radio Northampton presenter Jake Sharpe.

Italy beat Great Britain by one gold to finish top of the medal table during August's tournament.

Nwokeji said learning from "the best of the best" was an invaluable experience.

"It shows you why some of the athletes there have been on that level for the past 10, 12 years," added the sprinter, who trains 11 months a year.

"It's very good for learning and going forward."

Nwokeji's proud mother, Ada, said her son's success was a testament to his hard work and the support from his coach and family.

"It was just amazing to see our son, to see our team member, to see our boy, on the telly, on the BBC – this is the world stage," she told Sharpe.

"A lot of people only see the final result; they only see you on the final day, but there's a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved in this process.

"It's been many years of hard grafting, grinding, training - a lot of discipline for a young man - and we're so proud of him."

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