Adam Gemili: Injury absence gave GB sprinter new perspective

In 2015, Adam Gemili became the first Briton to go under 10s in the 100m and under 20s in the 200m

British sprinter Adam Gemili says the hamstring tear which forced him to miss the 2015 World Championships was "almost a blessing in disguise".

The 22-year-old, who had been sidelined since last June, returned to action over 60m last weekend.

"The injury taught me a lot about myself, my body and where I need to be," he told BBC Radio Kent.

"Since I came into the sport it has been non-stop. You get to see the sport from a different perspective."

Gemili, who suffered the injury in Birmingham last summer after running his first sub-10 seconds 100m, added: "It is not always the person who is in the best physical shape that is going to win.

"You need to be mentally strong. I wouldn't have seen that if I wasn't injured."

After missing August's World Championships in Beijing on medical advice, the European 200m champion returned to competition on Sunday, winning the 60m at the Welsh Senior Indoor Championships in a personal best of 6.59s.

"There are still lots of improvements to make on my performance, but it is a good start," he said.

"I have got to learn and try and be up there with the best in the world. They are running a little bit faster so I have got to step my performance up."

Gemili reached the semi-finals at the London Olympics in 2012 after committing to the sport full-time the previous January, having previously been on the books at Dagenham & Redbridge FC.

Gemili has a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, graduating from the University of East London last November

He says his hamstring has "no residual effects" from his injury last summer and is now targeting selection for his second Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio.

"It is a big summer ahead," he added.

"It only feels like last year that we were getting ready for London and now Rio has come around.

"The British squad has such depth in sprinting that it will be tough to make the team but I believe I can do that."