Tom Bosworth breaks world 3000m race walk record
The Müller Anniversary Games got off to a world record-breaking start on Saturday as Tom Bosworth strode to victory in the 3000m race walk to add another global best mark to his CV.
Going through halfway in 5:22, the Commonwealth 20km race walk silver medallist was on track to make history and he kept his composure to cross the finish line with a time of 10:43.84 on the clock, despite the pressure of South Africa's world fourth-placer Lebogang Shange a few seconds behind him.
Shange was also inside the previous world record with his time of 10:47.08, while Britain's Callum Wilkinson was third in 11:13.77.
"I knew it was going to be tough to win it but the crowd, Lebo, the rest of the field, they pushed me around to that world record - I can't believe it," said Bosworth.
"I came down from altitude last night so I didn't really think I was that fresh. I felt really good walking. I felt technically quite strong, even though it was such a fast pace."
On how this leaves him feeling ahead of the European Championships in Berlin, where he'll race over 20km, Bosworth added: "That's a big, big confidence boost because we used the indoor season to boost me for Gold Coast and I came home with a silver medal there. We're trying to replicate that a little bit and these shorter races get the legs going."
It was the 28-year-old's first race in the UK capital since his disqualification from the world championships 20km race walk last summer and he enjoyed being back in front of a London crowd.
"It was heartbreak to be honest, last year," he said. "It broke me, it took me a long time to get over that.
"It will always be in the back of my mind but I'd be a fool if I were to ignore that. All the way today I had to make sure my technique was efficient otherwise I'd slow up or get disqualified. Believe it or not, the faster I go, I think my technique is actually better because it's more efficient, it's smoother.
"The Commonwealth Games took that pressure off and put that (his DQ) to bed and now I can go out and perform and really enjoy what I do again."
