Kriss Akabusi Tips Greene To Break His Hurdles Record

Kriss Akabusi says it's only a matter of time before Dai Greene breaks his 400m hurdles record.

Akabusi cleared the barriers over 400m in a time of 47.82 seconds back in 1990 - a record that had belonged to David Hemery.

It is a record that has stood for over two decades - but it a time that Greene has got very close to in the last couple of years.

Speaking to BBC Sport Akabusi said: "I don't think it's a matter of if, it's when [Greene breaks the British record]," said Olympic silver and bronze medal winner Akabusi.

"And I'll be very happy for Dai... to assume the mantle.

Last season Green claimed the European and Commonwealth gold and he is proving that he will be a real contender at the world championships this summer after a good win over Bershawn Jackson in Birmingham at the weekend.

Akabusi continued: "Dai Greene is a world-class hurdler now. He's running a lot of times between 48.2 and 48.4 and, on my reckoning, that seems to suggest that he's ready to run a time of anywhere between 47.7 and 47.9.

"That quite clearly puts him within record-breaking distance.

"When I was competing, I always used to think that come the major championships I could always run half-a-second faster than my season's average.

"When I left athletics... I felt pretty sure it wouldn't take long before my record was eclipsed but I've been the British record holder now for 21 years, although Dai is the only other British athlete to go under 48 seconds and 'break' the record I broke in 1990.

"As I've got older I've realised that I did set a very good mark."

The world championships get underway on 27th August in South Korea.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw