World Athletics Championships: Adam Gemili says he turned to food for comfort after poor form
Last updated on .From the section Athletics
| World Athletics Championships 2023 |
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| Hosts: Budapest Dates: 19-27 August |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, BBC Sport website and app; listen on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds; live text on evening sessions. |
British sprinter Adam Gemili says he turned to food for comfort after "the worst time of my life".
After issues surrounding his coach he had poor results at the 2022 World Championships, where he did not make it out of the heats, and the Commonwealth Games, failing to reach the final.
But after moving to Italy and losing 10kg (1st 8lb) the 29-year-old has found his love for the sport again.
"I was severely depressed and food was a big escape," he said.
"It's been about getting happy again, getting mentally in a better place and becoming professional again.
"I wasn't professional last year and it's made a massive difference. Being happy changes everything, your hormones, you start sleeping better.
"If you don't sleep well you wake up in the middle of the night, you're hungry, you go and eat and it's just a bad cycle.
"It happens to a lot of people and a lot of athletes, especially when they're not successful and then they find escape through food. I didn't have people around me to say 'stop that'.
"It was the worst time of my life and you don't realise the negative effects it can have mentally."
The Londoner, who won 200m European gold in 2014, said earlier this year he had lost interest in running after the dip in his performances followed a dispute with UK Athletics over his use of American coach Rana Reider.
Reider was investigated and given a one-year probation in May after he "acknowledged a consensual romantic relationship with an adult athlete".
Gemili, who has finished fourth at both the Olympics and World Championships in the past, initially refused to split with Reider, before eventually leaving last August.
He was dropped from UK Athletics' top level of funding in November.
The former Chelsea youth player considered a return to football but has been revitalised by a move to a training group in Italy with Reider's former assistant Marco Airale which also includes fellow Britons Darryl Neita, Reece Prescod and Jeremiah Azu.
He is on relay funding and will be part of the 4x100m squad in Budapest, although he has not been selected for the individual 100m or 200m events.
"Life in Italy is completely different, you're waking up every day in the sunshine," added the Londoner.
"Jeremiah and I have two little electric scooters, we ride those to the track every day, it's five minutes, train, get your treatment, go home and chill. It's just good vibes.
"I feel incredibly happy. I'm enjoying every day and training whereas, last year, I was probably training once a week and barely getting through that.
"I was in a terrible place and to go from that to where I am now training with the athletes that I'm training with is great."
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