Michael East

“It is a natural gift I was born with but it's something I've had to nurture in training.”

“Stepping up a gear during any race is not an easy thing to do.”

“If you see swarms of guys coming around you, you have to try and avoid being stuck on the kerb.”

“It probably won't sink in until I've retired from running but I'm a much better athlete than two years ago.”

“I could produce spurts of speed and after taking up athletics I found myself running quite quickly over 400m.”

“Winning Commonwealth gold was just totally unbelievable.”

“If it's a slow race you have to be on your guard. You have to be patient, but I prefer that.”

“If you go too soon, you can come unstuck with 50m left when the guys are going past you.”

“You have to have your wits about you and think quickly on your feet.”

“Deciding on when to kick is crucial and depends on how the race is unfolding.”

“I first discovered my turn of pace when I was playing football as a kid.”

“So when you put the kick in and the other runners go past you, it's game over!”