“One of my outstanding moments as an athlete was becoming the only European athlete to have beaten Michael Johnson over 400 metres. When you consider that Michael was the world record holder for the event and was only defeated twice during a 400m career spanning over a decade, it provides some context. Tony was my coach at this point and was an integral part of my team which began in 1997. For the first two years of our partnership, Tony’s input was focused specifically around developing my speed and improving my technique. From the winter of 1998, Tony assumed overall responsibility for my coaching regime, and he remained my coach until my retirement in 2003. His dedication, passion, technical expertise and utter belief in my potential, helped me to win medals at European, Commonwealth and World Championships level.”