CJ UJAH has told his 4x100m team-mates to run free if they want to finally get on the podium at the World Championships this summer.
Britain’s relay boys have suffered a series of baton blunders on the global stage since famously winning Olympic gold in Athens 13 years ago.
Ujah was blamed by his team-mates for failing to receive the baton from James Ellington at the last World Championships in Beijing in 2015.
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He was then dropped from the Olympic final in Rio last summer despite running in the semis and helping Britain to European 4x100m gold weeks earlier.
The team managed to get the baton round but could only finish fifth despite having been among the favourites to get a medal.
But Ujah, who had been training with Olympic double medallist Andre de Grasse before beating him to win the Oslo Diamond League this month – insists the team will come good at the World Championships on home soil in the Olympic Stadium in August.
He said: “To finally get on the podium on the world stage this summer – and in a home stadium – would mean so much.
“I think it would be such a great story after 2015 didn’t go well and then 2016 was a bit of an anti-climax. I think we can do it.
“But I think we need to stop putting a lot of pressure on ourselves.
“If we can run with a bit of freedom. We got the baton round last year but there still needs be an element of freeness.
“You have to to go out there and enjoy it, have fun. Yes it’s serious but it’s all about enjoying the sport too.”
Ujah will anchor the relay boys at this weekend’s European Team Championships in Lille as they warm-up for London.
The line-up today is expected to include Harry Akines-Aryeetey, Danny Talbot and Zharnel Hughes.
Richard Kilty and Adam Gemili pulled out last week ahead of next weekend’s World Championship trials.
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