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Dark days forced me into a cave - Lewis-Francis

Mark Lewis-Francis has been forced to endure a difficult period © Getty Images

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Mark Lewis-Francis has admitted that he "retreated into a cave" after finding himself in a "very, very dark place" following Achilles problems and the sudden loss of his lottery funding.

The sprinter was on top of the world after storming to Olympic glory in the 100 metres relay in 2004, but his career went rapidly downhill in the subsequent years as he suffered a series of setbacks.

"I was in a very, very dark place," Lewis-Francis told the Mirror. "You kind of shut off from the outside world and retreat into a cave. You can't watch any athletics because any that you do watch really hurts.

"I was in a really bad way and when I did come back I was beaten by everybody. I never thought about giving up. Athletics is my life - I've been doing it since I was 13. I love competing, I love the adrenaline on the starting line.

"The big question for me was always, 'Can I get back to where I was?'. It was that doubt that was the scariest part of all."

Lewis-Francis has battled back, however, and his renaissance continued when he sealed a surprise 100m silver at the European Championships - despite not being included in the initial squad for the Barcelona event.

Now Lewis-Francis is aiming to put the seal on a remarkable comeback by soaring to gold on home soil at the 2012 London Games - although he concedes there is much work still to be done.

"I'm not quite in the league of Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt or even Tyson Gay," he said. "Not yet. I'm a realist. After all the stuff I've been through, that's the way it has to be."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.