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Tomlinson determined to make his mark in Daegu

Chris Tomlinson broke the British long jump record last month © Getty Images

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Chris Tomlinson is determined to make up for lost time as he bids for a first medal at the World Athletics Championships in South Korea.

Despite being Britain's top long jumper for the best part of a decade, Tomlinson, who turns 30 next month, has never finished better than 8th at a World Championships.

Spurred on by the exploits of triple jumper Phillips Idowu, who at the age of 30 became world champion in Berlin two years ago, Tomlinson believes he still has time to fulfil his potential.

"I take a lot of inspiration from what Phil has done," Tomlinson told the Telegraph. "He produced the goods when he was in his late twenties and early thirties. Many people at the top of their game in the British team - Christian Malcolm, Mark Lewis-Francis, Dwain Chambers - are three or four years older than me."

Having set a new British record of 8.35 metres in Paris last month, Tomlinson believes he is capable of even better. Despite a bronze medal at last summer's European Championships, and a world silver indoors, Tomlinson still feels he has unfinished business.

"At 22, I was jumping 8.25m," he said. "But at 26, I was still pretty much the same athlete. I never really progressed. It wasn't until the last year or two that I got into the medals or broke the British record.

"Once I would have been over the moon about an eight-metre jump, but I have had four jumps over 8.20m this year. Even in Paris, I felt like I had left a lot out there, and that's what drives me on.

"You need to think, 'This is my runway, my sandpit, I'm going to do what I need to do.' If I do that, I might have a chance. I've travelled the world and made loads of friends, but I want to have an Olympic or a world gold medal. I want to be a champion, to fulfil my potential."

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