Team GB triple jumper Ben Williams visited the University of Derby on Wednesday to talk about his preparations for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Williams, who was born in Stoke-on-Trent, missed the last Commonwealth Games in 2018 due to a knee injury, however, he is hoping to make his debut in this year’s competition.
The event was organised by the university and construction giants JCB, which sponsor Williams.
When facing questions from students, the triple jumper highlighted how the event will prepare him for the media scrutiny he will face during the Commonwealth Games.
Williams said: “I’ve just come back from a pretty gruelling Florida training camp and I am back at my Loughborough base now, so it was brilliant to take a break from the training.
“It was a win-win situation really giving me the chance to brush up on my interview skills ahead of the Commonwealth Games and give the students an opportunity to put their journalistic learning into practice.”
The 30-year-old, who is a World Junior Games gold medallist, wants to match the heroics of British triple jumper Jonathan Edwards, who achieved gold in both the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.
When talking about his hero, he said he fell in love with the sport when he watched Edwards win gold for Great Britain at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The Commonwealth Games are set to start on Thursday, July 28th and Williams’ first qualifying round will take place on August 4.
