\n<\/p>\n
Adam Gemili says he considered quitting athletics and “going back to football” after poor results at the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games.<\/span><\/p>\n The British sprinter was a youth player at Chelsea and on the books at then-League Two Dagenham & Redbridge.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n He switched to athletics in 2012, was European 200m champion in 2014 and fourth at the 2016 Olympics.<\/span><\/p>\n “Football was what I came from originally, so that was one of the options for me,” said Gemili, 29.<\/span><\/p>\n “I was going back to football. I reached out to a few clubs and they said, ‘Come and do some training with us’.<\/span><\/p>\n “I can’t say the clubs. There was a Championship club, there was a League One club, no Premier League clubs yet but maybe one day.”<\/span><\/p>\n The Londoner says he had lost interest in running after a dip in his performances followed a dispute with UK Athletics over his use of American coach Rana Reider.<\/span><\/p>\n Reider is being investigated following multiple complaints of sexual misconduct, which he denies.<\/span><\/p>\n Gemili initially refused to split with his coach, before <\/span>eventually leaving in August<\/span><\/a>, after being eliminated in the 200m heats at last July’s World Championships in Oregon and then failing to make the Commonwealth Games final.<\/span><\/p>\n “I basically quit the sport, I didn’t have any interest, I didn’t enjoy getting up for training,” said Gemili, who was officially <\/span>dropped from UK Athletics’ top level of funding<\/span><\/a> in November.<\/span><\/p>\n “I hated it and that was because of all the stressful stuff which was going on.<\/span><\/p>\n “After the Commonwealth Games, it was a big, ‘Right, do I quit and go back to football and try it, and maybe go into National League or whatever and make a bit of money and enjoy my last few years of sport – or do I commit to this?'”<\/span><\/p>\n Gemili has since joined a training group in Italy with Reider’s former assistant Marco Airale and is now back on track, finishing second in the 60m at the World Indoor Tour in Birmingham on Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n “I sat down with my family and friends and we decided I’ve still got a lot more I want to give in this sport,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’ve always been close and I know I believe, if I can get myself in shape, I can run with the best. <\/span><\/p>\n “I’m finding that love again. I don’t make any money out of the sport, I’m not sponsored, but I love it. I’ve been in the sport a long time and there’s still a lot I want to achieve. We’ll get to Paris [Olympics] and then after Paris we’ll reassess.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n