Road to Rio 2016: Tom Bosworth setting fast pace on walk towards Olympics glory

Following four British record performances in four victories in 2016, Bosworth has put himself alongside the leading contenders for the medal placings in Rio with the promise to continue rewriting the record books.

The 26-year-old has chopped almost two minutes off his previous best time over the Olympic distance of 20km and had two previous world champions lagging behind.

The record-breaking start to his first Olympic year has come as quite a surprise to the athlete especially following a “disappointing” year of stagnant performances 12 months ago, which culminated with a 24th-placed finish at the World Championships in Beijing.

Bosworth said: “At the start of the year, the aim was just to better that, but the way I have started the year has certainly changed my view on what I can achieve this year. I’m not putting any positions on it but I want to be a lot higher up than 24th, that’s for sure.”

To some extent, Bosworth is fast becoming the Mo Farah of race-walking.

He has become Britain’s flag-bearer of the sport since finishing 11th at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

It was not until four years later at the European Championships that he really believed he could challenge the best from walking powerhouses Spain, Russia and China.

Three more minutes have been rubbed off his best time in the two years following and the 20km British record of one hour, 20 minutes and 41 seconds – clocked while winning the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Dudince last month – would have won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships and been good enough to finish fifth at last year’s global event in Beijing.

It broke the year 28-year mark of Ian McCombie and added to the national records already held over 3km, 5km and 10km, with only the 50km Olympic distance missing from his collection.

Bosworth will front Britain’s assault at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome next month in another chance to take major scalps ahead of lining up on Pontal Island in Rio in August.

The former Leeds Beckett University student, where he still trains daily under the tutelage of national coach Andi Drake, said: “I’m now going to races and the best walkers in the world are there saying ‘you’ve had a good winter haven’t you?’ I have finally put my name out there.

“The win was such a surprise in Slovakia. I knew I was going to PB (personal best) and I knew when I did it would be a step up and really put my name out there. This whole winter, that’s what has happened.”

The world record for the 20km distance was lowered to 1.16.36 by Japan’s Yusuke Suzuki exactly one year ago to the day.

While that mark is a scary figure for Bosworth, it is one he feels capable of closing the gap to with more miles and more training in his legs.

The Olympic race is likely to feature more tactics than pure speed which will fall into the Kent-born, Leeds-based man’s favour.

Bosworth said: “In the next few years, I would like to take another big chunk off it and really make that 20k British record very hard to beat. Another minute-and-a-half and you’re into 1.18s. When you’re that speed of walker you are going to go into races as the favourite.

“I have the responsibility to move the event on to 2016 and bring it into world-class times of the now. I’m almost there.

“We have such a rich history of it in this country but we haven’t had any Olympic success for a long, long time.

“It’s definitely something over the last few years I have tried to push. It’s the unknown event of athletics.

“By breaking records and winnings races, people are going to take notice.

“If it’s just having someone at the back of the pack or not competing at all, it’s not shown on television or in the papers. Now we are changing that.”

The responsibility of leading Britain’s revolution of race walkers is one Bosworth has chosen to relish in.

Despite competing in the sport’s often forgotten discipline, being boring is not something in Bosworth’s nature.

He has gained an infamous reputation for entertaining on the athletics circuit and his rapid rise has taken him alongside the best in the world.

As well as a strong social media presence, Bosworth has become a firm fans’ favourite, establishing a race-winning dance and refreshingly spending his post-match celebrations high-fiving the public.

“You can’t be boring on the track,” added Bosworth, who has now been race-walking for 12 years.

“If you are, people will forget who you are and what you do straight away.

“My event is not an easy one to understand. When people see that I walk faster than most people can run, and that I celebrated with them, that connection will make people want to come back.

“Over the last couple of years, it has become a bit of a trademark. I’ve got quite a good, fun reputation from it. It sums up my personality. I don’t take too much that seriously.”