Team GB's 110m hurdler Lawrence Clarke has told Sports Mole that he was "absolutely switched on" during yesterday's British Championships in Birmingham.
At the same Alexander Stadium venue in the Diamond League last month, the 25-year-old admitted that having only just finished studying, his mind had not been completely on his performance in the days that had preceded the event.
However, with a time of 13.55 seconds, Clarke was crowned British champion on Sunday, which he has insisted is down to the fact that he was mentally in the right place.
"The conditions were ideal [at the Diamond League meeting] and I was just not in the game. Today, I was absolutely switched on. I didn't see any of my competition and I didn't think about anything else. I was exceptionally nervous, which is something that always makes me run better," he said.
"I went away from Birmingham [in June] knowing that I needed to address my mental strategy and I've done that."
During both his heat and the final, the 2012 Olympian had his left shoulder heavily strapped with tape.
Clarke has conceded that he has struggled to deal with the complaint of late, but in Birmingham he showed that he can now cope with the pain.
"I've had a problem with my shoulder recently. It's been a mental problem because I've been competing thinking that if my shoulder pops up, that's my season over," he added.
"The physios have reassured me that no matter how much pain it is, it won't cause long-term damage. I raced in Sopot last week and it was all I thought about - the race was terrible.
"On Tuesday, I went into training and the physio told me that I was going to get over it - I did. I ran three runs in training, which were agony, but were the best runs that I had done all year in training. I knew coming into this event that I was in good shape."
Clarke has four races coming up in quick succession, including one at the Olympic Stadium in London at the end of the month.
Liam Apicella
