BBC Sports Personality Of The Year / Ralph Ellis / 15 December 2011 /

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards have never caused so much debate and controversy. With just a week to go, Betfair went to Bath University to meet one of the ten men on the shortlist, 400m hurdles world champion Dai Greene.

Nice to meet you Dai, and congratulations on making the SPOTY shortlist.
Thanks. I'm looking forward to it. It's a big honour.

It's been a great year for you, hasn't it?
It has, it's been fantastic - in fact the last two years really with the European and commonwealth titles in 2010 and then the worlds this year. That was my big target 12 months ago, and I'm very happy it came out like that.

You've not warmed up so well for this event, though. We saw you were fourth in the BBC Wales award behind Chaz Davies who won a superbikes title!
(laughs) I know, I was a bit surprised to be honest. I couldn't go because I couldn't take the time off training - it just shows how when the public vote you can never predict the outcome. I'm not saying I should have won, but I was very surprised not to be in the top three.

So you're still training hard at this time?
Very much so. I have four weeks off at the end of the season, then I get back into it at the start of November. It is high volume training now, so much training, it is running, long distance work, a hard slog outside in the horrible weather, and then as it gets closer to the summer we will start running on the track a bit more and work with shorter, more intense reps. It's not until closer to the season that it becomes a lot more technical.

Andy Murray is also on the shortlist for SPOTY and he does his intensive spell at this time in Florida. It sounds a better idea than our weather!
We do head to South Africa in January which will break things up. That's nice and raises everybody's spirits and we do quality work. But it toughens you up a bit being outside in the horrid weather, wind rain and sleet. I can understand where Andy would be coming from - you can't play tennis in the rain, can you? It definitely makes you mentally a tougher person to train in the tougher climate though.

If 2011 was a big year then 2012 will be huge.
Indeed it will. For track and field there is no bigger competition than the Olympics, so to have one in your home country at a time when you are at the peak of your sport is very, very, very fortunate. I want to make the most of it next year and reach a peak. It's a great opportunity, it will be superb, everybody will get behind us and get involved. I'm just happy to be a part of it.

One day, one event, you must deliver that day Some athletes wind themselves up, some say it's just a race and take the pressure off. How do you deal with that pressure?
I do both. From now until two weeks before I'll be thinking it's the Olympics, it's the biggest competition ever, I can't wait to start, and then ten days out I'll tell myself it is just another race. That's how most of us will try to deal with it, I'll do what I do every year, prepare as best I can and then have a lot of confidence. I don't worry about being the favourite. I remember when I wasn't making teams, and I had a few injuries and niggles, how horrible it was to be on the outside looking in. I will never shy away now. Whenever I think: 'wow I'm expected to win', I just think back to being at home, watching my friends and team mates run and not being there, and how horrible that felt. Where would I rather be? I'd rather be there and be the favourite, all day long.

On the subject of favourites, Mark Cavendish is big odds on to win SPOTY
I don't do any cycling. I can understand how hard he has to train and what he puts in. I tell you, I'm based at Bath University and the campus is on the top of what seems like the most enormous hill in the West Country! I see loads of people on bikes and I wonder what's wrong with them! It's not for me at all. No way would I try to ride up that - so if he can do all the mountains in the Tour de France then good luck to him

What about the three golfers?
I play golf a bit in my spare time, not that I have much. They've achieved great things in the last few months and you can understand why they have had such recognition. I will be interested to meet Andrew Strauss too because the England cricket team had a massive year. I've always thought one of the great things about these awards is that it brings achievement and knowledge to the public and hopefully inspires others to have a go. It's why I understand the people who've said it is a shame there are no women on the shortlist this time. It's so difficult to say this person deserves to be on and this doesn't, it is all very subjective.
But it would have been nice to have some sportswomen on the list because girls need role models in the world. I'm sure that none of the men who made it on to the list would have begrudged a female athlete their place in the spotlight.

Dai thanks for your time, and we've a free £50 bet in aid of a favourite charity.
That's great, thanks. I do a lot of work with Young Epilepsy(https://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk). And for my bet, well I played for Swansea City when I was younger and although I'm a Manchester United fan I'm thrilled with what Brendan Rodgers is achieving, so I'll back the Swans to be the top promoted team(https://sports.betfair.com/Index.do?mi=103005287&ex=1&origin=MRL&rfr=3013) at a very generous [3.95].

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