Children at a Birmingham school have had the chance to run with an Olympic sprinter as excitement builds for the European Athletics Championships.
The competition takes place in the city in August.
It is one Mark Lewis-Francis, who grew up in the city, knows well, having won a relay gold in 2006 and 100m silver in 2010.
Ahead of the games, he paid a visit to Ferndale School, in Great Barr, where he said he hoped the tournament would inspire the next generation of West Midlands athletes.
Lewis-Francis, who is originally from Darlaston, also won gold in the relay in the Athens Olympics in 2004.
He said: “I think part of my journey is to inspire the next generation of athletes and to see a local achieve the same things that I achieved.
“We’ve already got that in Matthew Hudson-Smith.
“People like Denise Lewis, Katharine Merry, they inspired me to achieve what I achieve so its only right for me to do the same thing as well.”
During the visit, Lewis- Francis met pupil Alaia, who currently trains with Birchfield Harriers, his former athletics club.
The year five student does long-jump, shotput, javelin and sprinting.
She said: “It was really exciting, I got a bit overwhelmed.
“I find it really inspiring because I know I could do the same things [as him].”
David Moore, PE lead from Ferndale school, said it was “amazing” for kids to meet a “local hero”.
Lewis-Francis’ visit came as organisers released group tickets, where nine or more people will be able to purchase tickets to the championships together for the first time.
It has been designed with incentives to support local schools, youth organisations and community groups, with the hope of allowing more youngsters to have the opportunity to see elite sport as it happens on their doorstep.
Moore added: “The fact that it is on our doorstep, easily accessible at the Alexander Stadium, they haven’t got to travel to London or Manchester, they can go and see it and see world class athletes really close to where they live, it’s really inspiring for them.”
Lewis-Francis said: “I just wish I was young enough to compete.
“That was one of my dreams to actually compete in a major championships in my home town.
“But as an older athlete now I get the privilege of going there and spectating and watching the British athletes achieve their goals and their dreams.
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