Max Burgin sets sights on world podium and Sebastian Coe’s British 800m record

Regardless of what might have unfolded, Max Burgin was always going to make sure he experienced Tokyo this month.

The record-breaking 23-year-old had booked an end-of-season holiday to explore Japan, a country he has always wanted to visit, before securing his place on the British team at the World Championships.

Given his issues over recent years, Burgin – who will contest the men’s 800m final at Japan’s National Stadium on Saturday (14:22 BST) – does not take anything for granted.

But it is a strong indication that everything is beginning to fall into place for Great Britain’s exciting middle-distance talent – and the signs have been extremely promising.

Capitalising on a rare period of consistency, Burgin lowered his personal best to one minute 42.36 seconds at the London Diamond League in July.

That time, within 1.5 seconds of David Rudisha’s 2012 world record, made him the third-fastest British man in history.

At last able to begin uncovering his true potential, having smashed world, European and British records as a junior, the Halifax athlete now intends to enjoy his post-competition travels with a global 800m medal in his possession.

“I’ve had a lot of hurdles and haven’t necessarily progressed in the same way people had hoped for me back then,” Burgin tells BBC Sport.

“But I’d like to think I’m over a lot of the challenges of the past five or six years.

“Finally, I am getting back to the trajectory that I was showing when I was younger and breaking all these records.”