I love the atmosphere indoors

Daniel Caines

Caines: thoroughbred sporting pedigree

His mother, Blondelle Thompson, set a British record of 13.0secs for 100m hurdles in 1974 and ran for Britain in the European Championships that year.

His father and coach Joe Caines was a British junior international in 1970-1 and clocked a 400m best of 48.2secs when he won the Midland title at the age of 19, while uncle Garry Thompson played up front for Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and QPR in the 1980s.

Caines' breakthrough came last year in the indoor AAAs, where he stormed to a surprise victory before going on to make the squad for the European Indoors.

Having finished fourth in the Olympic trials, he was called up to replace Mark Richardson when the outdoor AAA champion was hit by his doping ban.

It was Down Under that Caines made his mark, clocking 45.39secs in his heat, missing out on a place in the final by two hundredths of a second and running easily the fastest of the legs in the relay.

Outdoors is where the men are sorted out from the boys

Daniel Caines

Caines learnt a huge amount at the Olympics

"I'm sure what I did in Sydney was a surprise to lots of athletics fans.

"If you look back, I'd been improving steadily for the last few seasons, but the experience made me.

"Athletics is as much a mental game as a physical game."

Having completed his studies for a law degree at Swansea University, Caines has started a course at Birmingham University, training as a solicitor.

The focal point of his year will be qualifying for the 400m final at the World Championships in Edmonton.

"Outdoors is what it's all about, the focus for every athlete," he says.

"The indoors can serve as a useful preparation and guide for the summer, but the outdoors, that's where the men are sorted out from the boys."