Exclusive - Greene: 'I'm in the driving seat for London 2012 gold'

World 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene has warned his rivals he will thrive on the pressure of being favourite for gold at next year’s London Olympics.

The 25-year-old became the first Briton to win a global one-lap hurdles title since David Hemery in 1968 when he clinched gold at the World Championships in Daegu last week and is now being tipped to repeat his success on home soil in 2012.

And Greene is adamant he will not wilt under the weight of expectation, insisting he can cope with the huge pressure set to be placed upon his shoulders.

He told Keys and Gray: "I know the pressure will increase but the way I deal with it is to put a spin on it.

"I remember when I wasn’t making teams, I was struggling to get the qualifying standards and I was ranked 30th or 40th in the world so I remember those times and I would rather be in the situation I am now - top of the pile rather than struggling to make teams.

"It gives me a lot more confidence knowing that I’m the best in the world so I'm not going to let it affect me in a negative manner. I know people will be expecting great things for me next year but I’m in the driving seat really.

“I know I’ve got a target on my back but it makes training in the winter months and cold weather that much easier when you’ve got the World Championship gold medal on the mantelpiece."