Hurdler taking TikTok moves to start line at Worlds

Picture the scene. You're standing on the start line ahead of a big race, a TV camera panning across each face in turn.

Some athletes offer a small smile and wave, others stare straight ahead, totally in the zone. The likes of American sprinter Noah Lyles jump around and amp up the crowd.

And then there's Seamus Derbyshire. He might not be a household name, but you've almost certainly seen him, with the 400m hurdler going viral on TikTok for his starting line theatrics at July's Diamond League meet in London.

Upon hearing his name, the 25-year-old emulated the character Glinda's 'toss toss' of her hair from the film Wicked, before showering the camera with kisses and a love heart, a grin plastered across his face. The rest is history.

"I was sat in my flat after [the] Diamond League. It had been such a long day and me and my flatmate were just debriefing the day, sat on the sofa, and then he was like, 'why are you on my TikTok?'," he told BBC Sport.

"It was me doing my introduction and had a couple of hundred likes. I was like 'that's crazy' and then we went to sleep.

"When we woke up, I was getting so much love on it and it was something I didn't expect. It never crossed my mind that this could be something that people would take to."

Derbyshire, who is one of a small number of openly gay sportsmen, says his pre-race routines are "never pre-planned", nor did he begin them with social media fame in mind.

Rather, it is part of his commitment to being his "authentic self" after years of battling anxiety around competitions.

In 2024, mental health struggles derailed his European and Olympic dreams and prompted the former European Under-20s silver medallist to reconsider his future in the sport.

Instead of quitting, he chose to "change my mindset and how I feel about competing", hiring an additional coach, switching to solo training, and introducing his start line displays, starting with a '365' tribute to singer Charli XCX.

The changes have paid dividends, with the former gymnast enjoying his most successful season to date.

In June, he became the fifth-fastest British man over 400m hurdles, running 48.47 seconds in Prague to break his personal best and achieve the qualification standard for this month's World Championships.

Despite missing out on automatic qualification after placing third at August's British Championships, a phone call after the "longest three weeks of my life" confirmed his selection for Tokyo.

"Last year, I had a really tough year. No matter how ready I was physically, mentally I wasn't. It's been the aspect that's held me back for quite a few years," added Derbyshire.

"Bringing my authentic self has brought me to a point where I feel comfortable again.

"It's really silly but this is the first year in five years where I've completed every race I've stepped on the start line to do, which is such a nice feeling and felt like such a big accomplishment."

While his newfound fame has served as a "reality check", opening his eyes to homophobic abuse, he says the majority of interactions have been "overwhelmingly positive".

After growing up without a role model in sport, he hopes he can inspire future athletes.

"A lot of my gay inspiration I got through pop culture, through the music I listened to in the car with my mum, like strong female protagonists like Kylie Minogue and Gwen Stefani. I never found my source of inspiration through sport. Maybe I can be that for someone because I didn't necessarily have that myself.

"I've had so many messages saying it's so nice to see someone living the way I am. They wish they could have had someone doing that when they were younger, or parents [saying] it's a really nice example for children.

"[The abuse] feels like such a small drop in the ocean. A lot of things people are saying, like my parents won't be proud of me, I don't deserve to be an athlete, I deserve to die – I know they're not true. I work hard, I'm dedicated to my craft, and I deserve a space in sport."

Looking ahead to Tokyo, Derbyshire is clear in his ambitions.

He isn't thinking about dethroning three-time world champion Karsten Warholm, instead prioritising enjoyment and learning.

"My main target this year has been to get back competing and back to a place of enjoyment. Despite the standard stepping up again, that is the main priority," he said.

"And it's my first World Championships, so I want to be a sponge and absorb as much knowledge as I can from the people around me and the atmosphere, because moments like this don't come around too often. I really want to relish it."

As for whether he will debut a new routine, it's a case of wait and see.

"The 'toss toss' has become that moment for my first introduction to the world stage, so that may have to be what I do in the heats," he said.

"Fingers crossed, if I get some more rounds, I can get out some new skills."