Additional time could prove beneficial for both brothers

Both Cam and Alastair had entered the year longing to represent Team GB at Tokyo 2020, which has since become the first Olympics ever to be pushed back rather than cancelled as was seen during the two World Wars.

Organisers are currently working hard to sort out logistics and decide a new date, which could be as late as summer 2021.

400m specialist Cam had already been confident of securing a relay spot, but with up to another year to progress as an athlete, that individual berth may be easier to come by.

‘It’s just nice to have some clarity on the situation now and it means I can start to look at the year and the following year and plan appropriately around that,’ said Cam.

‘It is obviously a shame, as I’ve had my eyes set on Tokyo 2020 for the best part of four years now.

‘But for me, as a 23-year-old, it’s another year of opportunity to make myself stronger and faster and add to that cumulative load of year-on-year hard training.

‘It could be one of those blessings in disguise for me in that sense, because it could be the difference between me making it as part of the relay squad or maybe making it as an individual and part of the relay squad.

‘I’ve got a little bit more time – who knows?’

Younger brother Alastair, who turns 20 years old on Tuesday 31 March, now has extra time to vie for his own place in the 400m hurdles.

Both brothers still have access to a track and weights and so are able to train to near full potential during these trying times.

‘It’s a tough time at the moment and a lot of athletes are hurting, I feel, about the missed opportunity of the Olympics in 2020,’

said Alastair.

‘However, as Cam said, it is a blessing in disguise for myself and him – another year of training hard, adapting to the situation we’re in at the moment, and just grinding down and hopefully getting faster is really important for us.

‘Of course this year, as a young athlete myself, it would have been very hard to get into that individual spot for the Olympics.

‘I’m hoping myself I would have been [able to get the spot]. However, things change and you’ve just got to go with the flow.’

The Paris 2020 European Championships are currently still set to go ahead this August and both brothers have run within the qualifying standard.

While the Olympic qualifying window is yet to be officially updated, presenting athletes with an unrealistic-looking deadline of 29 June, the International Olympic Committee has committed to releasing renewed guidance by early next month.