Seamus Derbyshire brings TikTok pre‑race routines to World Championships

Seamus Derbyshire will take his now‑famous TikTok pre‑race routines to the start line at the World Athletics Championships after a season in which he combined a change of mindset with career‑best performances.

The 25‑year‑old 400‑metre hurdler rose to wider attention after a July Diamond League meeting in London, when clips of his theatrical introductions — including a playful recreation of Glinda the Good Witch’s ‘‘toss toss’’ and a shower of kisses and hearts to the camera — went viral on social media. Derbyshire said the displays were not planned for fame but part of a move to become more "authentic" on the track after a difficult period for his mental health.

Derbyshire told BBC Sport that 2024 had been a challenging year in which mental‑health struggles derailed his European and Olympic ambitions and forced him to reconsider his future in the sport. Rather than step away, he said he changed his approach: adding a coach, switching to solo training and allowing himself to express his personality at the start line.

Those adjustments coincided with improved results. In June he ran a personal best of 48.47 seconds in Prague, making him the fifth‑fastest British man ever over the 400m hurdles and achieving the qualifying standard for the World Championships. He finished third at the British Championships in August and, after a period of uncertainty, said a phone call confirmed his selection for the national team.

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

Derbyshire is one of a small number of openly gay male athletes in elite sport. He said the response to his social‑media exposure had been "overwhelmingly positive", with many messages from young people and parents who told him they welcomed seeing a visible role model. He also acknowledged receiving homophobic abuse but said those messages were a small proportion of the reaction and that he did not let them define him.

"A lot of my gay inspiration I got through pop culture, through the music I listened to in the car with my mum," he said, citing strong female performers as early influences. "I never found my source of inspiration through sport. Maybe I can be that for someone because I didn't necessarily have that myself."

Derbyshire emphasised that his immediate goals at the World Championships are experience and enjoyment rather than medals, noting the presence of established figures in the event. "My main target this year has been to get back competing and back to a place of enjoyment," he said. "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."

He said the "toss toss" move has become his signature introduction and signalled it could appear in his heats, with the possibility of new routines if he advances through rounds. Teammates in Britain's 400m hurdles squad include national champion Tyri Donovan and Alastair Chalmers.

Coaches and athletes often emphasise routines and pre‑race rituals for their ability to focus attention and calm nerves. Derbyshire's case illustrates how personal expression and mental‑health strategies can coexist with competitive preparation; he credited the changes in coaching, training and mindset with delivering his most successful season to date.

As he prepares for the World Championships, Derbyshire said he aims to relish the opportunity to compete on the global stage and to use his profile to encourage others. He has framed his public persona as an extension of his competitive work, describing the pre‑race theatrics as a tool that helps him manage anxiety and perform at his best.

"These moments don't come around too often," he said. "I really want to relish it."