RICHARD KILTY is hoping the appointment of a new full-time coach will help him make a successful defence of his World Indoor 60m title at the start of next year.

While Kilty’s main priority for the 2016 season will be the Rio Olympics, the Stockton sprinter is keen to travel to Oregon for the World Indoor Championships in March in order to mount a defence of the world crown he claimed in 2014 in Poland.

Since his triumph in Sopot, the 26-year-old has also added the European Indoor 60m title to his list of triumphs, but this summer’s outdoor season proved something of a disappointment as he crashed out in the early rounds of the Worlds Championships and failed to achieve his long-stated ambition of breaking the ten-second barrier in the 100m.

That remains a major goal for 2016, along with a place in the British squad for both the individual 100m and 4x100m relay in Rio, and the Teessider is hoping the appointment of a permanent coach will prove a major aid to his development.

For the majority of this season, Kilty has been training alone in Middlesbrough, a scenario that is hardly conducive to producing world-class performances when he lines up against the best sprinters in the world.

“Quite a few people have said to me, ‘Imagine taking any world-class sprinter and asking them to train alone in Middlesbrough without a physio or coach’,” said Kilty. “I don’t think that many would be able to cope with all that and still run 10.05secs.

“It’s definitely a sign that I need to give myself a kick up the backside and find a world-class coach. That might mean me having to bring people into Middlesbrough, or it might mean having to move somewhere else abroad.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes because I don’t want to be labelled as someone who was capable of running a really fast 100m, but who never quite did it. I’ll do whatever it takes and commit to whatever it takes if I feel as though I can find a set-up that will help me progress.”

Kilty’s performances over 60m prove he possesses a lightning-quick start and some impressive raw sprinting speed. He has struggled to translate that into consistently fast times over 100m, but denies a lack of stamina or strength is holding him back.

He performed impressively over 150m in September’s Great North City Games, and started last season with an eye-catching run over 200m that suggests his ability to see races out should not be a problem.

Instead, he attributes his disappointing 100m displays to a technical flaw in the middle section of the race, which is something an experienced coach should be able to address.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of world-class coaches, and they all say it’s something technical through the middle that just needs to be ironed out,” he said. “It’s definitely nothing physical because I have the speed endurance to run 200m – it’s just trying to find that middle ground.

“It’s a massive year next year, and hopefully running a lot more 200m in training and competition will help me with the 100m. I can get to 60m quicker than anyone, and I finish really strong as well.”

Avoiding injuries is another key priority, as Kilty’s last two outdoor seasons have been interrupted by problems that have kept him away from the track.

Few athletes subject themselves to as rigorous an indoor programme as the North-Easterner, and he accepts he will have to tread carefully at the start of next year if he is not to risk burning out in the most important part of the outdoor season.

“I’m going to have to be careful with what I do indoors,” he said. “I keep on getting injured straight after the indoor season, but hopefully if I find myself a good coach, they’ll help to guide me.

“My aim is to defend the world (Indoor) title if I’m feeling in good shape. If all goes to plan, that’s what I want to do. But my main plan for next year is to do what everyone has been waiting for and break ten seconds.

“I nearly did that this year, but unfortunately I got injured just after Birmingham (National Championships) and that was a massive blow. That hindered my preparations for the World Championships.”

With the next World Championships due to take place in London in 2017, a year after the Olympics in Rio, Kilty readily admits he is heading into a two-year spell that will almost certainly define his career.

“I think I could be heading into my biggest years as an athlete,” he said. “From 2014 to 2017, that should be the period when I’m in my prime.

“If I can make the most of that, it would be great. It’s going to be a very big two years, and I’m looking forward to competing at the highest level and enjoying myself. It’s going to be an amazing journey.”