UFO Info Week-End

Jackson seeking to better his own Welsh record of 10

Jackson, seeking to better his own Welsh record of 10.29, will need to be in top form to reach the final.Jackson’s absence from the 110m hurdles, and that of Tony Jarrett, who runs the 200m, offers either Andy Tulloch, who came second in the European Cup as a late replacement, or Neil Owen a glimpse of Gothenburg.Kelly Holmes has been prevented from seeking a double at 800 and 1500m but her 800m will still be worth watching. There are a number of talented runners behind Christie in this season’s British rankings who, in theory, are all within a metre of each other: Darren Braithwaite, Jason John, Mike Rosswess, Julian Golding, Toby Box, Jason Gardener and Darren Campbell.Regis is likely to choose the 100m too, in preference to his specialist event of 200m, especially given his highly satisfactory run in Nice on Wednesday. In those circumstances, even though he won the European Cup in style last month, Mark Richardson could not afford to stay out of action any longer with the minor injury he has been nursing.Even though Iwan Thomas, who is only one place behind Richardson in the season’s British rankings, dropped out with injury yesterday, there remains the threat of Adrian Patrick, who has run 45.63 this season, and David Grindley, still far from fit after a longstanding Achilles tendon injury but not to be discounted.The 100m is set to be a similarly intriguing struggle. Which would appear to leave just one place open – for the winner of the event. His form this season has been unconvincing – but he is the European champion.It would be very hard for the selectors to leave either of these men out. Roger Black, who recently equalled his lifetime best of 44.59sec, had decided against his plan of running a 200m to rest the knee which has troubled him throughout the season and caused him to miss Gateshead.Also absent, with the hamstring injury which caused him to pull out half- way through that Gateshead 400m, is Du’Aine Ladejo. Jackson, struggling for form at his world record distance of 110m hurdles after his recent bout of tonsillitis, also runs the 100m.While qualification is a relative certainty for Britain’s world champions, there are many other talented athletes for whom these championships represent a tense, tactical battle.The 400m is a typically complex area.

They, like every British athlete, are obliged to take part in at least one event – injury or illness permitting – to qualify for a place at next month’s World Championships in Gothenburg.
Christie, who will travel on with Jackson to a meeting in Padua tomorrow, seeks a record eighth AAA 100 metres title. Linford Christie, Colin Jackson and John Regis, who have now settled their financial differences with the British Athletic Federation, were always down to compete at the KP National Championships and trials. British athletics resumes its high profile in Birmingham this weekend as several of its elite performers return to domestic action after their recent pay dispute. He will be feeling even better if he can secure a place in Gothenburg this weekend.. “But it is a different thing when you have just put your foot on the line. It was a bit scary.”But the instincts held together well enough to gain him sixth place in a time – 1min 46.3sec – that was inside the world qualifying mark of 1:46.50 A job well done, in fact “It was the best I had felt in two years,” he said.

“You try to tell yourself that you are out to win it,” he said. Instead, he toyed with the family piano – “it’s out of tune so it sounds bad even if you are playing the right notes.” All the more reason for his family to greet his return to fitness with enthusiasm.Last week at Crystal Palace he took his first step back in an international 800m. With awful predictability, Sod’s Law had duly operated – and suddenly Robb was finding time hanging heavily.”Get yourself a hobby,” was the advice from his agent, Andy Norman He suggested stamp collecting. He suggested antiques – after all, it had filled many an idle hour for one of his previous charges, Steve Ovett.But antiques are not Curtis Robb. At which point he got the viral illness which was afflicting a number of his club-mates.His return was rescheduled for the meeting at Gateshead on 2 July. At which point his illness recurred.In order to concentrate on running this year, he had taken four months away from his medical studies. Members of the Robb household thus became acquainted with the sight of the resident athlete exercising in the kitchen with a couple of bags of frozen peas draped over his foot for weights.It did not do the knee any good but a chance encounter with a physiotherapist in the canteen of Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital, where Robb was doing a placement to study psychiatry, led to the solution.