DALE GARLAND can’t wait to run in front of his home crowd again, fit and in form. Garland celebrated his first full England vest by winning the 400m hurdles at Sunday’s Loughborough International and then immediately set his sights on claiming a new island all-comers’ record at Foote’s Lane next Wednesday at the first of the Fortis Golden Series meetings.
The hurdler strengthened his position at the top of the UK rankings with his convincing win for England and in a season’s best time of 50.11.
But for one mistake, he could have taken his own island record in the meeting, but he still won by a big margin in the match against Scotland, Wales, GB Juniors and Loughborough Past and Present.
‘One mistake on hurdle eight probably cost me a sub-50min. time, but I felt strong,’ said Garland, who clocked 50.11, just 26-hundredths away from his island record achieved in winning gold at the 2003 Island Games.
Due to injuries he has missed every big track and field event at Foote’s Lane since.
‘The wind conditions were pretty much perfect and in my head I wanted to attack 50sec.
‘It was good and a good day really because I also did a 46sec. dead split in the 4 x 400.’
Garland’s next race is in the island next week when he goes head-to-head with several of his nationally-ranked Bath colleagues, plus the Hampshire champion over 100 and 200, Ben Ellis.
‘It’s good to be coming into the Guernsey match in good shape.
‘The aim will definitely be to break the all-comers’ record of 47.6 and a get a sub-47 time.
‘In fact, I think I will have to run an all-comers’ record to win the race, to be honest.’
Garland’s win at Loughborough was made sweeter by the fact that it came in an England vest, a year after he had been denied one over uncertainty at how it would affect his Commonwealth Games qualification for Guernsey.
‘There were doubts last year whether I could run for England and Guernsey in the Commonwealths, but that’s now sorted.’
Article posted on 22nd May, 2007 - 12.00am
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