DALE GARLAND has 46 seconds or less to grab the one remaining spot going in Britain’s 4×400m relay squad for Beijing.
And the good news is his problem hamstring has eased sufficiently to allow him not only to run at Loughborough tomorrow evening at the EIU Permit meeting, but also, he hopes, quickly enough to get the sixth spot in the relay squad.
After a promising training session in Bath yesterday, the 400m hurdles specialist, pictured, said excitedly: ‘It’s game on. I just ran 3.04sec. for a flying 30[m] taking it fairly easy. It’s feeling fairly tight now but no real problems and I am going for the 400 flat and last relay spot.’
He reckons he will need to run 46.2 or better to win a place and see his name added to the finalised team on Saturday. A good international field and promising weather forecast may allow him to do just that in Loughborough, which is the last-chance saloon for several British athletes still chasing the last few spots.
‘[Michael] Bingham is down to be there, Graham Hedman and an Australian and a French guy. It’s going to be a good race.’
A decent performance, on top of Garland’s fine run in the European Cup relay squad, may just be enough to grab a place, especially with doubts hanging over two of the five selected.
Andrew Steele has a hamstring injury and Richard Buck, pipped by Tom Druce in the OIympic trials in Birmingham, has been suffering from a virus.
Garland could have opted for the 400 hurdles race tomorrow evening but clearly does not feel his hamstring is up to it.
‘I think the relay will be the best option.’
Article posted on 16th July, 2008 - 2.30pm
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