MERELY alphabetical and of no significance at all was Dale Garland’s response to being listed second on the Great Britain 4 x 400m team list announced yesterday for the European Championships.
He is simply relieved just to be named in the five-strong relay squad after his recent disappointment at the trials in Sheffield.
‘My run at the weekend got me in,’ he said yesterday, 48 hours after setting a season’s best time on the back of a week of no training as he sought to rid himself of the remnants of a chest infection.
His first place at the Midland Counties Open at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham in a season’s best 47.25sec. lifted him to sixth in the national rankings and into the team he has served so well at the previous two European Championships.
Having won silver and gold for Team GB previously, he is naturally keen to clinch a hat-trick and thinks he has a chance of making the starting four.
‘Other than [Richard] Buck I’ve got more experience than the others.’
He said pipping Richard Strachan in Birmingham was probably significant in his selection.
The City of Leeds runner had finished ahead of him at the trials but had not taken advantage of a good lane draw in the previous day’s race on the same track as part of the Aviva Grand Prix.
Garland said he felt fresh and ‘comfortable again’ after struggling to throw off a chest infection.
‘I had a week off. I did nothing for a week and felt a lot better.
‘Having a week off is not normally ideal preparation, but it’s what I needed.’
Meanwhile Tom Druce admits to mixed feelings having produced a lifetime best indoors over 400m in Birmingham, but a week after he performed under par at the national trials.
‘The trials hit me a bit hard,’ he said.
‘They couldn’t have gone any worse.’
Druce is now up to 12th in the national rankings and while ready to accept the suggestion he is making solid progress and continually improving his times, such is his ambition to reach the top he is far from satisfied.
‘I ran 48.1 indoors last year and was 13th in the rankings. I’ve improved half-a-second since but still only 12th. The depth of the event at the top has improved.
‘I’ve still come up three-tenths short of winning a [GB] relay spot.’European Championships: Team GB squad chosen
Article posted on 25th February, 2009 - 2.29pm
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