KYLIE ROBILLIARD starts hot favourite to retain her English Schools sprint hurdles title at Gateshead tomorrow. But while the 16-year-old may be the quickest on paper, she has serious fitness doubts after spraining an ankle in practice last weekend.

‘She has had intensive physio all week and it has improved,’ reported the athlete’s mother, Michelle, yesterday.

‘She’s still hoping to run and she will have it strapped up.

‘If she runs, she can’t injure it anymore, it will only take longer to heal properly, that’s all,’ she added.

Robilliard is one of three Sarnians at the two-day event and has to come through heats today to qualify for tomorrow morning’s final.

Erica Bodman is in action in the high jump and Tom Druce in the 800m.

Further south, in Manchester, Dale Garland and Lee Merrien line up for the BBC-televised Norwich Union Olympic Trials and AAA Championships.

Garland goes in the 400m hurdles and the long jump, Merrien in the 1,500m.

Neither athlete is a realistic medal prospect and Olympic qualification even less so, but Garland and Merrien should both be very competitive.

The decathlete is eyeing a new island record in the 400 hurdles.

‘I’m ranked about eighth [in the country] this year and I’m not sure if I will get one of the middle lanes,’ said Garland, who wants to beat his 50.6 island record.

‘Realistically, I’m not a medal contender but if I get into the last eight I will be happy.’

On paper, his better chance is in the long jump.

Garland’s recent island record leap of 7.65m competing for the Ansbacher Channel Islands AC at Perivale, places him fifth in the national rankings.

The 400 hurdles heats are the final event in the BBC’s afternoon coverage tomorrow, but Merrien, who goes in the 1,500 heats late on tomorrow evening, may have to qualify for Sunday’s final (6.48pm) to be seen on national television.