Collins sets Brum target

12 April 2012

UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins has set the Norwich Union GB team a target of winning six medals at the European Indoor Championships next month in Birmingham.

There were no shocks in the first wave of selections, with Jason Gardener as expected being chosen to defend his 60metres title despite his poor showing when seventh in last Sunday's trials in Sheffield.

"I've looked at the last couple of them and our figure has been in that region," said Collins, for the meeting at the National Indoor Arena from March 2-4.

Collins is looking forward to three-time consecutive gold medallist Gardener again spearheading the host nation's challenge for success, if he can finally shake off a flu bug.

"A combination of his past record and a talent that has seen him highly successful at championship level says it all," said Collins of the selectors' unanimous decision to pick the 'Bath Bullet'.

Collins added: "In the past he's been highly successful at winning medals and he has the right competitive credentials to do so again, despite his setback through ill-health.

"Let's also remember he's got a couple of very fast times this year," he said of Gardener, ranked third over the distance behind training partner Craig Pickering and Ronald Pognon, the European record holder from France.

"The trials were probably a round too far for Jason and hopefully he can now get back to full health and fitness, before the championships," added Collins.

Collins expects the men and women's sides to match the number of medals they claimed two years ago in Madrid but talked down the chances of Pickering.

Pickering has finished ahead of Gardener three times this year and is the top-ranked European alongside Pognon, who matched his British rivals' two earlier clockings when running 6.55seconds last Friday in France.

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