Parsons ready to continue comeback at World Indoors in Doha

By Colin Leonard, Sportsbeat

BRITISH high jumper Tom Parsons insists he is ahead of schedule as he puts the finishing touches to his World Indoor Championships presentation.


OVER ACHIEVING: Tom Parsons has made an impressive comeback from injury to make
the British team for Doha (Getty Images)

The 25-year-old has endured a testing 18 months since finishing eighth at the 2008 Olympics. Injury and a loss of form mean he has failed to better the personal best clearance of 2.30m set during qualification for Beijing.

But after going under the knife to correct a knee problem in September, Parsons has returned to full fitness and earned his place on the plane to Doha with a jump of 2.28m at the Birmingham Grand Prix on February 20.

And with his confidence now back to where it was in 2008, Parsons is aiming high in Doha.

"Getting the qualifying height really shows that I am well ahead of my schedule for 2010 which is great news because I had quite a tough time of it last year," said Parsons.

"I had to have an operation on my knee at the end of last season on a problem which had been affecting me for the whole season.

"I had a patella tendon scrape to take out some damaged cartilage and that kept me from doing any real jumping until the start of December.

"So going to Birmingham and getting the qualifying height was just fantastic for me and shows that I over achieved a little bit.

"But now I have done that I just want to try and over-achieve in Doha as well and I am very confident I can do that."

The Birchfield Harrier will be joined by fellow high jumper Samson Oni in the GB & NI team with Olympic silver medallist Germaine Mason not attending, as he continues his comeback from the knee and ankle problems that blighted his 2009 campaign.

And Parsons admits Mason's stunning display in Beijing is a major source of inspiration as he prepares for a big year that he hopes will also include the European Championships in July.

"Germaine Mason showed in Beijing that in high jump finals anything can happen on the day and so I am confident that if I go and jump well I can be getting on the podium," added Parsons.

"The main aim when I went into the season was the  Europeans later in the summer and that hasn't changed. However, going to the World  Indoors in Doha means it's  going to be a an even more hectic  year.

"But if it is hectic that is a good thing because it means that I am going to three major championships which would be fantastic.

"But it is definitely not going to be easy.  UKA have set a really tough qualifying standard for the Europeans which is higher than the World and Olympic standards."

Aviva has been proud to have helped and supported the Aviva GB & NI junior, senior and disability teams as they prepare for all major events and championships since 1999. Visit www.aviva.co.uk/athletics for more information