Pickering pledges to put injury problems in the past

MILTON KEYNES sprinter Craig Pickering insists his injury worries are out of sight and out of mind as he prepares for the biggest race of his life.

After missing this year's World Indoor Championships, another hamstring injury threatened to rule the 21-year-old from Shenley Lodge out of the Olympics all together.

But Pickering bounced back to secure his spot in the individual and relay 100m and vowed to hit the ground running in Beijing.

He said: "My main worry was at the start of June I pulled my hamstring so I was worried I would not have any part of the actual Olympics.

"Since then every race has been getting better and I am glad to be here and looking forward to the actual race.

"It does not play on my mind anymore. You just have to keep an eye on those sorts of things.

"I have been injured enough times to know that if you let it play on your mind then you can't give your best.

"The first race back I was a little bit apprehensive but since then I have not thought about it at all since then."

With world-record holder Usain Bolt confirming his place in the 100m alongside compatriot Asafa Powell and world champion Tyson Gay, Pickering faces a tough task to repeat his final appearance at the Crystal Palace Grand Prix. 

But Pickering was in buoyant mood about Great Britain's chances of retaining their relay crown after completing an intensive two-day relay camp in Loughborough.

He said: "We have been doing a lot of work about getting the baton round at full speed.

"You will see us stepping out before a race and putting a piece of tape down. We have to make sure that is in the right spot so we get the baton in the box.

"That's why the relay camp is so important to have this track time doing it at full speed. You can practice change overs all you want so the baton skills are quite good in December and January.

"Now this is where you have to find your check mark. It gets refined closer to competition.

"It is also a case of putting pressure on the other teams at the change overs and hopefully they will mess it up."

DANIEL SCHOFIELD in Beijing