Malcolm keen to stake his claim ahead of busy 2010

By Ben Baker, Sportsbeat

WELSH sprinter Christian Malcolm hopes that captaining Cardiff to Super8 success could be the springboard to a successful summer.

STAR MAN: Christian Malcolm will captain Cardiff at next month's Super8 meeting in Glasgow (Getty Images)

The fast-paced Super8 event will see Cardiff lock horns with seven other cities in Glasgow on July 7, with a host of big-name overseas stars, including the likes of Americans Dwight Phillips and Lolo Jones, guesting at the meet.

Malcolm, who finished fifth in the 200m at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, turned 31 at the start of the month and has missed chunks of this season with an Achilles injury - with a season's best of 20.89 seconds ranking him eighth in the UK over his favoured 200m.

Domestic rivals Mark Lewis-Francis and Craig Pickering will provide tough opposition for Malcolm in the 100m event - but the Cardiff-born sprinter is itching to get to the Scotstoun Stadium.

And with the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games on the horizon - Malcolm knows he needs to seize his chance.

"The competition is strong and that's good for me," added Malcolm, who claimed the Welsh Senior Championships 100m title last weekend.

"Last year's event was fantastic and I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to race again and represent Cardiff.

"I'm a Cardiff lad so to be the captain is a real honour for me. It's something I'm really proud of and if I can lead by example and win some points, that would be fantastic.

"I'm older and wiser now and even though I'm not in the greatest shape, I'm more aware of what I can do now."

The Cardiff AC star has set his sights on qualification for next month's European Championships and the Commonwealth Games later this year.

And despite his recent injury lay-offs, Malcolm admits he's hungrier than ever for success on the big stage ahead of next weekend's Aviva UK Championships in Birmingham.

"I'm one of the more experienced campaigners now but experience is crucial when it comes to big races," said Malcolm, who won double gold as a promising youngster at the World Junior Championships in 1998.

"I'm confident I can still perform and my next target is to try and qualify for the Euros and the Commonwealth Games.

"I'm trying to take it race by race at the moment and just seeing how it goes. It's frustrating having the injury but I'm just trying to manage it."

* Super8 is based on a City v City format, the event was piloted in Cardiff in 2009 and will make a long-anticipated return in Glasgow on Wednesday July 7. Tickets are available by visiting www.uka.org.uk/super8 or Ticket Hotline 08000 55 60 56.