Danvers to miss Europeans in pursuit of Commonwealths

OLYMPIC bronze medallist Tasha Danvers will swerve this summer's European Championships, instead setting her sights on October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

MISSING OUT: Tasha Danvers will miss the European Championships in a bid to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games in October (Getty Images)

The 32-year-old exceeded expectations to reach the podium in Beijing two years ago but has since struggled with injury and was forced to miss out on the World Championships last summer.

Danvers has been based in the USA in recent years but as she steps up her preparations for London 2012, she has decided to relocate to the capital at the Lee Valley Performance Centre.

But after such a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Danvers has opted against competing in Barcelona in late July, and will instead set about securing a safe passage to India.

"Following a frustrating 2009 affected by injury, I am determined to get back to my best but that has to be done with a focus on what's best to achieve longer term goals - and that means missing the European Champs," said Danvers, who will also be absent from the European Trials and UK Championships in Birmingham this weekend.

"London 2012 is a massive motivation for me and I'm certainly not done yet! I have been through a lot of changes over the last 18 months, now I'm back in London which is my home town.

"I have decided that unfortunately the European Championships just come too early for me, so I'm aiming for the Commonwealths and will be back racing soon."