Myerscough targets top eight finish in Barcelona

By David Jordan, Sportsbeat

BRITISH shot putter Carl Myerscough insists settling for a place just in the final simply won’t be good enough at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona.

AMBITION: Carl Myerscough is looking for a top-eight place in the shot final at the European Athletics Championships. Qualifying starts on Friday (Getty Images for Aviva)

Myerscough will pull on the British vest for the second time this year in the Catalan capital tomorrow, having finished ninth at March’s World Indoor Championships in Doha.

The 30-year-old threw 20.44m on the way to the final but has managed a best of just 19.99m outdoors this year – currently ranking him 22^nd in Europe.

Myerscough’s personal best stands at 21.92m, set in 2003, and while admitting he won’t better that, he is adamant a season’s best will fulfil his top-eight ambition.

“There will be a really good field in Barcelona and there will be a lot of depth and my goal is to try and make the top eight,” said Myerscough.

“I have to try and make the final and then not just finish in the top twelve, I want to get six throws and finish in the top eight – that’s my target.

“I think I will have to throw 20.50m to get there and while I’m not quite in good enough form for a personal best I certainly feel I am for a season’s best.

“I feel I am in shape to throw the furthest I have thrown in the last three or four years so that is my goal – I am ready to do that.”

Myerscough made his European debut four years ago in Gothenburg but failed to make the final and finished 14th overall, with a best of 19.52m.

The Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde shot putter’s season best is over two metres away from European number one Andrei Mikhnevich and with that in mind he has vowed to adopt a realistic approach in Barcelona.

“I think the standard in Europe is high at the moment and there is a lot of depth with a lot of guys throwing over 20m more than any time in history,” he added.

“The Europeans will be good – I expect the top four will probably throw 21m I think it will take over 21m to get a medal and over 20m to make the final.

“And I am just realistic about things – I know what I need to do and there is no use kidding yourself.

“I know going in how far I have to throw to achieve where I am at and do myself justice and I want to throw as far as I am capable of throwing.”