Athletics: Green wants relay berth

Jack Green, the European under-23 400 metres hurdles champion, is eyeing a place in the British 4x400m relay squad after winning the UKA 400m hurdles (50.00) and flat 400m in a personal best of 46.05 at the Test Event at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford east London.

“I don’t know why people are so reluctant to put hurdlers in the relay – we’re strong 400 runners and in a relay that’s what you need,” said Green, who is in the same Malcolm Arnold training group as world champion Dai Green and Scotland’s Eilidh Child.

Green’s words could well be echoed by Pitreavie ace Child, who was omitted from the British relay squad at last year’s World Championships in Daegu despite having posted the fastest split of the Scottish team in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Child won the 400 hurdles in 57.37 in Stratford but her flat 400 win in 52.71 the following day was more impressive and suggests she can achieve the Olympic qualifying standard of 55.50.

Her 52.71 leads the Scottish rankings so far and was marginally faster than Lee McConnell (52.75) managed for her first outing in Italy last week. Both will hope to find form soon to ensure they earn individual places and don’t have to rely on relay squads to win their Olympic vests.