SILVER MEDALIST ENGLAND TO SKIP U.K. TRIALS

By David Monti.
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
June 19, 2012

Reigning IAAF World Championships silver medalist at 1500m Hannah England has decided to skip this weekend's Aviva U.K. Trials to allow more healing time for a spike wound to her Achilles that she suffered in Hengelo last month.  The wound, which caused her to be hospitalized, is healing well but England doesn't want to take any unnecessary chances in an Olympic year.

"Of course I'm disappointed to miss the Olympic Trials," the Nike-sponsored athlete said through a statement released by U.K. Athletics.  "Last year I won there and it was the start of an incredible season."  She continued: "But I have to be sensible, if I run too early I could ruin my season.  So I have to take a risk that my early season form and multiple 'A' standards will be enough to gain selection."

Unlike in the United States, British athletes are not required to run in the U.K. Trials in order to gain Olympic Team selection.  The first two finishers at the Trials who possess the Olympic Games "A" standard for their events will select themselves for the team, but the third athlete will be picked by U.K. Athletics selectors.  England, with her silver medal from last summer and an early season mark of 4:04.05 (well inside of the Olympic Games "A" standard of 4:06.00) is nearly assured of selection.  Laura Weightman (4:04.88 in Hengelo) and Charlene Thomas (4:07.06 in Hengelo) are the next two fastest Britons this season.

U.K. Athletics also announced that 2010 European Championships 10,000m silver medalist Chris Thompson would also bypass the Trials with a back injury.  Like England, Thompson is very likely to gain selection in either the 5000m or 10,000m (or both); he possesses the Olympic "A" standard for both events.

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