Sharp skips her Diamond meet to opt for Cardiff

By SANDY SUTHERLAND
Published on 13/07/2012 12:39

Shunning this weekend’s Diamond League London Grand Prix at the Crystal Palace, London 2012 800 metres choice Lynsey Sharp (Edinburgh AC) will have her one and only outing before the Olympics when she goes to Cardiff next Wednesday.

She runs for the Scottish 4x400 metres relay team in the Welsh International, joining clubmate Kath Evans, in-form Gemma Nicol (Dunfermline) and either Zoey Clark or Diane Ramsay.

Explaining her decision European silver medallist Sharp said: “I was at the 
Olympic Trials in Birmingham then went straight to the Europeans in Helsinki and I need a bit of training time. There was an option of competing in the Diamond League in Monaco on July 20 but after talking to my coach (Dave Sunderland) felt this was the best schedule for me.”

“Scotland had a great 4x400m relay team in winning at the Loughborough International in May and everyone in that team is involved in Wales except Eilidh (Child).”

Sharp’s decision to give the Palace a miss is probably a wise one as a race there would have heaped more and unnecessary pressure on her over the selection controversy especially as it looked as if three of the four overlooked athletes were set to compete.

With Gemma Simpson and Emma Jackson now dropping out however only 
Marilyn Okoro is left and she is certainly capable of 
posting a fast time, possibly sub-two minutes, all to no avail.

Child meanwhile faces a formidable field in London tonight including the 
Olympic champion Melaine Walker, one of three who have broken 54 seconds this season and almost all with faster times.

Ironically the one who has not, this season at any rate, is Child’s great English rival Perri Shakes-Drayton who the Pitreavie athlete just failed to hold off in the UK Trials last month.

Dundee’s Eilish McColgan gives her Olympic event the steeplechase a miss to go in tonight’s 5000m but UK Trials bronze medallist Emma Stewart (EAC) sticks to the chase.