Athletics: Baillie bidding to lay down Paris marker in Sheffield

Scotland's 2006 Commonwealth Games high hurdles silver medallist Chris Baillie goes into this weekend's Aviva UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield confident that he can make a bid for a place in the British team for the European Championships in Paris next month.

Now 29 and again a finalist in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi last October, Baillie has returned to train in Glasgow after several years with hurdles guru Malcolm Arnold in Bath and hit form in Sheffield last Sunday when he won the 60 metres hurdles in the Inter-City Challenge.

His time of 7.84 seconds was just a tenth outside the qualifying time for Paris: "Hopefully I can get the time in the trials, but it'll be tough with both Andy Turner and Lawrence Clark running well," he said.

Bedevilled by injury for several seasons, Baillie needs not only to clock the time but also to finish in the first two to guarantee his place.

That is the challenge also facing Lasswade teenager Guy Learmonth in the 800m, but his coach Henry Gray believes he could spring a big upset.

"We've said all along that Guy's capable of the qualifying time (1:48.00), but the biggest problem is that it could be a tactical race again," said Gray, who is already delighted with the progress made by the 18-year-old Loughborough University student.

"He's already third on the UK junior all-time list and he would love to beat David Sharpe's British age-group record of 1:48.53," added Gray.

Now being assisted by legendary coach George Gandy, Learmonth has reduced his best time in the last month to 1:49.62, his sixth Scottish under-20 record, and he was beaten by just .02 sec by this weekend's defending champion Andrew Osagie in last Sunday's Inter-City Challenge.

Though nowhere near the qualifying height of 1.92m, two Capital Scots could be fighting it out for medals in the women's high jump tomorrow, an event sure to be dominated by world heptathlon champion Jess Ennis, who amazingly intends to tackle three more of the multi-event tests this weekend, the others being the hurdles, long jump and shot.

So far Emma Nuttall (Edinburgh AC) leads the British rankings for 2011 with her personal best of 1.80m set at Kelvin Hall last month.

Though her form dipped at Sheffield last Sunday, when she could manage only 1.73m, the return of her clubmate and former Scottish champion Jayne Nisbet might prove the inspiration needed to climb to new heights.

After a disappointing 2010, Loughborough-based Nisbet cleared 1.75m at the Birmingham Games last weekend. Still only 22 and with a best of 1.82m set in 2008, she is clearly capable of rising to the occasion, though Ennis may soar even higher, to 1.92m or better.

Allan Hamilton (EAC), like Nuttall, is still only 18 and has been enjoying a surge of three indoor long jump bests in successive weeks to reach 7.22m.

Apart from a podium place this weekend, the John Scott-coached Queen Margaret University student is targeting David Clerihew's 15-year-old under-20 record of 7.38m.

Ross Matheson (Lasswade) is one of several Scots in the 1500m while Laura Dunn and Emily Stewart (both EAC) go in the women's event.