Olympics: Lynsey Sharp in limbo over Games bid

LYNSEY Sharp admits her hopes of emulating her father and competing in the Olympics are hanging by a thread.

Sharp’s dad Cameron won Commonwealth Games gold and represented Great Britain at the 1980 Moscow Olympics while her mother, Carol, was also an international athlete.

And despite winning European Championship silver in Finland it seems likely Lynsey will have to watch the Games on television.

It’s certainly been the biggest week in the life of the 21-year old. She graduated from Edinburgh Napier University, won the national title in Birmingham then claimed 800m silver here in Helsinki.

You would think that life could not get much better, but without the A standard time of 1min 59.9sec, Britain’s in-form two lapper can’t be considered. Instead it seems that Marilyn Okoro, Emma Jackson and former world medallist Jenny Meadows will be named when UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee reveals his British team on Tuesday.

Sharp does have the B standard time and could be selected but that means Van Commenee would only be able to take one 800m athlete to the Games, rather than three.

“If someone had told me a year ago that I was going to become the European silver medallist I would have been so happy,” said Sharp. “But to be so close to the A standard time and not get it is really frustrating. I know that in a few weeks time I will be running that A standard and if I were to be selected I would be in great form for the Games but I just have no idea at the moment what is going on.

“I do feel the selection is a bit unfair, I have come into form at exactly the right time, I beat all my rivals bar Jenny [Meadows] at the trials, and I have shown that I’m a championships performer.

“I’ve done everything that was asked of me except run the A-standard. I saw Charles [van Commenee] after my race back at the team hotel and he congratulated me but I haven’t seen him since, he’s probably trying to avoid me! I’ve obviously complicated the situation for them so now I will have a very nervous few days to wait and see.”

Sharp’s mother was in the stadium in Helsinki to watch her daughter claim silver, and in the process match the achievement of her father who won silver in the Europeans 200m 1982.

She added: “To have my Mum with me was very special and I spoke to my Dad on the phone. It would mean more than anything to compete in London but I have many more major championships ahead of me, I just feel I would do Britain proud if given the chance.”

Eilidh Child has already booked her Olympic place but could also sealing a relay spot.

Child will be named on Team GB next week in the 400m hurdles and joined forces with Kelly Massey, Nicola Sanders and Shana Cox last night to secure comfortable progression to the 4x400m final.

Danny Talbot won bronze in the 200m to give selectors a timely remainder about his credentials. But otherwise the news was not good for British sprinters.

The GB women’s 4x100m team were left in tears after they were disqualified from their heat in Finland. Anyika Onuora, Montell Douglas, Hayley Jones and Ashlee Nelson had initially qualified comfortably in second but replays later showed that Jones had stepped out of her lane.

“This was an accident waiting to happen, we have been under performing in this area for probably ten years,” said van Commenee.

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