Jason Gardener set to mentor UK relay squad
By Tom Knight
Last Updated: 1:28am BST 24/04/2008
Jason Gardener is to take up a role as a mentor for Britain’s up and coming athletes and could help prepare the sprint relay squad for the Olympics.
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The 32-year-old, who won gold with the 4x100?metres team in Athens, retired at the end of last season and often plays a part in the coaching of Craig Pickering at the high performance centre in Bath.
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Gardener said the relay squad, coached by Michael Khmel, will be well drilled in Beijing but a reshuffle will be needed because of the Achilles injury that has ruled out Mark Lewis-Francis.
Speaking at Loughborough University where he was coaching youngsters on the Sainsbury’s Futures Scheme, Gardener said: "I was sorry about Mark’s injury because I thought he was looking good last season.
“It leaves Marlon Devonish as the only one left from the 2004 team. But we still have a lot of talented sprinters.”
Kenya have unveiled their marathon squad for Beijing. As expected, Martin Lel, the London champion, is joined by Sammy Wanjiru, who was second, and Robert Cheruiyot, who won his fourth Boston title on Monday.
The women’s trio features Olympic silver medallist Catherine Ndereba, Salina Kosgei and Martha Komu.
John Scott, the director of drug-free sport at UK Sport has been appointed as the chief executive of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and will start his new job on Aug 4