Mon 12 Feb, 8:37 PM
LONDON (AFP) - British sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis has been left bemused by the form which has seen him fail to qualify for next month’s European Indoor Championships in his home city of Birmingham.
At last weekend’s British trials in Sheffield the 24-year-old former world junior champion didn’t even make the 60 metres final.
Instead he finished fourth in his semi-final and 10th overall in 6.76 seconds.
By contrast, Craig Pickering, the European junior champion, and 19-year-old Ryan Scott claimed the first two places and automatic selection.
One discretionary place remains but, on current form, it is unlikely to go to Lewis-Francis with three-time European indoor champion Jason Gardener in line to be the third man.
Lewis-Francis, a member of Britain’s victorious Olympic and European sprint relay teams, admitted: “I don’t know what is going on. With the indoors, it would have been nice to compete in Birmingham in the European Championships.”
However, he added: "For me the big aim is outdoors. I’m strong, I’m fit, there is absolutely nothing wrong with me.
"I had a bit of a tight calf and a tight Achilles but it’s irrelevant. At the same time it’s just not happening right now, it’s definitely not happening.
"There is nothing at all I can do. I’ve tried to do everything I possibly can to get it right - probably I’m trying a little bit too hard. I don’t know, I really don’t know.
“There is nothing at all I can say to you to make it look good - because it’s definitely not good, I know that, you know that. I’ve not broken 6.70 this season and for me that’s terrible.”