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Ahmed's illness will not destroy ambitions
SHEFFIELD'S Abdirisak Ahmed has refused to give up on his European Junior Championship dream – despite missing the trials through illness.
The 18-year-old was due to compete in the 5,000m at the England under-20 Championship and European Trials in Bedford last weekend but pulled out with a virus as British rival Simon Lawson set a new personal best of 14.39.03 minutes to take the title.
Lawson is now set to be named in the provisional squad bound for Serbia on July 23, with All Saints Sixth Form College pupil Ahmed waiting to see if the selectors give him special dispensation and an extended opportunity to qualify.
And Ahmed – who competed at the Commonwealth Youth Games last year - vowed to impress the powers that be if they give him the green light to board the plane to Serbia in the coming weeks.
"It was disappointing to miss the trials but I was ill so there was not a lot I could do," said Ahmed, who is one of 15 up-and-coming athletes selected for the UK Athletics Heroes Project, supported by Original Source.
"I'm capable of running the qualifying standard (14:30.00] and if I get the time then it's up to the selectors whether they want to pick me or not.
"I will go back and speak to my coach – he will speak to the selectors and see if there are any races where I can try and get the time.
"I need to knock seven seconds off my PB but I'm capable of running it and my training is going really well. I'm coming back from injury but it's possible, I just need to find the right race – fingers crossed I will stay injury free and healthy for the rest of the summer."
Somalia-born Ahmed won the England under-20 crown last year during a successful season that also saw him capture the English Schools' title.
And with the step up to under-23 level to come in the next 12 months, Ahmed admitted not getting the chance to defend his title had been a bitter pill to swallow.
"I was really disappointed (not to go to trials] because I won last year – my first year as an under-20 – and this year I wanted to defend it," he added.
"My aim now is just to take each race as it comes and hopefully I will be OK. The selectors are tough though.
"I want to be picked but it's in their hands.
"Next year I will be under-23 so I'm looking forward to that chance and doing what I've done as a junior at under-23 level. I'm still under-20 throughout the winter though so I'm looking forward to that to build up my training and do n UKA Heroes project sponsored by Original Source is a successful initiative which offers financial support to talented young athletes who are working towards the 2012 and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
UKA Heroes project sponsored by Original Source is a successful initiative which offers financial support to talented young athletes who are working towards the 2012 and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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