Tom Parsons has two more chances to make the qualifying standard

Birmingham high jumper Tom Parsons says he is ready for the challenge of trying to qualify for the Olympic Games in front of his home crowd.

Parsons needs to jump the 2.30m qualifying standard - just 1cm above his personal best - to make the team.

Parsons told BBC WM: "I'll still have one competition at Loughborough, the day before the final deadline.

"But really I need to do it this weekend and prove that I'm capable of doing it on the big occasion again."

Parsons recorded his personal best of 2.29m at the World Championships in Japan last year, but after being troubled by injuries has not been able to match that height so far in 2008. He is hoping that his home crowd will help him make the difference.

"I think it's really exciting. I don't think I've been to a trials in Birmingham before, and I've jumped really well when there's no crowd here.

"So if there's a big crowd, hopefully it'll just give me that extra boost.

"There'll be a lot of fans and athletes from Birchfield competing as well, so hopefully we'll get an extra lift when we're jumping."