Davies urges Malcolm to battle on

Davies says Christian Malcolm must make an impact at global level

Welsh athletics legend Lynn Davies has urged sprinter Christian Malcolm to set his sights on the 2012 London Olympics after having his lottery funding cut.

Malcolm has been left out of the current funding round after a disappointing season.

But UK Athletics president Davies says Newport-bred Malcolm can bounce back.

Davies said: "We've got the London Olympics coming up in three years' time and I know that Christian would love to be a part of that squad."

Malcolm, fifth in the Olympic 200m final in 2000 and 2008 failed to make an impact at global level this year.

Davies, who won long jump gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, says Malcolm can follow 110m hurdler Andy Turner's example by returning to the top echelon of athletics' lottery funding by returning to form.

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Davies said: "In Beijing he [Malcolm] reached... that epic final when he ran against Usain Bolt.

"Last year when we had the World Championships in Berlin he didn't have a very good season at all, didn't compete against our best 100m sprinters, the likes of Dwain Chambers and Marlon Devonish and these people.

"What it doesn't mean to say is that he's become a bad athlete overnight.

"A very good example - we had Andy Turner, our top hurdler, came off funding last year, bounced back and in many ways it motivated him to prove that he's still a great athlete and can still make it at the top.

"He [Turner] made the final in Berlin at the World Championships.

"Now that means to say he's ranked in the top eight in the world, which makes him a strong contender... for London 2012.

"And all the funding is based on how good these athletes are at global level, not at British level, not at European level, but world and Olympic Games.

It's a tougher era and you know you have to produce the goods to get the support

Lynn Davies

"And if they produce the goods and get into semi-finals and finals, that qualifies them for the funding and for the support.

"It's a professional era; it's a tougher era and you know you have to produce the goods to get the support."

Welsh 400m hurdlers David Greene, who made the final in Berlin, and Rhys Williams are included among those athletes who will have the top level of funding for next year.

Davies says he hopes Malcolm can return to form in time to star for Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year.

"He's got the experience, he's got the knowledge and I'm sure that this will motivate him to come back even stronger next year.

"And let's not forget next year it's the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and it would be great to have Christian Malcolm leading the way there with David Greene and Rhys Williams, our other two top Welsh athletes."

The funding programme, which runs annually from December to November, is split into two levels of funding - Podium and Development - each with strict criteria and standards which must be met in selection and maintained with the support of UKA staff.