2012 Euros timing upsets UK coach

Van Commenee will prioritise ahead of the London Games

UK Athletics coach Charles van Commenee says he will omit some track athletes from the 2012 European Championships to prevent burn-out before the Olympics.

Athletes face a gruelling schedule with the UK trials held before the Euros, which end on 1 July - only 26 days before the 2012 London Games begin.

"If I select track athletes for the Euros they'll be dead and buried before the Olympics begin," said Van Commenee.

"So track athletes who qualify for the Olympics will not compete in Helsinki."

Dutchman Van Commenee's comments come on the eve of the 2010 European Championships, which begin on Tuesday in Barcelona.

And while he hopes the Great Britain squad will have their most successful showing in years, he also hinted that the European Championships could be cheapened when they switch from a four-year cycle to a two-year cycle.

That change is responsible for the problems looming in 2012, and Van Commenee is critical of the move.

"It's like everything in life, if you get too much it's detrimental," he added. "I like my water but if I drink too much, I drown. If I eat too much I'm going to get fat.

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I suspect the European Championships will be devalued beyond belief

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"I think too many titles creates inflation, it becomes less valuable. I'm not a big fan of it. Nobody will remember the European champion two years ago or two years after, it's too many. It has to be special."

And the Great Britain and Northern Ireland coach is prepared to sacrifice the chance of medals in Helsinki in order to allow athletes to prepare for the Olympics on their home soil.

Part of those preparations are the UK trials and Van Commenee sees them as far too important to sacrifice.

"In Britain we always have the trials and they are in conflict with the Euros in 2012," he stated. "We cherish our trials, which are very important, especially in an Olympic year."

Van Commenee feels it would be too much for some athletes to compete in the UK trials followed by the Euros and then the Olympics, especially given that he said "track athletes are expected to run three rounds in the trials [because] I expect them to run three or four rounds in the Olympics".

He added: "I've explained what we will do in 2012, how that will be in the years after I'm not sure because maybe the EAA [European Athletics Association] will evaluate after one or times and determine what the future will be for the European Championships."