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| | Sunday, 7 July, 2002, 12:48 GMT 13:48 UK Thomas confirms Cardiff date Iwan Thomas won gold at Kuala Lumpur in 1998 The Lansing Linde Welsh Games, live coverage on BBC2 Wales, Monday, 8 July, 2000BST. Defending Commonwealth Games 400m champion Iwan Thomas has confirmed he will be running at the Welsh Games in Cardiff on Monday. The 28-year-old has just recovered from a hamstring injury and says he will be using the run at Cardiff Athletics Stadium as a warm-up to the defence of his title in Manchester. "It has been a bit of mixed winter," he told BBC Radio Wales' Hold the Back Page. "My training was going well and then I picked up an injury out in Australia. "I came back, and everything seemed to be going fine until I tore my hamstring at the end of May.
"That ruled me out for the whole of June and I've only been training for a week or so. "The legs are fine, it's the lung capacity that needs to catch up with everything else. "I've got plans to run in the British League and then go onto the Welsh Games. I'll also run in the relays, so that should give me four runs over the course of the weekend. "Cardiff is a big part of my plan and I'm looking forward to competing." The hamstring problem was the latest misfortune to befall Thomas, whose career has been blighted by illness and injury since winning Commonwealth, World Cup and European titles four years ago. "I've been so unlucky," he said ruefully. "I can't seem to string together two months training without needing to rest for a month. "Fortunately, the main problem - an operation on the left ankle - has been fine, but people will not believe how unlucky I've been
"You only have to look back at the World Championships last year when I was in Edmonton training with Jamie Baulch. I tripped up, and damaged my Achilles. "It totally ruined the preparation I had done for the event. It just seems like one thing ater another." But the Farnborough-born athlete is optimistic he can recover his form in time for Manchester. "I'm not expecting too much from the races coming up, but three weeks of consistent training is quite a lot for me. "I need to progress slowly and then, when I put on that red jersey, I'll be going for it." Thomas will be joined in Cardiff by Welsh team-mates such as Christian Malcolm, Doug Turner, Steve Shalders and Rebecca Jones - but Hayley Tullett misses the event through illness. Olympic relay gold medallist Jerome Young and top sprinter Michelle Collins head the American challenge, while Tim Williams (Australia), Nicola Forrster (Canada) and Heidi Seyerling (South Africa) are all preparing for the Commonwealth Games. The women's pole vault kicks off the programme at 1630 BST, with the women's 400m hurdles the first track event at 1800 BSTand the men's sprint relay rounding things off at around 2050 BST. | |
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