Gillick skips World Indoors

ATHLETICS:David Gillick is putting his Olympic ambitions firmly ahead of any short-term gain from running next month's World Indoor championships in Valencia. It's an audacious decision for the two-time European Indoor 400-metre champion, but Gillick has got his heart set on Beijing next August.

The indoor season was always going to be relatively low-key for Gillick, but he has now decided to by-pass it altogether, even though he would have gone to Valencia as a medal contender. All the focus for the months ahead is on making the Olympic final.

Last year Gillick ran a world-class 45.52 seconds in Birmingham to retain his European Indoor title, first won two years previously in Madrid.

In 2006, however, he ran the World Indoors in Moscow with limited preparation and was eliminated in the heats - and, after lengthy consultation with his coach Nick Dakin at Loughborough University, England, it was agreed the indoor season simply could not be the priority for 2008.

"David has proven himself a top-class indoor 400-metre runner but now he wants to really show that he can do well outdoors too," explained Dakin.

"The Olympics are the priority, and I don't think there would be anything to be gained by running the World Indoors.

"There are three rounds of the 400 metres scheduled for Valencia and if he was to be serious about making his mark there then it would be a question of peaking and winding down the hard work.

"Either way, March is not when David wants to be running at the top of his form this year.

"We are now in the middle of some serious strength-building work and this will be maintained right through up to the start of the summer season. David is very motivated about running well in Beijing and I think if he continues the way he has been then he can make the final there, and that would be a real achievement in so many ways."

Last summer, Gillick lowered his outdoor record to 45.23, but a sub-45-second clocking is likely to be required to make the Olympic final.

He joins a list of other leading Irish athletes, including Paul Hession, Alistair Cragg and Joanne Cuddihy, to skip the World Indoors, although Derval O'Rourke, who recently sustained a foot injury, is still determined to make it to Valencia and defend her 60-metre hurdles title.