Athletics: Malcolm leads quest for glory

LAST YEAR'S double world junior champion Christian Malcolm attempts to add European Under-23 Championship gold medals to his expanding trophy cabinet in Gothenburg today.

The 20-year-old from Cardiff, who won both 100 and 200 metre sprints, admits that winning two more golds is his aim for the summer. And he deliberately missed last weekend's CGU World Trials and AAA Championships to focus on his trip to Sweden.

The previous championships in Turku two years ago produced three individual and two relay gold medals, and saw the emergence of 200m and 400m winners Julian Golding and Mark Hylton - both of whom will go to the full World Championships in Seville.

Dean Macey is another strong candidate for victory, in the decathlon. Two months ago the Harrow 21-year-old moved to second place behind Daley Thompson on the UK all-time list, after an impressive victory by 8347 points in Arles, France.

The high jumper Ben Challenger of Belgrave, winner of the World University Games high jump earlier this month, will also be a strong gold medal contender, while Blackpool's 19-year-old shot-putter Carl Myerscough, who captured his first senior AAA title in Birmingham, is another hopeful.

Among the women, Emma Davies, a 20-year-old from Andover, was the second quickest teenager in Europe over 800m last year and will hope to collect a medal.

UK Athletics' performance director, Max Jones, said: "The athletes are all looking towards the Olympic Games, and representing Britain in this competition is a great stepping- stone for Sydney next year."