ALISTAIR CRAGG admitted yesterday that he is still haunted by his experience in the final of the 5,000m at the European outdoor championships in Gothenburg last year.

JUST when he found himself resigned to skipping the indoor season altogether, European indoor 400m champion David Gillick finds himself back in the mix as favourite to retain his title in Birmingham this weekend.

LIAM REALE, in his first appearance at a major championship, qualified for the final of the men’s 1,500m with a never-say-die performance at the European Championships in Gothenburg last night, finishing eighth in 3:41.97 in a heat that produced all four fastest losers.

ALISTAIR CRAGG will have to do something special if he is to convert his indoor gold medal-winning performance to the outdoor track at the European championships in Gothenburg the week after next, following last night’s run at the Norwich Union Super Grand Prix in Crystal Palace where he faded to finish seventh in what was by no means a world class 1,500m.