British Athens team short on medal hopes

UK Athletics chief Max Jones today admitted Britain’s track team will struggle to match their Sydney medal haul in Athens next month – but insisted comparisons between the two games are unfair.

The 2000 Olympics proved to be a rich hunting ground for British competitors who returned home with an outstanding 28-medal haul, including their highest collection of golds for 80 years.

The athletics team made a full contribution to that tally, landing six medals including firsts for triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and heptathlete Denise Lewis.

But a far more modest return is expected from Athens, after the British Olympic Organisation today unveiled the smallest track squad to leave these shores since Montreal in 1976.

Of those travelling only Paula Radcliffe is a gold medal banker – and although Jones realises medal opportunities will be scarce, he remains optimistic British athletes will taste some success in Greece.

“This team is not as strong as Sydney. On the train down to London today I looked at the possible/probable medal contenders in the squad and I counted 12. That number was 16 in Sydney,” he said.

“This year we’re relying on a lot more possibles. In 2000 we had four athletes who had won competitions in preparation for the games and this time we don’t have so many of those.

“We could still equal the six medals we brought back from Sydney – where we had 11 athletes in the top four which was a tremendous achievement – but we’d have to perform very well.

“This is the smallest track team to an Olympics for nearly 30 years, but a lot of people can’t be picked because of increased qualifying standards.

“The International Olympic Committee are looking for smaller numbers across the board, and athletics has been affected by that – so with Sydney and Athens you’re not really comparing like with like.”