GWENT sprint hero Christian Malcolm will ponder having nothing left to train for after he crashed out of the 200 metres at the Commonwealth Games Trial in Cardiff today.

The Welsh track legend was hoping to convince the selectors he was worth a shot at a fifth Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, but his third place finishing in the opening heat of the 200 metres in 21.96 sec wasn’t even good enough to get him into the final.

And so the veteran of four Olympic Games, four World Championships and four Commonwealth Games, who celebrates his 35th birthday on Tuesday, was left without a qualifying standard and with little or no hope of being picked by the Welsh athletics at their selection meeting last night.

Scott Simpson, head of performance at Welsh Athletics and a former Commonwealth Games team mate of Malcolm’s, was left in the unenviable position of having to consider the merits of 23 athletes who have met the qualifying standards for Glasgow and one who hasn’t.

“I could be ready in two months time, but I play by the rules and they were that you needed to get some qualification time by June 1 and I haven’t,” said a realistic Malcolm.

“People are saying it’s down to the head coach’s discretion and, if you can prove a bit of fitness and take in past history, maybe you can be nominated. But the selection process says you have to achieve things by June 1 and I haven’t done that.

“I understand Scott is not willing to consider athletes who haven’t achieved the standards. He has set a bit of a standard now and there is no better way to enforce that than by making an example of someone who is a bit of a name.”

The ironic thing is that Malcolm has just completed two races this week and feels he is finally moving in the right direction after 18 months of injury hell with an Achilles problem. The times might not have been spectacular, but he is back in one piece.

“The good thing about it is that my Achilles is good and not hurting. I raced in Riga and I was very tentative because it was the first time I have sprinted out of the blocks in 18 months,” he added

“Cardiff was a lot better and I know the next time I run it would be a lot better again and I would make big steps. I know I have a history of getting ready in eight weeks and feel as if I could do that.

“The only competition I was interested in was the Commonwealth Games. In the Commonwealths I have a history and respect on the circuit with people knowing once I am there and fit I can do some damage.

“I would like to think my history and my career speaks for itself. I’ve come back from many injuries and managed to get things right.”

There were only two medals for Newport Harriers athletes on Day 1 of the Welsh Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials with 16-year-old Emma Hennessy have rot un solo in the 400 hurdles to take the title in 68.53 sec. Rebecca Williams followed that with a silver medal in the flat 400metres in 55.11 sec – a mere 3/100ths of a second outside her best.

There was also a silver medal on Day 2 in the long jump for Melissa Arthur, who finished with a best jump of 5.65 metres.

Welsh Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials (Welsh Only)

Day 1

Men

100: 1, D Hammond (Cardiff AAC) 10.43 sec; 2, S Gordon (Cardiff AAC) 10.45; 3, G Hopkins (Cardiff AAC) 10.68

5000: 1, J Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) 14 min, 54.10 sec; 2, C Carpanini (Swansea Harriers) 15:22.12

400H: 1, R Williams (Cardiff AAC) 50.00 sec; 2, P Bennett (Cardiff AAC) 51.55; 3, D Lewis (Sale Harriers) 55.35

Triple Jump: 1, N Childs (Thames Valley) 14.96 metres; 2, G White (Cardiff AAC) 14.71; 3, S Hughes (Cwmbran Harriers) 12.76

Pole Vault: 1, B Gregory (Aylesbury AC) 5.00 metres; 2, P Walker (Sale Harriers) 5.00; 3, D Callan (Cardiff AAC) 4.10

Shot: 1, R Spencer-Jones (Cardiff AAC) 17.71 metres; 2, G Winter (City of Sheffield AC) 17.34; 3, P Maitland (Swansea Harriers) 13.28

Hammer: 1, J Edwards (City of Plymouth AC) 66.28 (champs best); 2, O Jones (Liverpool Harriers) 63.49; 3, M Richards (Cardiff AAC) 60.77

Women

100: 1, R Johncock (Swansea Harriers) 11.45 sec; 2, H Brier (Swansea Harriers) 11.57; 3, M Moore (Birchfield Harriers) 11.82

400: 1, S Bundy-Davies (Trafford AC) 53.14 sec; 2, R Williams (Newport Harriers) 55.11; 3, M Rogers (Wrexham AC) 55.21

5000: 1, S Edwards (Swansea Harriers) 16 min, 45.35 sec; 2, K Roberts (Swansea Harriers) 17:38.12; 3, L James (Windsor/Slough/Eton) 18:36.47

400H: 1, E Hennessy (Newport Harriers) 68.53 sec

High Jump: 1, S Pick (Carmarthen Harriers) 1.60 metres; 2, G Beynon (Cardiff Archers) 1.56; 3, M Galton (Cardiff AAC) 1.51

Triple Jump: 1, S Swanson (Swansea Harriers) 11.33 metres

Shot: 1, A Nichol (Birchfield Harriers) 14.59 metres; 2, A Rosser (Swansea Harriers) 12.51; 3, S Benson (Bingley Harriers) 12.43

Hammer: 1, C Parry (Rhondda AC) 64.37 metres; 2, L Douglas (Sale Harriers) 60.00; 3, T Wells (Swansea Harriers) 52.75.

Results Day 2

Men

200: 1, S Gordon (Cardiff AAC) 21.32 sec; 2, D Hammond (Cardiff AAC) 21.33; 3, L Freckleton (Cardiff AC) 21.48

400: 1, O Smith (Cardiff Met) 47.73 sec; 2, Debo Ademuyewo (City of Manchester) 48.49; 3, D Dell (Cardiff AAC) 49.33

800: 1, J Maynard (Cardiff AAC) 1 min, 49.63 sec; 2, G Warburton (Cardiff AAC) 1:49.51; 3, J Thomas (Cardiff AAC) 1:50.42

1500: 1, T Marshall (Cardiff AAC) 3 min, 47.56 sec; 2, M Ward (Cardiff AAC) 3:51.54; 3, T Phillips (Woodford Green & Essex L) 3:53.49

110H: 1, D Omoregie (Cardiff AAC) 13.61 sec; 2, G Elsdon (Carmarthen Harriers) 14.56; 3, C Hall (Kingston AC & Poly Harriers) 15.90

High Jump: 1, R Mitchell (Sale Harriers) 1.94 metres; 2, O Cheshire (Brecon AC) 1.90; 3, J Bailey (Cardiff AAC) 1.90

Long Jump: 1, R Childs (Cardiff AAC) 7.29 metres; 2, A Price (Carmarthen AC) 7.14; 3, N Childs (Cardiff AAC) 6.70

Javelin: 1, L Doran (City of Sheffield) 76.61 metres; 2, J Copsey (Cardiff AAC) 61.57; R Leonard (Cardiff AAC) 58.12

Discus: 1, B Morse (Cardiff AAC) 61.67 metres; 2, J Edwards (City of Plymouth) 49.30; 3, P Roberts (Swansea Harriers) 38.48

Women

200: 1, H Brier (Swansea Harriers) 26.63 sec; 2, M Moore (Birchfield Harriers) 23.92; 3, L Evans (Sale Harriers) 23.94

800: 1, J Williams (Amman Valley) 2 min,06.36 sec; 2, J Cooke (Cheltenham Harriers) 2:07.56; 3, R McClay (Bracknell AC) 2:09.32

1500: 1, M Courtney (Shaftesbury Barnet) 4 mins, 17.61 sec; 2, S Kent (Aldershot Farnham & District) 4:47.43

100H: 1, R Kingston (Radley AC) 14.73 sec; 2, H Jackson (Yate AC) 15.12; 3, C Taylor (Cardiff AAC) 15.45

3000 S/Chase: 1, E Brown (Cardiff AAC) 11 min, 06.62 sec

Long Jump: 1, E Wright (Yate AC) 5.66 metres; 2, M Arthur (Newport Harriers) 5.65; 3, D Jones (Swansea Harriers) 5.64

Javelin: 1, T Ward (Birchfield Harriers) 44.98 metres; 2, T Stephens (Cardiff AAC) ; 3,

Discus: 1, A Rosser (Swansea Harriers) 35.10 metres; 2, L Griffiths (Cardiff AAC) 31.21; 3, S Ali (Aberdare VAAC) 25.96