Tommy gunning for home medal

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 23, 2009

CHRIS Tomlinson has a major aim for the summer - to show off a World Championship medal to his home fans when he takes part in the Aviva British Grand Prix in Gateshead on 31 August.

The 27-year-old won World Indoor silver in Valencia last year and now he's determined to add a major outdoor medal to his haul and return to the North East with his reputation as a truly world-class performer firmly enhanced.

One of North East athletics' favourite sons, the Middlesbrough-born man suffered an injury last year that put paid to any chance of success at the Beijing Olympics.

But Tomlinson believes this year he's capable of holding his own against the world's best - which would mean beating his British record mark of 8.29m, as former Olympic champion Dwight Phillips recently laid down a marker of 8.74m in Oregon, USA.

Tomlinson said: "A few weeks ago, I would have been right in there.

"Now a couple of guys have gone 8.60-8.70 metres. That's big, big, big jumping! "I've certainly got the potential this year to go 8.40- 8.50 metres, but it's a matter of me actively doing it now competitively. I've basically got to break the British record.

"I've been going eight metres without hitting the board and I've got to be looking to improve that significantly." Earlier this year Tomlinson and his actress wife Lucia moved south from their base in the North East to London, where he joined fellow long jumper and European silver medallist Greg Rutherford at his Brunel training base, and the rivalry between the two continues to provide inspiration.

Tomlinson said: "Having Greg around is an incentive to do better. We are training partners, but also big rivals.

He loves competing and I love competing, so as a result we bring out the best in one another." And with three victories under his belt already this season, including two beyond the eight metre mark, Tomlinson approaches the summer in good form as well as being injury-free.

He said: "I've had a number of victories already this season, and cleared eight metres, which is always very nice. I hope to be moving it on soon and cracking some really big distances.

"Last summer I had a hard time through injury. That lasted for a number of months and I was injured for the indoor season this year as well, but now I'm feeling pretty good and things are going well." And a victory in the North East at the Aviva British Grand Prix, which takes place just one week after the World Championships, would be the icing on the cake for the Newham & Essex Beagle, as he eyes up a summer of success.

"I want to win especially as it really is my home ground. I want to come back from the World Championships with a good performance - which would basically mean coming back with a medal, and I'd love to be able to show that off to my local crowd."

CAPTION(S):

COMING HOME: Chris Tomlinson in the men's long jump last year at Gateshead Stadium