Freeman sees final involvement as minimum aim

EMILY Freeman has vowed to prove British sprinting is on the up and not in decline by climbing the podium at the European Championships in Barcelona.

Last year Wakefield Harrier Freeman was the only female British sprinter to run individually over 100m or 200m at the Berlin World Championships, finishing seventh in the latter.

The 29-year-old will compete in the 200m again in Spain but will not be alone in the short sprints with Laura Turner joining her on the 72-strong Aviva GB & NI Team and running the 100m.

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Freeman – who has a season best of 23.29secs – is one of only two to run inside the UK standard of 23.30 – the second being double world youth champion and 16-year-old Jodie Williams.

Teenager Williams is also in the top two of the 100m rankings ahead of Turner, but Freeman is adamant a successful European campaign can be the springboard to better things for her – and others.

"There is a bit of pressure on the Great Britain squad this year and I do feel like I am representing British sprinting in Barcelona," said Freeman, who is at an Aviva-funded pre-event preparation camp in Portugal.

"But the only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself. I want to do well and I know other people will want me to do well also. Doing well at the Worlds was very pleasing for me but it's all about what I do this year now and the final has got to be the minimum requirement.

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"I can't do any more than my best and we'll just have to see how good that is when I get to Barcelona. I'll just run the best I can and if that is a season's best, I'll know that I couldn't have done any more.

"I'm trying to improve my speed work and running off the bend which is of course crucial in the 200m. There is a bit of endurance work in there but it's more about the speed and getting everything fine tuned.

"I'm aiming to build that up so that I'm ready for the first round and that I can also make it hopefully through to the final."

Despite only Freeman and Turner running individually they will join up with Montell Douglas, Katherine Endacott, Hayley Jones, Joice Maduaka and Elaine O'Neill as part of the 4x100m relay team.

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Freeman could be faced with running more times in Barcelona than she has done all season having taken to the track just four times in the 200m and once in the 100m.

An Achilles injury – suffered in March – has hampered her progress and while admitting she has been forced to play catch up she is adamant she will reach her peak in Barcelona.

"I've put in the hard work in the winter and since I came back from the injury so as long as I put in the work this week, I should be in the shape to put in a good performance," she added. "At the start of the season I was targeting a medal but then I had my injury.

"I still don't want to be written off though because I know if I run as well as I know I can, then I can get on the podium.

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"It is in the back of my mind that I haven't raced as much as I would like to this year but I've been doing a lot of mental preparation to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind."

Aviva's support, at home and abroad, is helping the team prepare to compete at their best. Watch the Aviva GB & NI Team live in action at the Aviva London Grand Prix. For more details visit aviva.co.uk/athletics

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