Belgrade beckons as Smith is given high jump start at Arena
UK champion Allan Smith has been given one last chance to earn a berth at next month’s European Indoor Championships in Belgrade after being handed a high jump start in Saturday’s Muller Grand Prix at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena.
The 24-year-old Scot, who collected his third British title in Sheffield last weekend, will be matched up once more with domestic foe Robbie Grabarz and Chris Kandu, with each of the trio needing to clear the qualifying mark of 2.28 metres to make the British team. “I do believe I could do well if I got to Belgrade,” said Smith, who has now withdrawn from tonight’s Athlone meeting. “Most of the guys I’d be up against, even if they’ve got the qualification standard, I’ve taken them already. So I see no reason to believe I couldn’t do well. It’s just been a bit tougher with our standards being tougher than the ones set by European Athletics.”
With his natural physical gifts, most experts expected Smith to have raised the bar further by now after a slew of early successes. Removed from Lottery funding last autumn, he has set about a reinvention this winter, working with a specialist conditioning coach in Glasgow while shuttling nomadically between Pitreavie, Grangemouth and the Emirates Arena to get the practice he needs.
“That’s put new exercises into the mix,” he confirms. “I feel better for it coming into indoors. I do believe I can go above 2.30. It’s just a matter of time. It’s all going well. I need to go higher. That’s all it’s really about.”
Some close to Smith says progress will surely accompany an increasing maturity. He has re-settled in South Queensferry with his parents while receiving his coaching from Scottish stalwart Bryan Roy following a stint in Birmingham along side Grabarz, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist.
There, there was strength in numbers in a training group overseen by UK Athletics specialist Fuzz Ahmed. It did not pan out, but it was no step back to return north, the Scot insists.
“Most of the time now it is just by myself but it’s not be the b-all and end all being down south,” he confirmed.
“I came away with a lot of knowledge and was better for it. But I still get some good work done at home. And it’s more enjoyable being there. There are times when I’m in the Emirates Arena literally by myself but you have to get the job done.”
SPORTINBRIEF
BOXING Britain’s Kell Brook will defend his IBF world welterweight title against American Errol Spence Jr, promoter Eddie Hearn has announced. Terms have been agreed for the fight, which is reportedly set to take place in Brook’s home city of Sheffield on May 20.
Brook, 30, has opted to return to weltwerweight having suffered the first loss of his career in September after stepping up two divisions to face middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Spence, 26, is unbeaten in 21 pro contests, with 18 knockout wins. HOCKEY Scotland defied the international rankings to beat France 2-0 in the first of three Test matches in Paris, the final part in the build-up for the World League round two in Belfast next month, The French, who are10 places above Scotland in the world rankings, are their first opponents in the Belfast tournament.
The first goal came at the end of the first quarter, Callum Duke and Cammie Fraser moving the ball to Alan Forsyth, who side-stepped the goalkeeper and pushed the ball into the net.
The Scots doubled their tally when Forsyth cleverly lobbed the keeper and Lee Morton slammed home at the back post.
Coach Derek Forsyth said: “I was very pleased with the performance, it was a big step forward for us against a team well above us in the rankings.” SNOOKER Glasgow’s Anthony McGill reached the second round of the Welsh Open after claiming the scalp of world No.11 Joe Perry in a final-frame decider in Cardiff,
The Indian Open champion had back-to-back breaks of 109 and 101 to lead 2-0. Perry levelled after producing a century of his own, but McGill stuck to his task and clinched a famous 4-3 victory over last month’s Masters runner-up with a break of 58. He faces Brazilian Igor Figueirdo next.
Alloa’s Eden Sharav beat Oliver Lines 4-1 but Alan McManus is out after a shock 4-2 defeat to world No.119 Chris Keogan. TENNIS Great Britain’s Fed Cup team, which includes Scot Jocelyn Rae, will travel to Romania for April’s World Group promotion play-off following yesterday’s draw.
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TODAY Football Champions League, Bayern Munich v Arsenal – BT Sport 2 1900; Real Madrid v Napoli – eir Sport 1 1930. Tennis ATP, Rotterdam Open – Sky Sports 1 1000-1600 and 1830; WTA, Qatar Total Open – BT Sport 1 1230. Snooker Welsh Open - Eurosport 2 1000-1200, 1245-1730, 1845.