Wilsmore sets sights on World Indoor champs

MIKE WILSMORE'S terrific winter form has prompted the city middle-distance runner to target a place at this year's World Indoor Athletics Championships.

Wilsmore, whose 2011 summer campaign was wrecked by an ankle injury, has returned with a vengeance and has now revised his earlier ambitions for the indoor season.

The 26-year-old ran a personal best time and finished a highly-creditable third in the recent British Milers' Club (BMC) Sheffield Open.

It was the first running of an indoor 1,500m by the organisation at one of their meets and to add even more gloss to his achievement, Wilsmore had been upgraded to the A race.

The Plymouth University undergraduate's previous best over 1,500m had stood at 3.51.7, set outdoors in 2010 at a BMC meet in Exeter.

The best the former Royal Marine had hoped for was to meet the qualifying time of 3.55mins for the upcoming UK Championships and World Trials also to be held at Sheffield.

So, to gain a 4.5secs PB has given both Wilsmore (pictured left) and coach Graeme Riley food for thought and plans of trying for the World Championship qualifying time of 3.52mins and second place at the trials in February.

Wilsmore, who runs for Bristol and West AC and locally for Tamar Trotters, was naturally enough thrilled with the result.

He told Herald Sport: "I'm very, very pleased with the new PB and more than a bit bemused too, because I've really done little speed work.

"Achieving that time indoors is all the more surprising and satisfying, of course, as there are more bends than when running outdoors.

"Graeme and I thought a target somewhere around my PB or at least the qualifying time of 3.55 for the UK champs would be realistic.

"However, I felt really strong in the race and believe there is a lot more to come in the indoor season.

"Finishing third and having a new PB means I have now achieved the qualifying time for the World trials and UK Championships in February.

"My next race is the South of England Championships this weekend and, of course, revising for my exams which are coming up soon.

"But, at the back of my mind will be the challenge of trying to win a qualifying place for the world indoors in Istanbul in March.

"That would be a dream come true after last year's wipe-out with my ankle."

Meanwhile, Tavistock's silver-medal winning Olympic modern pentathlete, Heather Fell, finished fourth in the senior women's event at the South West Cross Country Championships at Bicton.

Ivybridge Community College and Erme Valley Harrier Jess Harvey came away with a silver medal in the under-20 race, while Plymouth AC's James Blackford won a gold medal in the Boys U15s and club-mate David Weir finished fifth in the men's U17s. Emily Ackford and Victoria Weir were sixth and eighth, respectively in the girls U15 race.