Injury blow for Olympic hopeful

10:13am Friday 16th May 2008

ROBERT Tobin has suffered an injury in his build-up to this year's all-important Olympic trials.

The 24-year-old England international sprinter decided to run the 200 metres at last weekend's Hampshire Track and Field Championships at Portsmouth to hone his speed training - and he ended up in pain after suffering a hamstring problem.

Back at his Old Basing home, the Basingstoke and North Hants Athletic Club star said a doctor and physio from UK Athletics had checked over the injury at Brunel University on Monday morning and diagnosed the problem as a slight tear.

As a precaution, Tobin has withdrawn from this weekend's Loughborough international meeting, but he believes he will be back doing light running within days, aided by an exercise regime for the troubled hamstring.

He was given an injection which will, hopefully, speed the recovery process and Tobin believes that he will be able to resume full training inside two weeks.

He comfortably won his heat in 21.35sec on Saturday and was out in front entering the home straight in the final later in the day.

With 80 metres to go he felt the hamstring go, but he still managed to win another county title in a time of 21.42sec.

Tobin believes the injury is no more than a minor setback after a splendid injury-free winter.

He has only recently returned from warm-weather training in Italy with other British elite athletes.

"We were able to put in some quality work and everything was going in the right direction," he said.