Holly earns world relay selection

10:00am Sunday 29th June 2008

JUNIOR international sprinter Holly Croxford has had to change her racing plans after being selected for the world junior championships next month.

The 18-yer-old former Queen Mary's College student had a telephone call on Monday, telling her she had been chosen for the 4x100 metres relay squad in Poland.

Only hours before, she was planning to run at the senior Olympic trials in Birmingham, which take place the same weekend.

Croxford thought her chances of going to Bydgoszcz had sunk when she missed out on the qualifying time in last weekend's 200 metres event at the world junior trials in Bedford.

Sunday's heats and final were hit by strong winds, which ruled out fast times.

Nevertheless, Croxford thought she ran her best race ever at the distance in finishing third to take the bronze medal at the national under-20 championships, which doubled as the world trials.

She won her heat in 24.5sec and beat close rival Joey Duck in clocking 24.36sec in the final.

Ahead of Croxford were Ashleigh Nelson and Shaunna Thompson, who had both previously run the world junior qualifying time of 23.95sec.

Sale runner Thompson will be the lone British runner in the 200m in Poland, while City of Stoke athlete Nelson will run with Elaine O'Neill in the 100m.

Croxford will join Nelson, Thompson and Woodford Green and Essex Ladies' O'Neill in the 4x100m squad, along with Anike Shand-Whitttingham, of Blackheath and Bromley, and Torema Dorsett, of Enfield and Haringey.

Croxford was delighted to take the call from UK Athletics while out shopping with her mother.

"They said they had wanted to put me forward for the 200m," she said, "but you have to have the qualifying standard. However, they felt I was good enough to run in the relay squad."

Reflecting on her runs at Bedford at the weekend, Croxford said: "The conditions were the worst I've ever had to run in. There was a strong cross-wind, so you had it running round the bend and again in the home straight.

"I felt really sharp and, towards the end, I felt I was making up ground. I think it was probably the fastest race I've ever run in, although it may not show with the times on paper.

"I think I would have got a PB if it hadn't been for the conditions. I'm really proud of myself."

Croxford flies out with the British team a week on Saturday and the 4x100m heats are on Friday, July 11, with the final a day later.