High hurdler Andy Pozzi doesn't feel guilty about effectively ending the Olympic dreams of one of his sporting heroes.
Rising hurdles star ready to realise his Olympic dreams
Andy Pozzi doesn't feel guilty about effectively ending the Olympic dreams of one of his sporting heroes as he aims to continue his meteoric rise at London 2012.
The 20-year-old confirmed his spot on Great Britain's athletics team with a dramatic victory in the 110 metre hurdles ahead of training partner Lawrence Clarke at the Aviva Trials in Birmingham on Sunday.
And with only the top two guaranteed Games participation this summer, the experienced duo of Andy Turner and Will Sharman will now have to wait for the panel of selectors to decide on the third and final discretionary place.
Pozzi admits he's previously been inspired by the exploits of European and Commonwealth champion Turner, who also won a bronze at last year's world championships, and two-time world finalist Sharman - but he has no sympathy with their current predicament.
The University of Bath-based athlete, who is studying for a degree in business studies and marketing, said: "Andy Turner and Will Sharman have both been such good role models for the 110m hurdles and a great inspiration for me and I'm sure many others.
"I remember watching Will during the worlds in Berlin and then going out training straight away. You need people to look up to and they've carried that mantle so well.
"To be perfectly honest, I don't feel guilty! They're great guys and great competitors and neither have anything to prove. They've both been to major championships and done the business - that's elite sport.
"I'm sure if they had done it to me I wouldn't have felt like they shouldn't. We're all out to be number one and that's the way it goes."
Fine form
Pozzi has comfortably achieved the 'A' qualifying standard time of 13.52 seconds on numerous occasions during a superb start to the season, including a personal best of 13.35 which he set during the British Universities and Colleges Sport championships at the Olympic stadium.
However, the UK indoor 60m hurdles champion has not been getting carried away by the prospect of competing at a home Games.
He said: "I've tried not to get too engulfed by it in the last few weeks and months because the job hadn't been done.
"For me it was all about getting to the trials, getting my place guaranteed and out of the way. My multiple 'A' standards gave me the confidence but I knew this was the defining moment for London 2012.
"In terms of expectations, I want to be able to give the kind of performance I can be satisfied with and having already run 13.35 in the Olympic stadium, I'm expecting big things."
Pozzi concedes he only started tentatively believing a place at London was possible during the winter months, when he followed up his national title success with a fourth-place finish at the world indoor championships in Istanbul.
But even then he continued to combine training with his studies rather than focus solely on his Olympic dream.
Double focus
He said: "To be quite honest, this time last year I didn't think this would be possible. For me it was a day-by-day job to keep building and it was only during the indoor season when I started thinking this was on.
"It wasn't until then when I reluctantly bought into the dream.
"I didn't put my University course on the back burner but I did have to balance things. I think after the indoor season my priorities did alter slightly because you can't help but want to give everything.
"I've got an awesome training group and I wanted to spend as much time training with them as possible.
"Sometimes my timetable didn't allow it so adjustments had to be made - but I think I've balanced the two quite well."
Pozzi feels reaching the Olympic final is a possibility if he further lowers his personal best and will draw on the experiences of racing about the world's best during the indoor campaign.
He said: "The world indoors and the Birmingham Grand Prix were pivotal. I've been in big races before but they were the first times I'd been up against the greatest hurdlers of all time and been in the running to really do something.
"In previous years you might line up against one or two of these guys but realistically you know you're filling lanes. There's nothing wrong with that because it's a stepping stone but I was a part of the world indoors.
"It was a new dimension for me to really mix it with those guys and for London 2012 that's the kind of experience I need.
"I'd very much like to make the final but if I can run a PB and run confidently in the first few rounds and eight people run quicker then I can't help that.
"I'm my own worst enemy because I always want more but if I can leave London 2012 feeling satisfied then that's job done."
Training partner
Meanwhile Clarke, who set a personal best of 13.33 earlier this year, puts his improvement down to training alongside Pozzi.
He said: "We have a really good friendship but obviously when we get to the race we say 'for the next hour we've got to keep our own space'. I feel that works really well for us both.
"Mark McKoy and Colin Jackson trained together and in 1992 Mark won the Olympic gold and Colin broke the world record a year later. So it shows just what you can do if you get on well with your training partner.
"Andy and I have really pushed ourselves on and you need to if you're going to make the Olympic team. With two people running low 13.30s - it's exciting for Britain."
