Gianni Frankis concedes he may have missed his chance to earn selection for March’s European Indoor Championships after failing to hit the 60m hurdles qualifying standard at the trials.
The 24-year-old made his first appearance this year over 60m hurdles at the Glasgow International in January little less than three weeks after an outing over the flat distance at Lee Valley.
Frankis clocked 7.78seconds to finish fourth in Glasgow before equalling then lowering his personal best to 7.67 at the Indoor Classic in Vienna just three days later.
That was just two hundredths of a second shy of the qualifying mark for the European indoors with Frankis needing to achieve that and finish in the top two at the trials to guarantee a place.
He did the second part winning his second UK indoor 60m hurdles title at the trials in Sheffield however his best time was the 7.73 he clocked on the way to gold in the final.
Frankis has until Sunday to clock 7.65 to be considered but not necessarily selected for a trip to Gothenburg and, while he’ll attempt to do so, he believes the opportunity could have passed.
“The win was a little bit bittersweet. It was great, I have gotten silvers a lot at the UK indoors and I won so I have got to be pleased with that,” said Frankis.
“But I wanted the time to be quicker for Euro qualifying. It was a good opportunity to get it and I missed so I will have to try and fight another day.
“I have still got a chance of getting into the European indoors. I have got one more week to try and get that according to the rules.
“So I will try and get that but if not outdoors will be the one where I will try and get personal bests again and qualify for the World Championships.”
© Sportsbeat 2013