TROWBRIDGE bobsleigh pilot John Jackson's preparations for next year's WInter Olympic Games have suffered a setback after he ruptured an Achilles tendon in training.

The 36 year old British number one, who lives at Paxcroft Mead with women's number one Paula Walker, is due to have surgery later this month.

Jackson, a Royal Marine commander, helped the men's four-man team to a fifth-place finish at the World Championships in February and is targeting a return for the World Cup season in late November.

"Others have been back within three or four months so there's no reason why I can't be," Jackson told BBC Sport.

"Because my job in the marines is related to rehabilitation, I have a lot of background knowledge, so as soon as I heard it (Achilles) go, I knew it was not good. But I was already running through what I could do to get back."

"It's a blow, but we're getting him the best possible medical support available," said GB performance director Gary Anderson.

"Our long-term goal is to make sure we qualify this sledge (for the Olympics) and make sure they can be the medal contenders that we know they have the potential to be.''

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