DANNY Talbot’s amazing season has seen him called up into the Great Britain squad for the World Championships in South Korea, writes KEVIN FAHEY.
Just hours before he was due to head to London on Monday to board the evening flight to China for the World Student Games the Trowbridge Tornado received a call from Tony Lester, the GB sprint relay chief, telling him that there was a change in his plans.
“Tony called me at lunchtime and asked whether I was all packed and ready for China,” said 200m specialist Talbot, who is coach by Corsham-based Dan Cossins.
“There was then a few moments of silence before he told me that I would now have to unpack because I am off with the GB senior team for the World Championships.
“I just could not stop smiling when I heard the news and to be honest it still hasn’t sunk in. This season just keeps getting better and better.”
The GB squad will depart this weekend for a spell of training and acclimatisation at a holding camp in South Korea before moving on to the competition venue in Daegu where the championships will start on August 27.
Six sprinters will be named in the 4x100m squad and Talbot will be the junior member.
He has already made his GB senior debut by running the 200m at the Spar European Team Championships in June, finished fourth in the European U23 Championships in Ostrava and lowered his personal best to 20.54secs, which currently ranks him fifth in the United Kingdom.
“The focus for 2011 was always the European U23s and selection for the World Student Games or the World Championships was just a bonus,” added Talbot.
“I thought I had missed out on Daegu as originally I wasn’t supposed to be running in the relay at the London Grand Prix last weekend but when Mark Lewis Francis got injured I was called into the squad.
“I was completely focussed on China and getting a good run there so to make the 4x100m squad for the Worlds is brilliant. I still can’t believe it.”
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