DANNY Talbot knows that his hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Games in London all boil down to just one day this weekend.

A late start to the season due to hamstring and hip problems means that Talbot goes into the trials, incorporated into the Aviva UK Athletics Championships, knowing that he needs not only to finish in the top three but also run inside the qualifying standard.

While his rivals have been focussing on the trials, which comprise heats and a straight final on Sunday, Talbot has had to contend with a disruptive injury which, while not serious, could have easily proved a fatal distraction from his ultimate goal.

A hasty trip to Slovenia last week, when he suffered disqualification in the 200m before being surprisingly reinstated after faulty electronic timing equipment was discovered and then clocking a season’s best of 20.71secs, would have hardly helped.

The Trowbridge Tornado followed that up with an impressive time of 10.24secs in the 100m, lifting him to sixth quickest in Britain this year, before returning home and, after a late entry, adding the Aviva England Athletics U23 men’s title over 200m.

His time of 20.91secs may not give his rivals any sleepless nights but Talbot is now looking forward to the trials with a renewed optimism that a month ago would not have been there “It has come around very quickly and I am grateful that I am back sprinting again in time,” said Talbot.

“I would have liked to have run the qualifying time but in some ways that has taken the pressure off me.

“I know I can get the qualifying in the right conditions but on Sunday all I am focussed on is trying to win the race.”

Talbot has been given a great lift by the selectors after being picked to represent Britain in the 200m at the European Championships in Helsinki but the ultimate prize still remains the Olympics in London.

“It was nice to be picked for the Europeans because that means I can concentrate on winning the trials and then go to Helsinki the following week to get the qualifying time if I still need it,” added Talbot.

“I am pleased with the position I am in and really looking forward to Sunday’s race.”

Chippenham sprinter Elaine O’Neill is philosophical about her chances in the women’s 100m in Birmingham after enduring a testing season.

The 22-year-old’s latest setback was the Achilles problem that saw her pull out of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) championships in May.

“Training was going really well up until that Achilles problem and the few weeks after that were really hard,” said O’Neill.

“It’s been such a difficult season I guess I’ve felt a bit angry – when you watch other people running fast times you feel a bit sidelined.

“I just want to get back to being competitive at the trials and try and execute a good race – sprinting can be all about ups and downs and you’ve still got to give it your best because if you don’t, what have you got?