• European Athletics Championships

UK Athletics head coach demands more of British women

Martyn Rooney was disappointed to finish second in the 4x400m relay © Getty Images

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Charles van Commenee, the hard-line UK Athletics head coach credited as the motivator behind Great Britain's European success, has told his athletes there is still 'a lot of work to be done'.

Van Commenee's no-nonsense attitude is understood to have created a winning attitude in the Great Britain camp, backed up by their 19-medal haul in Barcelona. Six of those medals were gold, but feelings of jubilation were tempered with disappointment on the final day with the men's 4x400m relay team failing to nail what should have been a certain gold medal.

Van Commenee is more concerned with Britain's women though, insisting big names like Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders need to regain full fitness. He also challenged the field athletes to step up to the standards of the track stars, after Britain's women failed to provide a representative in the finals of the long jump, shot put, high jump, hammer and discus.

"Overall it's very encouraging for the next few years. Quite a few athletes stepped up a level," Van Commenee said.

"But there is a lot of work to be done. We have too many athletes at home with injuries. That needs to be addressed. We don't have enough athletes across the events, especially the field events, especially the women."

Martyn Rooney, who won bronze in the men's 400m and silver in the 4x400m, also came away from Barcelona demanding more. Rooney had stated that it would be a 'disaster' for Britain's relay team not to win gold and, after suffering a shock defeat to the Russians, he admits he is braced for some serious stick.

"We're going to get slaughtered, there's nothing we can about that," the 23-year-old said, reflecting on Britain's proud history in the relay event. "Those guys won relays every day of the week so we've got to get back into that groove and show the old guys we've still got it.

"I fully expect the banter and the grief."

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