• London Olympics 2012

Turner fears for London 2012 dream due to injury

Andy Turner is in constant pain © Getty Images

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World Championship bronze medallist Andy Turner is fearful his London 2012 dream may be left in tatters by a persistent Achilles injury.

Turner boosted his Olympic ambitions with a surprise third-place finish in the 100m hurdles at last year's championships in Daegu, but started the 2012 season in disappointing fashion as he came last in the 60m hurdles at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow on Saturday.

Afterwards the 31-year-old revealed that his right foot is causing him real pain, and fears surgery - that could rule him out of this summer's Games - may be the only viable solution open to him, now that pain-killing injections no longer give him enough relief.

"I've got a hospital appointment first thing Monday morning for an MRI scan, and then hopefully another injection to help the problem," Turner said. "It's an achilles tendon thing I've had for a while that just flares up. Last year the doctors gave me an injection and sorted it.

"I had the same injection a week past Friday and it hasn't cleared it up. Every time I land off the hurdle I can feel it. Every step is painful.

"I'm 31 and my body is falling apart. First thing in the morning I'm walking down the stairs sideways. As long as I can get the treatment I need to run pain-free, then everything will be fine. I haven't got time to let it heal by itself. I need someone to fix it."

However, one man who did have an impressive showing at Kelvin Hall this weekend was 5,000m world champion Mo Farah. After winning the 1500m in entertaining fashion, UK Athletics supremo Charles van Commenee claimed the middle distance runner has no weaknesses - with the sprint victory over Augustine Chogi suggesting he has addressed the shortcoming that saw him pipped to 10,000m gold in Daegu last year.

"We'll remember that race for a while, it was fantastic," Van Commenee said. "Beating the world leader is quite special. It's not his distance so it's very pleasing to see the world champion over 5,000m beat the best athlete over 1500m. That's very encouraging.

"It seems like Mo always has another gear. All athletes of that calibre like to fight, but not everybody has the engine.

"He's the world champion, there are not any weaknesses. Last year in the 10k he was slightly taken by surprise but he is warned now - he's a complete athlete.

"It's good for the nation, but he's not the only one. We have a good group of athletes at the moment who have the capacity to represent the nation well at the Games.

"Mo at the moment is the number one, but there are a few who can take over."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.