SportGibraltar

Athletics: Gibraltarians attend 2007 Euro Championships in Birmingham

Two Gibraltarian athletes studying at Uwic are celebrating after having been called up to represent the Rock in this weekend's (1-3 March) European Championships in Birmingham.

Dominic Carroll, 23 (pictured left), will take on Europe's finest sprinters in the 60metres and 200m while Jonathan Lavers, 20, could face some of his flatmates in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

Born in Amsterdam in 1983, Carroll moved to Gibraltar when he was four with his Gibraltarian father and Belfast-born mother.

He now lives in Roath, Cardiff, with his fellow countryman and Cardiff AAC's Gareth Warburton.

'Next year, I will move into another house and will be living in Roath next year with Jonathan, Gareth, Richard Hill and Dai Greene,' said Carroll, a second-year architectural design and technology student.

A promising junior athlete - he won two medals in the Junior Olympics held in Denmark in 1996 - Carroll admits he is still unsure of what his best event will be.

'I haven't had a good year outdoors since I was 17, I had 1:55.0 for the 800m, I was an 800m and mile runner,' he explained.

'I was always decent at sprinting. I've been moving up and down distances for the last few years but haven't found the right one yet.'

Having already represented the Rock at the World Cross Country Championships and the Island Games, Carroll was part of the team which set Gib's 4x400m relay record although he sees the European Championships as a great opportunity to gain valuable experience and to help raise the profile of athletics on the Rock.

And it is that patriotism which suggests that although he will remember his time in the Welsh capital, he is unlikely to apply for Welsh qualification on residential grounds.

'If I continued to live here after university I might consider doing it, but the likelihood is that I'll be moving back home,' he added.

'Gibraltar has never really had a high profile athlete so if I did start to improve in that way I would like to push Gibraltar's standards up.'

Lavers moved to Gibraltar when he was 14.

He is hoping to set a new indoor record - especially as the newly-laid track at Birmingham has been showing some fast times in recent weeks.

And spurred on by his teammates and his coach, Uwic's Darrell Maynard the sports coaching student, also in his second year, is hoping to put an injury and illness-hit year behind him.

'I live in Roath and Gareth (Warburton) has been a very influential person when it comes to my running, because of the experience he has.

'Since joining Darrell's group at Uwic, I have come on in leaps and bounds and I am looking forward to the outdoor season.

'I ran 49.8seconds for the 400m in Gib last year but I had stretched ligaments in my foot and then had mumps which put me out until November.

'My indoor PB for the 400m is 50.7seconds but I reckon I can reduce that in Birmingham.'

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