By ADAM LAZZARI THE hurdles were a bit up and down and I never really got out of the blocks in the long jump. Louise Hazel s humorous assessment of her weekend s performance in the Avia European Trials and UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield indicate s

By ADAM LAZZARI

"THE hurdles were a bit up and down and I never really got out of the blocks in the long jump."

Louise Hazel's humorous assessment of her weekend's performance in the Avia European Trials and UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield indicate she is in good spirits this week.

The March athlete finished fourth in the 60m hurdles with 8.57secs and eighth in the long jump with a below par 5.75m and does not expect to be picked for the European Indoor Championships.

But she has every reason to be cheerful ahead of Saturday's Avia Grand Prix in Birmingham, the final event of the indoor athletics season, which will be shown on BBC television.

Hazel said: "The Euros have never really been a realistic target. But I've been happy with my recent form and I'm quite pleased with my time in the hurdles.

"I had a bit of a nightmare in the long jump. I had a niggling injury but I feel okay now."

Hazel, who had an injury-ravaged outdoor season and missed out on qualification to the Beijing Olympics, has been rejuvenated under new coach and former Peterborough AC club mate Julie Hollman.

She won a bronze medal at the Midland Indoor Championships earlier this month.

She is targeting a personal best time of under 8.40secs in the hurdles this weekend but is guaranteed to get one personal best.

She will be competing in the 400m for the first time in her career and the long jump.

Hazel said: "It's a three-event match so I have to take part in the 400m to compete. I'll have to see how it goes but I've got a good chance of achieving a personal best in the hurdles."

After an injury-ravaged season last year and missing out on qualification to the Beijing Olympics she has been rejuvenated under new coach and former running rival Julie Holman.

Hazel

Hazel, from March, finished

Not expecting to go to Euros but pretty happy with performance in the hurdles. I'm targeting a personal best in this event at the weekend.

She is guaranteed a personal best in the 400m, one of the three events she is competing in. It will be the first time in the 23-year-old's career that she has competed in this event.

LOUISE HAZEL is guaranteed a personal best in her final event of the indoor athletics season tomorrow.

The 23-year-old from March is competing in the 400m for the first time in her career.

But her target is a personal best in the 60m hurdles

She laughed at hurdles and the long jump I never got out of the blocks

Aviva Grand prix Birmingham to be shown on BBC television

A PERSONAL best is the target of March heptathlete Louise Hazel when she competes in her final event of the indoor athletics season

Guaranteed a pb by default in one event, the 400m. It is the first time she has competed at this event in her career.