CHRIS Tomlinson admits he must up his game after his World Championship disappointment in Berlin if he is to challenge for gold at the London 2012 Olympics in three years time, writes GEORGE SCOTT. The Newham & Essex Beagles athlete finished fifth at the

CHRIS Tomlinson admits he must up his game after his World Championship disappointment in Berlin if he is to challenge for gold at the London 2012 Olympics in three years time, writes GEORGE SCOTT.

The Newham & Essex Beagles athlete finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, before failing to make the final four years later in Beijing - and could only register 8.06m to come a disappointing eighth in Germany this summer.

The 28-year-old's finest hour to date came at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia in 2008 where he leaped 8.06m to claim silver.

But with another disappointment coming on the outdoor stage in Berlin in August, Tomlinson is under no illusions that it is high time he started coming up with the goods.

"Ahead of Berlin I really wanted to establish myself ahead of the best guys in the world and it really was about time I stepped up to the mark and started delivering," said Tomlinson - whose best leap of the season came in Italy on June 28 with 8.23m.

"But it didn't happen and so I need to go away and hopefully come back stronger next year.

"I have been working with my new coach now for nearly a year and it has been going well, but he is aware and I am aware and the rest of my training group is aware that it is time I did one of these big jumps.

"I have been around athletics now for a number of years and I have had my ups and my downs, but I feel like I am starting to get to grips with it.

"It's a time thing to be honest, working with a new guy and I have had a good consistent year and I know I can jump big jumps and it is going to happen, but I need to start really getting them.

"This has been my most consistent season for a while, but it's a shame that I haven't been able to catch an 8.42m or 8.45m.

"I need to get up there with Dwight Phillips because he is a class apart at the moment and is winning everything.

"I'm not saying I'm there by any means, but I've got to believe I can win an Olympic gold medal and that I can get there - it's something to concentrate on in training."

Tomlinson's poor showing at the World Championships was compounded by training partner Greg Rutherford's qualification leap of 8.30m, which bettered his British record by one centimetre.

But Tomlinson insists they are capable of pushing each other to new limits ahead of the European Championships and Commonwealth Games next year.

"Greg's 8.30m is a good jump but we've got to move up to be competitive - we've both got the potential to do that," added Tomlinson.

"I've been hurting all over since Berlin but that's life - I feel like a football player at the end of the season.

"But it really helps having both of us train together, I'm a lot more focused now so there's no reason why I can't make strides forward next year.

"There's a lot to achieve in 2010 - it'll be a good stepping stone to London."

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