Caines in European Indoors U-turn

400m specialist Daniel Caines will contest the 200m

World indoor 400 metres champion Daniel Caines will drop down to 200m when he represents Great Britain at the European Indoor Championships in Vienna.

The Birchfield Harrier said as recently as last Sunday that he would miss the championships in order to get himself in shape for the outdoor season.

But he has now decided to drop down a distance for the meeting next month.

Caines, who has posted the fastest 400m time in the world three times this season, said: "I don't often get the chance to run the 200m in a championship and have decided to take the opportunity.

"The speed work can only help my 400m running in the long term."

Athletes joining those named in the first wave of selections a fortnight ago include Colin Jackson, the world indoor 60m hurdles record holder and the fastest man in the world this year.

The 35-year-old Welshman is bidding for a third gold medal at the European Indoors, in what could be his final year of top-flight competition.

Medal contenders

John Mayock, who has broken both the British indoor 3,000m and two-mile records in the last fortnight, has also been selected.

The Yorkshireman will be bidding to regain the 3,000m title he won in 1998.

Other medal contenders include European indoor record holder Jason Gardner in the 60m and Christian Malcolm in the 200m.

Pole vaulter Janine Whitlock makes the squad

Inclusions in the womens' squad include 200m and 400m AAA indoor champion Katherine Murphy in the 400m event and British pole vault record holder Janine Whitlock.

Ashia Hansen will be looking to repeat her European Indoor triple jump victory of 1998 after finishing second to Tereza Marinova in Birmingham at the weekend.

With both the Commonwealth Games and European Outdoor Championships taking place this summer, many potential gold medallists are missing the biannual indoor meeting.

UK athletics performance director Max Jones said: "This is by no means the biggest team we have sent to a major championship, but many athletes have taken the understandable decision to bypass the indoor season in order to prepare for a hectic outdoor season.

"However, within the team of 21 there are some obvious medal contenders across a range of events."

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Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team:
Men: 60m - Jason Gardener (Bath & Wessex AC), Akinola Lashore (Blackheath), Mark Lewis-Francis (Birchfield). 200m - Daniel Caines (Birchfield), Christian Malcolm (Cardiff), Doug Turner (Cardiff). 1,500m - Michael East (Newham & Essex Beagles), Angus Maclean (Team Solent). 3,000m - John Mayock (Barnsley). 60m hurdles - Damien Greaves (Newham & Essex Beagles), Colin Jackson (Brecon). Pole vault - Nick Buckfield (Crawley AC).

Women: 60m - Joice Maduaka (Woodford Green/Essex Ladies). 400m - Catherine Murphy (Shaftesbury Barnet). 800m - Jenny Meadows (Wigan). 1,500m - Hayley Tullett (Swansea). 60m hurdles - Diane Allahgreen (Trafford), Rachel King (Belgrave). High jump - Susan Jones (Trafford). Pole vault - Janine Whitlock (Trafford). Triple jump - Ashia Hansen (Birchfield).