Hansen gives up on European bid

Hansen, 35, is a former European Indoor champion

Triple jumper Ashia Hansen has abandoned her attempt to earn a place in the British team for the European Indoor Championships in March.

Hansen, still seeking full fitness after injury, won her third event in a row in a match against the Netherlands

But the 2003 world indoor champion's leap of 13.43m fell short of the European qualifying mark of 14.10m.

She said: "I could try another event but it's pretty pointless. I've not got enough speed to jump what I want to."

The 35-year-old former indoor world record holder is back in action after a serious knee injury almost brought her career to an end three years ago.

"I've had two years of no conditioning, no speed work," said Hansen, whose winning leap came with the last of her six jumps.

But the 2002 Commonwealth and European champion remains eager to compete at this year's World Championships in Osaka.

She said: "I can actually smile now because I know I have not lost anything in jumping ability.

"It's just that the speed is not there. I've now got three months to find that before the summer season starts."

Hansen also won the UK Indoor City Challenge title at the weekend but is still well short of the GB team qualifying distance of 14.20m.

She also won at Sheffield the weekend before last but that was with a distance 22cm short of the qualification standard.