Having earned a place at last year's Commonwealth Games by finishing third in the trials - and beating the double European indoor champion Jason Gardener to third place in the 100m - Lambert promptly got injured, and he recovered just in time to catch a virus infection on the eve of competition."I had been set on running the Commonwealths in Manchester ever since watching the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur," he said. "The following year I really took off, and I knew I would have a chance of breaking into the England team."He was right about that - but, with his form undermined by illness, he was unable to progress beyond the semi-finals, thus missing the opportunity to compete against the quadruple Olympic silver medallist Frankie Fredericks, the Namibian who has been Lambert's inspiration in the sport."I thought they might be the last championships where I would have the chance to race him," Lambert said "But I couldn't reach the final. It was very frustrating."Opportunities to race Fredericks had been particularly scarce, given that Lambert was not able to take part in the main run of commercial meetings for fear of compromising his college status. His progress was also hampered by his refusal to fall in with the training methods employed by his coaches at Harvard, a stand which condemned him to training alone for the first two years there, waiting until his team-mates had cleared the track before getting to work.Lambert may be laid-back, but he is a very determined individual. And, after a recent visit to the British Olympic Association's medical centre, a very relieved one. Tests there showed that, although his lung capacity was above average, it became dramatically reduced after exercise, dropping by 37 per cent after six minutes of activity."They said I had the lungs of a 71-year-old," Lambert recalled, with a chuckle. "The medication they have given me has made a big difference."He's fast He's fit He's a contender..
Michael Whitaker's reunion with Fleur, a mare he last rode in 1999, will have heartened the British team manager, Derek Ricketts, as the Royal International Horse Show gets under way with a day of national classes at Hickstead this morning before the four days of international jumping commence tomorrow. "It will be my first show with her for four years, so it's a bit too soon for that," Whitaker said, "but, if she's going well, I may decide to ride her in the King's Cup on Sunday."He already had a high opinion of the mare when the Gillespie brothers sold her to the United States at the end of 1999 and, though he still has to build up a partnership with her again, Fleur is now regarded as his main prospect for a place in next month's European Championships at Donaueschingen in Germany.Whitaker takes over the ride from Ireland's Trevor Coyle, who won a class on Fleur at Eindhoven this year and had a single error with her in the Grand Prix of Aachen. All of them are aiming for the European Championships, for which Skelton and Robert Smith already appear to have secure places as long as their horses have no setbacks.Skelton, who retired after breaking the top vertebrae in his neck in 2000, will be riding the impressive nine-year-old bay stallion, Arko III, with whom he jumped three clear rounds to finish third in the Rome Grand Prix earlier this year.. No sooner had Ian Thorpe won his second gold medal of the week than the young pretender to the title of world's greatest swimmer announced his presence at these World Championships in the most emphatic fashion - the American 18-year-old Michael Phelps smashing the world record for 200 metres butterfly. On a night of spectacular performances, Katy Sexton delivered silver for Britain in the 100m backstroke to add to James Gibson's bronze medal from day two. Antje Buschulte, of Germany, took gold."I'm delighted and very confident now for the 200,'' said Sexton. "Although I realise my best time would have won I realise it isn't about times it's about results.
I have had to work on my turns and today it paid dividends.'' Both Sexton and Price are hoping to win medals in the 200m later in the week. No British woman has ever won an individual title at a World Championships and the last Briton to win gold was David Wilkie 28 years ago.Ian Thorpe versus Pieter van den Hoogenband was billed as one of the races of the championships. The Dutchman beat Thorpe to the Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, but Thorpe won the re-match at the World Championships in Japan a year later. So to round three and many sensed that Thorpe, not at his best here in Barcelona, might be there for the taking. But the Australian world record holder never gave his rival a chance as he cruised through 100m before turning on the speed in the final 50, winning his second gold medal in a time of 1min 45.14sec, over a second outside his world record.Van Den Hoogenband appeared outclassed. He finished in 1:46.43, one and a half seconds shy of his European record and second by some distance.
