Britain’s Turner ready to reverse the rankings in Daegu

European 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner of Great Britain thinks he can upset the odds at the World Championships in Daegu.

Andy Turner is predicted to finish just outside of the medals in the 2011 World Championships 110m hurdles in most polls but Great Britain’s 2010 European Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games gold medallist believes he can upset the odds.

He is up against the current world number one, American hurdler David Oliver, Cuba’s 2008 Olympic Games champion and the world record holder Dayron Robles and the formidable Chinese athlete Liu Xiang - the three fastest men in history in the event - but Turner thinks the pressure will tell on at least one of them.

"I don't envy the position those guys are in right now. The pressure put on them by other people and the pressure within from wanting to win a gold medal is going to be more than all of them are used to,” said Turner, in an interview with www.sportinglife.com

"I think mistakes can be made, I don't think the result is going to be what everyone thinks it's going to be. I think the potential for something to go wrong is really high for those guys.

"Look at David Oliver. At the Olympics in 2008, he ran really well all year and took a bronze. He said he was satisfied with that, but people said he should have got the silver.

"Robles has been in races and he's hit hurdles and fallen over and buckled. The only one I haven't seen a problem with is Liu. He's been the most consistent in a final and I think he will be the gold medal favourite," added Turner.

Turner is ranked seventh among those hurdlers expected to start in Daegu, with the heats scheduled for Sunday and the semi-finals and final for Monday, but he has consolidated his position as the leading European this season by lowering his personal best to 13.22 in Lausanne on 30 June, the fastest time by a European since 2008.

"I'm just going to run and if Oliver, Robles and Liu make mistakes then hopefully I'm going to be there to capitalise. I'm looking to make the final, that's my first target. I've got a target in my head, but I'm not going to say anything until afterwards just in case I look like a fool.

“But I'm going there to win a medal; it's as simple as that. I'm not going there just to try and come sixth or seventh in the final,” reflected Turner.