I'm not scared of Greene, vows Brit

David Bond, Deputy Political Editor @djbond6873

13 April 2012

Mark Lewis Francis says it's time for Maurice Greene to move out of the fast lane. The world junior champion faces Greene at the Golden League meeting in Paris tonight looking to beat him for the second time inside a week.

The Olympic and world 100 metres champion was given a reminder that he is not invincible when he was beaten by Dwain Chambers at the Bislett Games in Oslo last Friday.

Greene vowed revenge but was beaten by Chambers and Lewis Francis in Sunday's Norwich Union Classic in Sheffield. Both British sprinters went under 10 seconds with Chambers clocking 9.95 secs and Lewis Francis finishing in a time of 9.97 secs.

With Chambers absent tonight - he is nursing a shoulder injury ahead of next week's British trials for the European Championships - the stage is set for 19-year-old Lewis Francis to confirm his potential.

Greene pulled out of the Grand Prix meeting in Lausanne on Wednesday saying he was too tired to run. With no Olympic Games or World Championships this year, his withdrawal suggested he is pacing himself after three tough seasons.

But Lewis Francis said: "Maurice Greene always wants to win. He's got the World Cup this year and that is a big incentive. He is probably pacing himself and he and his coach will have a game plan.

"But Maurice Greene is still Maurice Greene and he always wants to be a competitor. That's okay but I think there are others like me who want it more and it's time for us to come through.

"I can't be scared about the fact it's me against Maurice Greene.

"This year is going to be full of surprises. I am just going to push my body to the limits this season and see what I can get out of it."

The Birmingham athlete added that he won't be affected by the absence of Chambers tonight.

He said: "I am just going to go through my warm up, go through my mental preparations and stay focused on the race. It doesn't matter Dwain is not there. Before a race it's about me and my coach and then when I'm out there on the track it's me versus everyone else."

Tonight's meeting should also throw up an intriguing clash in the 400m hurdles between Chris Rawlinson, Olympic champion Angelo Taylor and world champion Felix Sanchez. Rawlinson ran superbly to beat a world-class field, which included Taylor, in Lausanne.

Jonathan Edwards will also be out for revenge against Phillips Idowu in the triple jump. Idowu beat him in Sheffield last Sunday.

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