Olympic silver medallist Jamie Baulch believes Martyn Rooney has a chance of success in what he describes as a 'rubbish' 400m standard.
The 24-year-old paid the price for a change in his training this season failing to make the final of the 400m at his fourth World Championships in Korea in August.
Rooney clocked a season's best of just 45.30seconds in the heats in Daegu, with the Croydon Harrier quickly bemoaning a decision to work primarily on speed this year.
And Baulch, who won Olympic 4x400m relay silver in Atlanta in 1996, is adamant Rooney will benefit from going back to his tried and trusted methods in the build up to next year's Olympics.
"Martyn needs a really consistent training regime between now and 2012," Baulch said.
"He tried to focus on a lot of speed work this year and it didn't really happen for him. He was a bit unsure of himself and he really lost his way in terms of pacing his races and judging them tactically.
"So he needs to get back to what he does best. He's got the talent but it all depends on his winter and his coach and what they come up with because now is the time.
"It's no good saying 'oh I'm number one in Britain' or even 'I'm number one in Europe' - we need to be looking beyond that now, we can't be settling."
Rooney's 2011 best is exactly seventh tenths of a second shy of his lifetime best of 44.60 - ran on the way to reaching the 400m final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where he finished sixth.
However, with the world leading 400m time having got progressively worse year on year since 2007, Baulch believes that if Rooney can rediscover his rhythm, success can be forthcoming.
"To be perfectly blunt the standard in the 400m at the moment is rubbish and someone like Martyn has got the talent but he needs to get his head right and put some serious training in," he added.
"If he does that then why can't he get a medal in London? He's run 44.6 before so he needs to believe in himself and I really think he could break the European record and go 44.3 and under."
The 24-year-old paid the price for a change in his training this season failing to make the final of the 400m at his fourth World Championships in Korea in August.
Rooney clocked a season's best of just 45.30seconds in the heats in Daegu, with the Croydon Harrier quickly bemoaning a decision to work primarily on speed this year.
And Baulch, who won Olympic 4x400m relay silver in Atlanta in 1996, is adamant Rooney will benefit from going back to his tried and trusted methods in the build up to next year's Olympics.
"Martyn needs a really consistent training regime between now and 2012," Baulch said.
"He tried to focus on a lot of speed work this year and it didn't really happen for him. He was a bit unsure of himself and he really lost his way in terms of pacing his races and judging them tactically.
"So he needs to get back to what he does best. He's got the talent but it all depends on his winter and his coach and what they come up with because now is the time.
"It's no good saying 'oh I'm number one in Britain' or even 'I'm number one in Europe' - we need to be looking beyond that now, we can't be settling."
Rooney's 2011 best is exactly seventh tenths of a second shy of his lifetime best of 44.60 - ran on the way to reaching the 400m final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where he finished sixth.
However, with the world leading 400m time having got progressively worse year on year since 2007, Baulch believes that if Rooney can rediscover his rhythm, success can be forthcoming.
"To be perfectly blunt the standard in the 400m at the moment is rubbish and someone like Martyn has got the talent but he needs to get his head right and put some serious training in," he added.
"If he does that then why can't he get a medal in London? He's run 44.6 before so he needs to believe in himself and I really think he could break the European record and go 44.3 and under."
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