Anthony Whiteman of Shaftesbury Barnet is faced with a dilemma after he broke the Southern League record for the 800m on Saturday.

He ran 1min 47.7sec, the fastest time in Britain this year, during the meeting at Copthall Stadium, a warm-up for the Commonwealth Games trials at Manchester this weekend.

Whiteman, a 1500m bronze medallist in the last Commonwealth Games, had intended to concentrate on the longer distance in next month's event.

But after his record-breaking run, he may attempt both distances in the trials.

"I would like to have a crack at both, but that could involve four races over 800m and three over 1500m and that could be too much," he said.

"But if I only run the 800m, I could miss out on selection for the 1500m." Whiteman is ranked No 2 behind John Mayock.

There was a clean sweep for Shaftesbury in the middle-distance events in Saturday's meeting. Nick Phillips made it a double for the host club in the 800m; James Trapmore and Alex Hodgkinson ran season's best times with wins in the 1500m and Andy Colvin and Paul Simons collected maximum points in the 5000m.

There were also doubles for Shaftesbury in the pole vault (Stephen Day, 4.00m, and Damien O'hara, 3.40m) and hammer (Nick Fogg, 48.85m, and Tom Harrington, 40.46m).

Other 'A'-string winners for SBH: Andy Hughes (100m, 11.1sec); Gary Munroe (long jump, 6.77m); Steven Jamieson (javelin, 51.95m); Mark Leitch (shot, 13.29m); Calvin Rukundo, Andi Knight, Charles Romito, Andy Hughes (4 x 100m relay, 45.00sec)

Shaftesbury (131.5 points) were runners-up to Basingstoke and Mid-Hants (146), with Worthing (114) third.

June 11, 2002 18:30