Gardener right to feel aggrieved

BBC Sport Online columnist Steve Cram gives his assessment of the Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix at Birmingham.

So it was back to the athletics for me on Sunday after the Winter Olympics - and I had to say it's hard not to feel sorry for Jason Gardener.

It was so obvious that it was not him who false started in the 60m and I've never seen him so annoyed as he was afterwards.

The performance of Colin Jackson was great testimony to the athlete that he is

Steve Cram

And that's understandable - I don't care what anyone says, he didn't move in the blocks.

That left the race somewhat of an anti-climax because Jason was in the form to go under 6.50secs.

Mark Lewis-Francis looks better than he has in his last few races and they will both be good medal chances at the European Indoors in a fortnight's time.

Meanwhile, the performance of Colin Jackson was great testimony to the athlete that he is.

He's had a few difficult years and it would have been very easy for him to call it a day. But he's still got the hunger to keep going.

And on a day of few home successes, his win was a real boost.

Gardener is right to feel aggrieved

Daniel Caines looked extremely good in taking the 400m. He went off a little too fast on the first lap and paid for it somewhat in the closing stages.

But that is understandable in front of his home crowd.

I'm glad that he's decided not to compete in the Euro Indoors. He doesn't need to be sucked in by the indoor season because it is not the big thing for him this year.

He has got the confidence to know that he can build on this good performance and take it on for the outdoor season.

Catherine Murphy's run in the 400m got lost slightly, but it was a wonderful run. Not only was it an indoor personal best, but also an overall PB.

And that bodes well for the Europeans.

Christian Malcolm will be delighted with his showing in the 200m.

He shouldn't be too worried by the fact that he was beaten by Shawn Crawford because he can go faster.

He went out too hard and tensed up a little in the closing stages. But he's another who is in good shape for a medal.

I guess Janine Whitlock topped everything with her British record in the pole vault.

That vault now puts her in the world's top 10 and is testament to the amount of work she has put in.

My one question is why didn't she break the record a centimetre at a time? That way she would have won herself even more money.