MASON... failed to reach high jump final in Osaka

BREAKING Britain's high jump record of 2.37 metres and capturing gold at this summer's Olympics in Beijing, China, are the main objectives this year for former Jamaican athlete Germaine Mason.

Following a substandard 2007 season when he failed to reach the final of the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, and posting a best of 2.30 metres at Prefontaine, Mason says he's returning with a vengeance.

"The world can just look out for the old Germaine... I'm more aggressive, more focussed and more determined and ready to deliver what I have always been delivering... in previous years," Mason told the Observer yesterday.

The former world No 3-ranked (2003) high jumper, who trains locally with the MVP Track Club, said he'll be aiming to improve on his lifetime best of 2.34m attained while landing gold for Jamaica at the 2003 Pan-American Games in the Dominican Republic.

"I'm most definitely looking forward to surpassing that mark," Mason said, adding that he wants to erase Steve Smith's British record of 2.37m.

Mason said coach Stephen Francis, who also conditions world 100-metre world record-holder Asafa Powell, has a lot of confidence in him this year.

"He has seen a lot of improvement in a lot of things I've been doing so far in practice," added Mason, who won bronze in his first outing for Britain at the 2006 Spar European Cup in Malaga, Spain.

"I've put in a lot of background work throughout the early season getting ready for outdoor competitions, so I'm really focussed on proving myself because since my (left knee) injury, I haven't really done anything great like my previous years...," he reasoned.

According to the 2004 World Indoor bronze medallist, he plans to return to his glory days after last season which was spent getting back into the groove with Francis following a year working with Sue Humphrey in Austin, Texas.

"It was kind of difficult making the adjustment... but this year everything seems to be going smooth and hopefully we can reach the aim that we set," he said.

Mason, who won respective silver and bronze at the 2000 and 2002 World Junior Championships, believes he and British teammates Martyn Bernard and Tom Parsons - finalists in Osaka - can dominate the event.

"I think if all of us work together we can definitely be among the top three in the world, but I want to be number one," added Mason, who missed the 2004 Olympics after rupturing a patella tendon.

The gangly Mason, who will be making his seasonal debut at Saturday's UTech Track & Field Classic at the National Stadium, said he is tentatively set to compete on the Brazilian Grand Prix Circuit in addition to some Caribbean meets before moving onto Europe to sharpen up for the Olympics.

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