Lee targets World Championships final

The middle distance runner from St Leonards is targeting a place in the men’s 3,000m final in Portland, United States, this weekend.

Emanuel said: “It’s very achievable to make the final looking at previous years and then who knows what can happen in the final.”

The 31-year-old is part of a 20-plus Great Britain squad for the global event and is one of two Brits in the men’s 3,000m along with Tom Farrell.

Emanuel beat British 5,000m outdoor champion Farrell by around 10 metres to retain his Indoor British Championships title last month.

The heats will take place from 9.05pm GMT tonight (Friday), with the final scheduled for 9.10pm on Sunday.

It will be Emanuel’s second appearance at the IAAF World Indoor Championships having made his Great Britain debut in the 1,500m two years ago in Poland.

“Two years ago I think I could’ve made the final,” continued Emanuel, who spends the bulk of his time training in the United States. “I was winning with 250m to go (in his heat), and got barged off and came fifth.”

Since winning his third British indoor title in as many years, Emanuel spent five days at the British Athletics base in Loughborough before flying across the Atlantic last weekend.

Once the World Indoor Championships are over, Emanuel is likely to remain in the United States to step up his training for the summer outdoor season when he will be targeting a place at the Olympics in Rio.

Emanuel also achieved the World Indoor Championships entry standard in the 1,500m in finishing fourth at last month’s Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix, but plumped for the longer distance at the British Championships.

“I was toying with the idea of doing the 1,500m, but I think it was a sensible decision to do the 3,000m,” he added. “I’m looking at the summer a little bit. Making the Olympics is my main target and doing the 3,000m means I can do things a little bit differently, I can build my fitness as I’m racing.”

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