MELANIE Purkiss has bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on last year's Athens Olympics by booking her ticket to next week's European Indoor Championships in Madrid (March 4-6).

And the 25-year-old Team Southampton 400 metres specialist from Otterbourne, pictured above, has a better than average chance of returning from the Spanish capital with a medal.

She forms part of a powerful-looking 4x400m relay squad alongside three of Britain's most accomplished one-lappers: Donna Fraser, Lee McConnell and Catherine Murphy.

With only six women's relay teams invited to take part, the event will be run as a straight final and, barring any unforeseen withdrawals, Britain's four named athletes will all run.

Purkiss said: "It's a very strong team and it's good to know that we go to Madrid with a sixth of a chance of winning gold.

"Lee recently ran 37.7 for the 300m indoors so that shows she's in good shape and I think Donna's run 23.6 for the 200m and Catherine 23.9."

Purkiss, too, is in terrific form having posted an indoor personal best of 52.98 to edge out Basildon's Kim Wall for top spot in the weekend's Norwich Union Grand Prix at Birmingham.

The Todd Bennett-coached athlete confessed: "It was a last-minute decision to run there, so I was really chuffed to have run so fast.

"I only went faster than that twice outdoors last season, so it's a massive confidence booster.

"It was tough missing out on the Olympics last year, but I went into winter training really motivated and my endurance work has gone better than expected.

"I'm really looking forward to Madrid, but I'm looking forward to the outdoor season even more now."

Purkiss's last GB vest was in the GB v USA match at Birmingham last summer and, prior to that, there was disappointment at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest where Britain rested some of their big names and were knocked out in the heats despite running to within 1.12 seconds of the UK indoor record.

"That was disappointing because we were gunning for a medal then," said Purkiss. "But at least we're ready this time and we'll go to Madrid with all guns blazing."

Olympic heroine Kelly Sotherton has been invited by the IAAF to compete in Madrid in the pentathlon.

The Isle of Wight-born all-rounder rose to national fame last summer by winning heptathlon bronze in Athens.

Southampton pole vaulter Ashley Swain defended his Indoor AAA title at Birmingham, but his modest winning height of 5.25 metres was well short of the 5.45 qualifying mark for Madrid. Swain, who won the 2004 Indoor AAA title by vaulting 5.50, has been hampered by a back problem which may yet require an operation.