IF Angus Maclean maintains his present rate of improvement, his trip to Beijing next month will not be his last.

The Curdridge-based middle distance ace had no sooner unpacked his bags from the European Under-23 Championships in Amsterdam than he was celebrating selection for the World Student Games in the Chinese capital.

And, with the 2008 Olympics heading for the same Far East location, 20-year-old Maclean will be hoping to make a return journey to Beijing in seven years' time.

Maclean's World Student Games call-up crowns an excellent season for the Southampton University medical student.

Internationally, he made the Great Britain senior team for the World Cross-Country Championships and finished fifth in the European U23 1500 metres final earlier this month.

On the home front, he was crowned AAA indoor senior 1500m champion and last month broke the elusive 3.40 barrier in a British Milers' Club event at Watford.

His personal best time of 3.39.88 that night was easily inside the 3.40.5 World Student qualifying standard and coach Rod Lock is hoping that, with another winter of hard work behind him, Maclean will be ready to stake a claim for next summer's Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

The fact that athletes compete for their individual countries should heighten his chance of Commonwealth selection but, as Lock pointed out, the bulk of Britain's middle distance talent comes from English stock.

"Unfortunately for Angus, the top men like John Mayock, Tom Mayo, Andrew Graffin, Tony Whiteman and Michael East are all from England, so it's going to be tough to make the top three," he said. "With a name like Angus Maclean, you'd think he might revert to the Scottish side of his family, but he claims to have English roots."

Lock is thrilled with Maclean's World Student Games call-up and said: "It's a great reward for all he's achieved this year. To get through his university exams and keep his athletics going at this level has been brilliant."

Two of the area's other young hopefuls are in action for Great Britain's under-19s against the French in Dole on Sunday. Southampton City's Katharine Streatfield, who turns 18 tomorrow, competes in the triple jump while Basingstoke & Mid-Hants 400m man Robert Tobin will be hoping to build on his sixth place and relay silver from the European Junior Championships.

l Local road runners will be spoilt for choice tomorrow with the Brighstone 10, the Swanage 12 and the Arunners 5 at Middleton-on-Sea all being staged on the same day.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Sunday, July 29

UNDER-19 INTERNATIONAL

France v Great Britain in Dole, France.

NATIONAL JUNIOR LEAGUE

Itchen Division: Southampton City at Brighton.

l Southampton-based Salford Harrier Andy Morgan-Lee led home 266 finishers in the Winchester 5K Road Race.

His time of 14 minutes and 41 seconds was just too hot for fourth-placed Mike Twomey who was the first of the Southampton Running Club contingent home, clocking 15.23.

Clubmate Pete Davis was 12th in 16.10, Ian Crawford 24th in 17.01, Steve Torrance (vet 40) 28th in 17.10, Rob Thompson 32nd in 17.14, Alan Doney 34th in 17.20, David Tulip 38th in 17.35 and Mike Smith (2nd vet-50) 66th in 18.46.

There was a three-strong SGR women's squad - Sara Bennett 12th in 19.51, Sam Pidding-ton 43rd in 24.48 and Tracey Webster 60th (27.07).