ROD Finch, one of the leading lights of Hampshire distance running, is getting his appetite back for the big time.

After an emotionally and physically painful year 2000, the Aldershot-based Army man has his sights set on 3000 metres selection for the European Indoor Championships in Lisbon, Portugal in March (9-11).

A 5000m semi-finalist at the 1998 outdoor European Championships in Budapest, the Southampton Running Club athlete was hit hard by losing his wife, Jenny, to terminal illness last New Year and had his summer ambitions wrecked by a pulled muscle in his bottom that stubbornly refused to heal.

With a young daughter, Gemma, to care for, there were fears his days of top-level competition might be over. But his coach Tony Fern is happy to report that 33-year-old Finch is back in fine fettle and itching to repeat his European Indoor Championship feat of 1994 in Paris when, as a virtual unknown, he scooped a surprise bronze medal for Great Britain.

"Fingers crossed, Rod seems to be over his injury troubles and he's going really well in training," said Fern.

"He's going to do the Hampshire Cross-Country Championships (January 6) to help the club out and then run indoors over 3000m at the Birmingham Games (January 13) as well as the Indoor AAA Championships/European Trials a fortnight later (January 27/28).

"If he can do a fast time in the Birmingham Games, that will hopefully take the pressure off him at the AAA trials,"

Finch has been in hot form on the roads. Last Sunday he won the Ronhill-Lara Surrey Classic 10K in 30 min 14 sec ahead of Great Britain internationals Richard Ward (30.21) and Gary Staines (30.30).

Finch's training partner Stuart Poore is also back in shape after a groin operation.