COMMONWEALTH Games selectors have snubbed Lowton athlete Mike Floyd.
Despite his third place performance in the trials last Saturday the 6ft 1in, 18-stone hammer thrower, has been missed out of the England squad in favour of the fourth placed competitor.
Now a disappointed Mike is wondering what he has to do to make the team and would like to know why he has been left out.
He has dedicated the last decade to his sport, and fought back from injury to fight for one of the three places in the Manchester games which have gone to southerners Mick Jones, Paul Head and the thrower he defeated, William Beauchamp.
Now Mike, of Alderley Avenue, a computer analyst, who at 25-years-old still has plenty of time on his side, has accepted the knock back and will fight on to win an international place.
His father, Terry, a retired teacher, who spoke to his son only minutes after the team was announced on Tuesday, said: "He is obviously very disappointed and wonders what more he could have done to make the team. He has met the Commonwealth standard many times and beaten the man picked ahead of him. We can't understand the criteria."
Mike developed his love for throwing at Lowton High School and joined Wigan Harriers.
As a promising youngster he represented Lancashire schools and became English Schools' Champion. He is also a Greater Manchester and Northern Counties champion.
When the athletes were stopped from using the throwing circle at Wigan, for safety reasons, Mike moved to Sale Harriers where he is now coached by Kevin Madden.
He worked hard to become the country's leading under 23 thrower and worked his way up to top senior ranking.
Mike won his first full international vest in 2000, but last year pulled a hamstring mid-season and was forced out of competition.
He dedicated his winter to training and has emerged much stronger. Though he was having problems co-ordinating the speed of his turns with power, everything came right on Saturday when he threw two season's bests.
Mike's mum Pauline will play a part in the Games. She is head teacher at the Holy Family Junior School, Platt Bridge, which has been chosen to send a party of pupils to welcome all the athletes to the Games' village.
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