JASON Lobo aims to leave training partner Curtis Robb in his slipstream as he bids to defend his AAA 800 metres crown at Birmingham's Alexandra Stadium this weekend.

The former Blackburn Harrier believes Robb poses the biggest threat in his bid to defend the title.

But the 29-year-old custody officer is confident he can come out on top against the former Olympian.

"Curtis Robb will go into the weekend as the favourite because he's run the quickest time this year," said Robb.

"He's been out for a couple of years but now he's come back, he's probably running better than ever.

"I've been training with him for a few weeks and, although he's been going well, I've not been too far behind. So I'm confident I can do well."

As well as training with Robb, Lobo went away to South Africa over the winter to work with the England squad.

And now he's starting to feel the benefits, particularly on the stamina side of things. "I've had a good winter in comparison with others. "I've done more endurance-type work and it seems to be paying off.

"The speed aspect is always going to be there but you need to do the endurance work over quite a long time. It takes months and weeks rather than weeks and days so I'm quite happy with that side of things.

"I've done a limited number of 800s this year and I've gone faster each time out. The last time I ran was in Riga in Latvia when I ran the third fastest time in the country this year over 800. So at this moment in time, I've run faster than I ran going into the same competition last year."

Lobo is in action in the heats tonight and, if that goes well, it's the semi-finals tomorrow followed by the final on Sunday.

The top two athletes in each event are guaranteed a place at the World Championships providing the qualifying standard time of 1min 46.3secs, just under a second quicker than his personal best, is met.

And there's also a third 'discretionary' place up for grabs so the stakes are high. "Potentially, I've got three races in three days which could be difficult but that will probably work to my advantage as I should be a bit stronger than some of the speed-based athletes."

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