altANDY TURNER (pictured), one of Britain's top athletes and a training partner of Olympic 400 metres champion Christine Ohuruogu, is set to protest to UK Athletics after his £18,000 National Lottery funding was cut.

 

The 28-year-old Sale Harriers runner, who only two years ago won bronze medals in the 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, was among those to suffer in the new hard-line approach by UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.

 

He has been dropped after finishing only fifth in his second-round heat at the Olympics in Beijing, a disappointment after he had massively raised expectations.

 

Earlier this year he had claimed he was capable of winning the Olympic gold medal in a world record time.

 

Turner had said at the beginning of May: "I’ll be heading to the bookies in the next few weeks to get money on myself or [Cuban] Dayron Robles winning [the Olympics] in a new world record time."

 

Robles had a great season, setting a world record of 12.87sec in June and then lifting the Olympic title.

 

The best performance by Turner, whose agent is convicted drugs cheat Linford Christie, was 13.53.

 

Turner had also failed to qualify for the final of the World Championships in Osaka last year.

 

Turner had also been knocked out in the first round of the 110m hurdles at the Olympics in Athens in 2004.

 

Turner, who is coached by Lloyd Cowan, who also guided Ohuruogu to Olympic glory, is among 20 per cent of British athletes to have their Lottery funding cut, as first reported on insidethegames on Tuesday.

 

Only 33 athletes are receiving what is called "Podium" funding and a total of 48 are getting support, down from 67 last year.

 

Turner claimed the decision to cut his Lottery funding was unfair.

 

He said: "I thought I had a 50 per cent chance of being kept on the funding.

 

"A lot of athletes have had a bad year and been given the benefit of the doubt.

 

"But I have been completely cut off and I am gutted.

"I am not going to take the decision sitting down because I think it's unfair.

 

"I am going to argue my case as far as I can.

"If their decision stands, I will have to look at my options.

 

"I have some money put aside that would pay for some training but I have bills to pay."