Dream over

The Newport sprinter went out in the semi-final last night after coming seventh in his heat and missing out on a place in tonight's final.

Malcolm now has the consolation of this weekend's 4x100m relay as his chance to end the Athens 2004 Olympics with a medal.

He said: "What can I say other then I'm disappointed.

"But I've got to put my preparations into account and they weren't ideal. Some people said I wouldn't run so to reach the semi's was a good achievement.

"I don't want to make excuses because I said that is if I was able to stand on two feet then I would run and I'm still not 100 percent but I gave it everything.

"I felt so tired this morning and had aches and pains all over. It felt like starting it all over again, as if my body had gone back down to zero. I've had to fight through it though and I had a blood test before I was allowed to run and I've battled on.

"I don't like running poorly and coming out and making excuses straight after but this really took it out of me." Malcolm however, is refusing to be downbeat and will pick himself up for the forthcoming relay.

He said: "I can take a lot of positives out of this, before I ran in Crystal Palace and Manchester I didn't feel well at all so it is a big relief to have found the problem and I just have to focus to getting 100 percent. If I had a couple more weeks then I think I could have made the final.

"I'll have some more blood tests to make sure I'm ok to run and then I'll start thinking about the relay I'm looking forward to a day off to be honest with you"

Darren Campbell also failed to make tonight 200m final meaning that for the first time since 1976 Great Britain have failed to make any of of the sprint finals missing out in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles.

But Campbell hit out at suggestions that this is the worst sprinting team GB have ever had.

"It hurts when you hear things said on the television about the state of British sprinting," said Campbell.

"Basically two weeks before the Olympic games I pulled my hamstring and contrary to what you may have heard, I'm not out of shape, I'm injured.

"I didn't want to pull out because I'm not a quitter and I wanted to go out there and try and do my best and for the so-called pundits to say that I'm out of shape isn't fair. I've always given my best and they won't deter me I'll carry on."