MICHAEL RIMMER believes a number of top British athletes will shun next year’s Commonwealth Games in India – but the Liverpool Pembroke Sefton 800m runner won’t be one of them.

The 23-year-old is desperate to put a miserable season behind him and has already set his sights on double glory in 2010. The European Championships in Barcelona in July will be the priority for most athletes with the Commonwealths in Delhi in October a distant second.

However, Rimmer intends to take every chance he gets to end his long wait for a first major medal.

He said: “The Europeans is the main one next year but I’m going to do the Commonwealths as well.

“Some people have tried to talk me out of it as Delhi looks like being a difficult championships. There is the danger of getting ill and security concerns.

“There are also doubts over whether everything will be finished and it looks like the team will be based in Qatar, with them flying us in and out to compete.

“Having two major championships in one year is tough. You need to hit top form for the Europeans and three months is a long time to stay at your peak.

“I know UK Athletics are concerned about injuries and burnout. They don’t want their athletes to get hurt competing for England.

“I think a few high profile GB athletes will give the Commonwealths a miss but I look upon it as a great chance to get a medal.

“I’m in the sport to win medals and it would be a great stepping stone for me.”

Rimmer has recently returned to training after three weeks off at the end of a torrid campaign.

He was dogged by a string of problems and could only reach the semi-finals at this summer’s World Championships in Berlin.

“I had a bit longer off than usual because I felt mentally drained,” he said.

“It was such a frustrating year for me and having missed four-and-a-half months of training there was no way I was going to be able to run as well as I would have liked.

“If I can stay injury free this winter then hopefully I can push on to the next level.”