CHRIS TOMLINSON’S dreams of conquering the long jump at the Commonwealth Games were wrecked by injury, WRITES BEN WELCH.

The Newham & Essex Beagle injured his ankle during qualifying on Friday and was forced to leave the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on a stretcher.

The England international leapt 7.95 metres to qualify for the final – which was the longest of his pool and second biggest of the entire session.

However, the Teesider was unable to compete in Saturday’s final, dealing the 29-year-old a bitter blow.

The Beagle was hoping to build on his bronze medal at the European Championships in Barcelona earlier this year. Tomlinson recored a jump of 8.23 metres, one centimetre shorter than Kafetien Gomis of France as German Christian Rief won gold with a championship record 8.47m.

This was his major outdoor medal, which he hoped to spur him on. “It’s a European medal to go with a world indoors medal, so I am pretty happy with that,’ said Tomlinson after winning the bronze in Spain.

“I have got to look at it as another step towards London 2012. My whole career is going to build to that.” Sadly his Commonwealth Games ended in disappointment.