TEAM Solent's 22-year-old pole vault star Ashley Swain has defied serious injury to earn his first senior Great Britain call-up in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium tonight.

With British number one Nick Buckfield pulling out with a calf problem, former Peter Symonds College student Swain was the natural choice to replace him after equalling his outdoor personal best of 5.30 metres to finish third at last weekend's Cork City games.

Although the lad from Rownhams will almost certainly require surgery to sort out his troublesome ankle, he is not exactly fighting through the pain barrier.

The wear and tear of his event means that only one of the ligaments on the front of his foot is in working order; the other two are shattered. But as Swain explained, the problem is not causing him grief.

He said: "It doesn't hurt because there's nothing there to hurt, but the ligaments are not doing the job they are designed to do. But I'm getting by because I've done a lot of rehabilitation work and built up the muscles and tendons to support the joint. "My foot's not going to drop off, so I'm not worried, but in the long-term I probably will need surgery because I can't keep twisting it the whole time. I've just got to be careful."

With the injury in the back of his mind, Swain made a cautious start to the season, but the AAA indoor bronze medallist and former AAA Under-23 champion is beginning to fly.

He smiled: "After a few weeks of taking it easier, it's all starting to come together for me.

"I want to jump higher and I think I should have done in Cork last Saturday, but I'm sure it will come."

Having completed a business and finance degree at Staffordshire University, Swain recently moved to the elite sporting environment of Loughborough, where he will combine his pole vault training, under the watchful eye of coach Steve Rippon, with a masters degree in marketing and management.

Another Southampton hero, former European and Commonwealth 400 metres champion Iwan Thomas, is also benefiting from Loughborough's superb facilities and Swain said. "It was an ideal opportunity for me. The facilities and atmosphere are really good. I see quite a lot of Iwan and other big names when I'm training. It's inspirational to be surrounded by so many world-class athletes."

Next up after Barcelona is the British League Golden Jubilee Cup semi-final for Team Solent on July 19.

A week later Swain will tackle the AAA Championships at Birmingham, looking to better the bronze medal he won there on his senior AAA debut two years ago.

Swain's Team Solent clubmate Kieren Kelly finished third on his international debut in last weekend's under-20 match in Nove, Italy. The big shot putter from Lower Bemerton, Salisbury, recorded 16.17 metres.

Jade Lucas-Read also did the south coast club proud, winning the 100m in 12.05 seconds, while 15-year-old Hedge End lad Nick Ball of Steyning AC was sixth in the 5-kilometre walk in 23.54.06.

Todd Bennett-coached Sian Scott won the 400m hurdles in 59.52 and her Bournemouth AC clubmate Charlotte Moore led the 1,500m home in 4.17.80.

n Hampshire sustained one casualty going into today's English Schools' Track & Field Championships at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.

Senior javelin girl Helen Davis from Cowes is on crutches after damaging a hamstring competing for the Isle of Wight at the Island Games in Guernsey.

With no reserve nominated in that event, it means Hampshire have travelled north with a squad of 59.