BOURNEMOUTH’S Susie Hignett insists an impressive run at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgium this weekend can set her up for the season after an injury-blighted start to the campaign.

The 22-year-old Bournemouth AC star has been struggling with an Achilles problem for the best part of a month but battled her way to an 17th place finish at the McCain Cross Country Challenge in Liverpool last month.

Hignett’s determination to impress in the North West was enough to catch the eye of GB selectors and earn her a place in the under-23 team bound for Brussels.

And while the former English Schools’ 3000m champion does not expect to reach her peak on Sunday, she is determined to better last year’s 18th place finish and prove she has what it takes to star at next year’s World Student Cross Country Championships.

“I’ve been struggling with injury problems recently and I only just scraped through,” said the Bath University student.

“I had an Achilles injury which put me out for two-and-a-half weeks and I missed a couple of important meets in Gateshead and Birmingham.

“I wasn’t 100 per cent in Liverpool and I think I ran a lot harder than I wanted to do. I was disappointed because I know there was a lot more in me and unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be able to realise that potential until after the Brussels event.

“I was 18th last year so if I can get anything close to that mark, I’ll be pretty happy to be honest as my main focus for the season will be the World Student Cross Country Championships in March.”

Hignett will team up with Hannah England, Stacey Johnson, Morag MacLarty, Katherine Spark and Sarah Tunstall for Britain in Belgium.

And while Hignett, who finished ninth in the 5,000m at the 2007 European under 23 Championships, is excited by the year ahead she admits her fortunes may be determined by her ability to stay injury free.

“Once I’ve shaken off this injury, I’m pretty sure I can have a good season,” she added.

“The summer will be interesting for me.

“I’ll speak with my coach first but I’ll be looking to bring my times down in the 5ks and the 10ks and maybe do a few 1500s for speed work.

“The British team is strong this year so I think there will be a lot of athletes looking to produce good performances and I want to be one of them.

“But it’ll be a case of seeing how it goes this year. If I can stay injury free, who knows what I can achieve.”

For all of your Olympic and Paralympic news, views and results in the build up to London 2012 – visit www.morethanthegames.com