TWO centimetres does not seem very far but it might as well be a mile in Chris Tomlinson's own personal sandpit.

Five years ago, Tomlinson broke onto the scene as a raw-boned 20-year old - with a giant leap of 8.27 metres in Tallahassee that shattered Lynn Davies' 34-year-old British long jump record.

Big things were predicted but a mixture of bad decisions and bad injuries meant his record remained unbroken at the start of this season.

A stellar achievement which launched him into the big league was becoming a heavy millstone until, finally, he raised his personal best again by the slenderest of distances, when competing in Bad Langensalza last month.

Now Tomlinson arrives in Osaka, renewed with a sense of optimism that has been missing too often for an athlete of his undisputed talent.

Ranked eighth in the world, he represents one of the few genuine contenders for a medal in a British team predicted to be starved of success in the coming days.

"Every year that passed when I didn't break that record again was becoming a real pain," admits Tomlinson.

"When I first came on the scene I had a lot thrown at me. One minute I'm ranked 150th in the world and then, one jump later, I'm suddenly fifth.

"When you are young everybody wants to give you advice and perhaps I listened to too many people and confused myself.

"It took me a couple of years to get my head around things and I just missed out on a medal at the 2004 Olympics. Then - wallop - I get hit by all these injuries."

You could tick off plenty of pages in a medical dictionary as you listen to Tomlinson's catalogue of woe - from toes, to hamstrings, to groins - he has broken, torn or pulled them all.

But as he soaked up the rays at the EstÃdio de Macau, venue for Norwich Union's pre-championship preparation camp, he could finally afford to see the funny side.

"It has more been a case of what's not been wrong with me," he joked.

"The last couple of years, by my own standards, have been very disappointing. But I've bounced back this year, got myself into the top few jumpers in the world and finally broken my British record.

"I've got a fair few points on the circuit as well and beaten some pretty big names, so things are finally really looking up.

"I'm running and jumping injury-free. I've had 18 months when I couldn't compete without pain but, touch wood, that's hopefully behind me now."

Tomlinson believes he is now in the condition to win a first major championship medal. Last year he watched as team-mate Greg Rutherford took his status as British number one and claimed silver at the European Championship in Gothenburg.

Tomlinson, who finished sixth, did well to hide his disappointment but it was clear it hurt him badly

"My major championship record is not good," he admits.

"I should have won a medal by now but that's not what I'm aspiring to. I don't want bronze, I want to win these things."

Greece's Louis Tsatoumas, who has achieved the two furthest jumps in the world this year, is not in Osaka and Tomlinson has highlighted Panama's Irving Saladino as the one to beat, when his competition begins next Wednesday.

"There is only one guy in the world who is significantly better than me at moment and that's Irving," he added.

"I know I've got a big jump in me - anyone who follows long jump knows that. I've had seven competitions when I've jumped over 8.10m this year and only one other person in the world has shown that consistency.

"I'm not going to say I'm going to win but I'm here to do well. I've sacrificed a lot of my life for this and I'm not here for the experience or to make up the numbers - I'm here to win."