MALVERN mountain biker Liam Killeen has targeted vital qualification points this year as he gears up for the London 2012 Olympics.

The 28-year-old aims to win a place in the downhill mountain bike event for next year’s showpiece Games, and erase the heartbreak of his early exit from the finals at the 2008 Bejiing event.

Killeen concedes this year is an important one with the mountain bike season due to get under way in March.

He is training in Gran Canaria over the next couple of weeks after spending the autumn and winter months competing in the National Cyclo-Cross Championships.

His downhill season starts with round one of the National Series in Sherwood Forest. In April he will be training and racing in South Africa in prepapration for the first World Cup in Petermaritzburg on April 24.

A busy schedule will also include seven World Cup races, between April and August. Killeen will also take in National Series rounds, National Championships, World Championships to help with his training.

He hopes to improve on his seventh place achieved at last year’s World Championships.

Killeen said: “2011 is an important season for me for collecting points for the Olympic qualification.

“The World Cup Mountain Bike Series races are important, consistent top 10 places would be good to achieve.

“I want to defend my British National Mountain Bike Championship title in July and then the World Championships in September are a goal, I want to improve on my seventh place in 2010.

“Since the end of the 2010 MTB season I’ve competed in some UK Cyclocross races throughout the winter months, the weekend races help with my fitness and race condition, whilst I’m still maintaining my MTB endurance during in the week.

“There’s definitely pressure going into London but it is a positive pressure and, hopefully, I can channel that.

“I know I can have the condition to be at the front of the race but I just need a bit of luck to be on my side.”