Worthing's Sarah Davey and Brighton & Hove's star distance runner Julia Downes have returned to their American universities after a brief summer at home.

Both returned home in June and have spent much of the summer recovering from injuries, having already completed a track season at the University of North Florida.

With Sussex senior middle distance running at a pretty low ebb at the moment, their valuable presence has been missed.

Both, however, managed to recover from injury in time to compete in a couple of Southern League matches, although they arrived too late for the main inter-county championships at the end of May and have returned to America before the area inter-county meeting.

Davey had hoped to be in good enough form when she returned in June to stake a claim for a place in the Great Britain under-23 team but the Achilles injury prevented her even contesting the national championships.

Despite her injury, though, she has been the fastest Sussex senior runner at 1,500m, 3,000m and 5,000m this season.

She said: "I am hoping to build up my mileage during the coming months. We go back to the start of the cross country season at college. Cross country racing in 90 degrees seems a bit daft to us but that is what they do over there.

"We start indoor racing in January and are then back on the track in February.

"I know that Julia is coming back for a couple of weeks at Christmas but I have not yet decided whether I will return or not this year.

"At the moment I am thinking this will be my last year at North Florida and I plan to return next summer, fit I hope, and then seek a biology/physiotherapy course in England."

The talented Beale twins from Horsham are not planning to return to the States and neither is Crawley's Tom Hopkins.

Sarah and Louise Beale have both been at the Virginia Lake Bradock Seedon School for the past year and although both were offered scholarships they decided to return home.

Sarah will be going to Leeds to do a physical education course. She is unlikely to continue with athletics but may take up another sport. Before moving into athletics she was a promising footballer.

She has made a considerable impact on Sussex athletics, particularly as a 400m runner, and was twice selected to run for Sussex Schools at the All England Schools' Championships.

Louise has decided to take an offer to study film production at Staffordshire University but she is determined to continue her athletics.

Although the Beales have been helping to bolster the Horsham team in their Southern Women's League matches since returning in June it was not until the last British League match of the season that Hopkins turned out for his Crawley team.

He said: "I had an interesting time in America. The provision for athletics, the back up and facilities are much better than here and I had a good cross country season and was happy with my indoor running back in the spring.

"Unfortunately, the academic side was rather lacking and I was going over the same work as I had covered at sixth form college.

"I have had an offer for a place at Loughborough so I will be taking this up. I have done little training during the summer because of injury but my troubles, I hope, are now behind me and I will be looking for a good winter's training with the intention of racing for the Crawley team in Division Three of the British League next season.

"If things go well I may do a little cross country running at the end of the season."

County 400m champion Tim Bayley, who was considering accepting an American scholarship earlier in the year, has now decided to stay in England and take a part time sports science course at Brunel.

Bayley is aiming to concentrate on training this year before going on to a full time course at Brunel in 2002.

IT IS good news to hear Sussex athletics administrator Keith May is back home after being taken ill in Canada after the World Championships.

At one time it was thought May would not be allowed to fly home until the middle of September.

The former Horsham Blue Star secretary is obviously still fairly fit, he still competes in veterans' competitions, and he made a much quicker than anticipated recovery.

No doubt he will be at the Crawley track this weekend when the Sussex Combined Events Championships will be held.

Before his problems May had already decided to stand down from his job as county administrator, although he will still be actively involved in the organisation of athletics in Sussex.

Brighton and Hove athletes should note Tuesday's training at Withdean Stadium will not take place this week.