Winston Gordon is trying to turn missing this weekend's judo Olympic test event into a positive as he focuses on London 2012, writes Nick Gentry.

The Tooting-based 35-year-old has been ruled out of the competition at ExCel with a dislocated finger, an injury he picked up during the world cup in Samoa where he took a silver medal earlier this month.

Despite his obvious disappointment, Gordon will happily miss the event if it means being fit and ready for the final Olympic qualification events early next year.

“I am just about to have scans to see what the damage is to my finger because I can’t really grip up the way I want to grip up," he said.

"It is a bit of a bummer really..

“It would have given me a good feeling of the arena for next year so it is a bit of a miss but I would rather be fit and healthy going into next year and making sure I perform well in the tournaments I need to to qualify for the Games.”

Despite a stuttering start to the year, Gordon, who won gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, is now well on course to qualify for London 2012 and is desperate to be a part of what would be his third Olympics.

“The year has gone OK, the beginning was a bit up and down but toward the end I have started to pick up medals and a few points," he said.

"I’m now ranked 47 in the world so we just need to consolidate that and push on from next year.

"The selectors are selecting the events that I am going to be doing next year and until then I am just looking forward to it.

“I can only draw from my experience at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester really where the whole support was outstanding.

“It was a great thing for me to win it and they gave me an extra lift and my family and friends who haven’t seen me fight before came along and saw me.

“The games next year, in London, will be the pinnacle of any athlete’s career.”