Paul Drinkhall, 21, hopes regular training with top players at Italian club Sterilgarda will enhance his competitive form ahead of the Games and help him climb up the world rankings.

He told BBC Sport: “I haven’t got that level of consistency to reach the top.

“So that’s what I’ll be working on out in Italy. I’ll be getting better training out there on a daily basis.”

Drinkhall, the English number one since 2006, added: “It’s a good set-up and it will be good for my training towards London 2012.”

“Also it’s a new place to freshen things up a bit. I’ve been in Sheffield now for three years and you fall into the everyday stuff; you need to refresh it sometimes. Hopefully that’s what Italy will do for me.”

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