James Dasaolu sent a message to the rest of Great Britain’s sprinters on Sunday by becoming the first to run the Olympic 100m A standard in 2012.

The 24-year-old Croydon Harrier put himself at the front of the queue for selection by matching the 10.18 second qualification mark as he won a meeting in France – his first competitive race of the year.

It means a top-two finish at the Olympic trials in Birmingham next month will guarantee injury-plagued Dasaolu, who raced just twice in 2011, a place on the start line in Stratford.

“It was a relief to get the A standard, but I pretty much expected to,” said Dasaolu, who ran 10.30 in the heats in Montgeron.

“I opened up last season by running an A standard so expected to do that again and thankfully I did.

“I am just happy to be in one piece and to get my season started.

“Not many athletes get a chance to compete at a home Olympics so it is exciting but you have to train and stay focused as much as possible, and try to do everything normally.

“I am not looking to do too many races leading up to the trials, maybe one or two at the end of May or early June, as I don’t want to risk injury again.”

Dasaolu’s injury-plagued 2011 saw him dropped from the UK Athletics funding list for 2012, something he insists spurs him on to prove his doubters wrong.

“In Olympic year it is quite difficult when your Federation don’t think you are good enough for the Olympics,” he added.

“But I want to prove that they were wrong “Andy Turner, Will Sharman and Leon Baptiste had their best years when their funding was cut.

“It does not define how successful you are as a British athlete.”

Fellow Harrier Martyn Rooney ran his second sub-45 second 400m of the season in the Diamond League in Doha on Friday.

The 2008 Olympic finalist came fourth in 44.99, eight tenths behind LaShawn Merritt who ran a world leading 44.19 – the fastest time in two years.