Commonwealth heptathlon champion Kelly Sotherton is looking for a new javelin mentor to prevent a repeat of her poor performance in the event at the European Championships in Gothenburg last week.

The Olympic bronze medallist is still struggling to come to terms with the fact her good work in six disciplines was undone by her failure in the javelin.

It is a problem the Birch-field Harrier knows she has to overcome and she is discussing how to solve it in talks with UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins.

Sotherton, who has most recently been working with one of Britain's top javelin coaches John Trower, said: "Obviously I gave my silver medal away to someone who should not be beating me.

"One event let me down badly as always and that is being addressed at the moment.

"John has been amazing. He has banged his head against the wall and he has persevered with me but it just hasn't worked.

"I've had hundreds of offers to help. I appreciate people are concerned and I'm in discussions about what we are going to do.

"I need to do this when my season ends in a month's time with my coach, Aston Moore, and my boss, Dave Collins.

"He wants the best solution and once we have discussed the situation we will let people know where we are going.

"We will deliberate who is the best person to take over for the future. It is not necessarily the best javelin coach in the world. I need someone to switch on the switch in me to do better.

"I am not making excuses but after the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne I missed two months training with my back and another ten days before the Europeans. So to come out with three PBs and nearly a medal was a good result because I was not going to be competing only a few days before hand.

"But the wound is still there after the javelin and people still rub salt into it. They have always been negative about my javelin. I don't need people being negative. I need people to be more positive.

"It was one of those things. I cannot think about it for the rest of my career. If I did that I would always looking back. I have to look forward and I have my last heptathlon of the season in a month, so I have to move forward.

"It has not always been my Achilles heel. I have thrown just under 41 metres two years ago and in Athens it was 37 metres. Considering where I had come from that was pretty good.

"Last year I threw 39 metres but it is just getting worse and I need a change.

"There have been a number of reasons why the results have been poor. If it was mental then I would have trouble with one of the other events.

"I make a joke about it saying I threw double what I did in the shot! It is not a strength or mental issue. It is just a technical issue. It will come. I know it will come if I can find the right person.

"I need someone who can turn the key like Charles Van Commenee did in 2003-04. I just need that person to do the same for me in the javelin. It is quite hard because you have got to gel with that person.

"Charles was in Gothen-burg. He watched everything and he is my adviser. I still chat with him and he gives me advice. He will give me ideas but he has no input of where I go or what I do. He just helps me make the right decision."

In the meantime, Sotherton makes a quick return to the international scene this weekend in the two-day Norwich Union International match between Great Britain, the USA, Russia and China at the Alexander Stadium.

Sotherton will be competing in the long jump on Saturday when she comes up against the world champion Tianna Madison of the US and the new European champion, Lyudmila Kolchanov.