DAVID SOARS TO DOUBLE GOLD

David Bolarinwa saw off the best England had to offer again today, as he soared to his second gold medal of the England National Junior Championships at Bedford this weekend.

Competing in the under-20 200m, the 100m champion from yesterday  clocked 21.27s in the final - tantalisingly close to a second European Junior Championship qualifying mark which, in this event, stands at 21.25.

"A 1.6m/s headwind didn't help," said coach John Powell afterwards, "but it was a good performance after three draining 100s the day before.  We'll go to Mannheim now on Friday with the British team and hopefully mark up a better 200.  Then it's decision time around what he wo[uld prefer to run in the European Championships."

David receives his second gold of the weekend from British sprints
 legend Linford Christie.

The European event opens on July 21st in Tallin, Estonia, and David up until now has been focussing on the 100m there.  However, there may be a shift from that view depending on how things go in Mannheim.  There may also be the option of doubling up in both sprints.

Bolarinwa's double - one of only four in two age-groups over the whole weekend - established him as one of the best all-round sprints talents Britain has ever had.  He lines up alongside the likes of Mark Lewis-Francis and Christian Malcolm on the all-time lists, and he has another year remaining in the same age-group!

Elsewhere at Bedford, Trackspeed1's Lawrence Wooldridge made the final of the under-23 men's 200m, but could only manage 6th in 21.73s, while Edmond Amaning was still clearly suffering from lack of training due to recurrent injury issues this Spring, finishing 5th in his under-20 200m heat, failing to progress to the final.

It was a complete nightmare weekend for Trackspeed1 new face Alex Ojo, who was disqualified for a false start in the 100m on day one, only to break down on the motorway n route to day two, missing the 200m completely!