TRACKSPEED1 HEADS FOR MORE GOLDEN YEARS

Pictured: some of the most successful athletes in Trackspeed1's recent history...

As a hugely successful athletic year draws to a close, Trackspeed1 coach John Powell has reflected on his squads successes and, with some new faces poised to join this winter, he reckons the group could be heading for an amazing few years...

"The best time ever for trackspeed1 was earlier in the current decade," he said. "We had the likes of Chris Lambert, Dwayne Grant, Tim Abeyie, Phylis Agbo, James Ellington, Onen Eyong, Jonathan Simpson, and many others. All internationals, and with representation at major championships all over the globe every year, including Commonwealth and Olympic Games. And of course shortly before tht saw the first three to four years of Phillips Idowu's career.

"We've had a great year in 2009 with the likes of James Ellington hitting the form of his life, and just about everyone else either setting a PB or winning a title, or both. Now it's time to consolidate an move on.

"The current squad should be pretty much all there for next year with the exception of two who are moving away from London. We need to create an environment that means that everyone works hard together, and I am delighted that we have had approaches from some athletes who will create just that environment.

"When winter training begins on October 13th, we will have former 400m sprinter from Trackspeed1 Gavin Selway on the comeback trail, and he is already getting in shape. Moyo Sankofa, another established quarter miler, is also into preparations for his comeback to the track after a lengthy absence.

"In addition to these, we now have confirmed another very talented 100/200 sprinter who could provide great company for James Ellington, and I am due to speak to a third short sprinter in a couple of weeks who is also looking to join, and he is already at a high level. We also expect a younger 400m athlete to join, who is a top-five-ranked athlete in his age-group. It's exciting times for sure".

Whilst remaining incredibly upbeat about his quad's future, John Powell also had some stern words to say about the encouragement the sport's governing body gives to the sort of athletes he coaches:

"The elitest policy United Kingdom Athletics is following is creating a huge gulf between those athletes they focus on, and those who are battling to make the grade. This is underlined by their selection policy.

"The World/European/Olympic Trials meeting annually is anything but a trial. Unless you win with a A standard performance they don't have to select you, and if you aren't a lottery funded athlete, they won't want to unless they can help it.

"Look at the relay team in Berlin this year. It's not right to name names, but there are people in the squad there who didn't even run the 100m at the trials. James Ellington was sixth in the trials but probably wouldn't have got a second look if he had finished fourth.

"The argument that he has not been part of the relay set-up earlier in the year is a compelling one as team practice is vital to success, but let's be open about relay selection in the first place - we might as well select in January as things stand! And despite his successes this year, James hasn't a prayer of being taken back into the squad for 2010 unless he runs significantly faster in the last few weeks of the season.

Pictured: the Trackspeed1 4x100m relay quartet who clocked 40.69 in 2008 in a college meet in the USA - the fastest by an under-23 training squad ever? L-R: Phillip Doorgachurn, Wade Bennett-Jackson, James Ellington, Jason Hussain.

"I've had it with athletes every year. They do ok at the trials - peaking at the right time. But then UKA move the goalposts. Suddenly they have to run again at Crystal Palace, or Loughborough, or both. And if they don't perform again, great, they don't have to select them. It's a disgrace, and is discouraging an awful lot of very talented athletes."

John was also rueful at the way coaching has gone in recent years for those coaching the band of athletes who currently fall jut short of international fame and fortune:

"There is simply no incentive now for the upper tier of the voluntary sector of coaching. I used to get invited to manage or coach British or English sides at junior, under-23 and senior level, but now that is exclusively UKA or England employees' domain. Wouldn't it be amazing for coaches who actually produce young talent in this country to be rewarded with an international track suit themselves?

"Far from rewarding the coaches that produce the talent, the track and field heirarchy do everything in their power to take talent away from you and into their supposed 'elite' training squads. It's a shambolic situation illustrated by the fact that no sprinter who has left Trackspeed1 over the years to join other coaches has ever improved, bar the odd hundredth of a second or two.

"In fact the only two who have improved that I can think of were Tim Abeyie and Conrad Williams, and good luck to them, but both were asked to leave the squad rather than being duped by other coaches.

"Surely there is a clue there somewhere?!"

Above: John Powell with James Ellington