Trackspeed1 sprinter James Ellington has had his first full senior international call-up confirmed this week, as he was named in the sprint relay squad traveling to Norway for the 2010 Europa Cup next weekend (19-20th June).
The 24-year-old Belgrave Harrier has become one of the fastest sprinters in the country this year having at last broken through at senior level, after a glittering career through the age-groups which saw him final at European and World Junior and under-23 Championships.
James will join the rest of the British team at Brunel University for a final round of baton practice on Wednesday next week (16th June), before flying to Bergen, Norway on Tursday for the weekend competition. He isn't assured yet of running, although must rank among the favourites to make the GB quartet alongside the likes of Marlon Devonish, Leon Baptiste, and Tyrone Edgar.
Ellington's selection will be a fillip to many athletes knocking on the door of international level athletics, as with no Lottery funding in support of his career, he has had to make it the hard way to the top.
The Cup clash centres on an immensely busy and very significant period for track and field, with the European Championship Trials only a week later in Birmingham. Far from being a finals hopeful, James Ellington will open up on Friday 25th in the 100m as a possible podium prospect!
This weekend the South of England Senior and Junior Championships are staged at Crystal Palace, and both Trackspeed1 hopefuls James Ellington and Jason Hussain who compete in Geneva on Saturday, hope to return to run in the 200m on Sunday.
Alongside them will be 16-year-old david Bolarinwa, who has been exam-bound for 2 weeks, but will contest the under-20 100m championship as part of his preparation for the World Youth Olympics in Singapore in August. Training comrades Samuel Adeyemi, Femi Owolade, Danny Doyley, and Jack Miller all also hope to compete, while 15-year-old Omari Carr-Miller visits the Surrey Schools Championships on Saturday.
A crowded domestic calendar in July features the first England Championships, in Gateshead, which will double as the trials for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, in October.
"It's exciting times," said Trackspeed1 coach John Powell, "and I'm not quite sure where I'm going to get the time off to go to all the championships this year if everyone carries on running so well! It's a nice problem to have though, and I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks."
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