DAVID SOUNDS A BATTLE CRY TO EUROPE

David Bolarinwa showed the rest of Europe he means business this year as he blasted to the fastest 100m time by a junior European in 2011.

David Bolarinwa became the fastest under-20 in Europe
this year, at Bedford on Sunday (29th May)

 His 10.29s sprint in the Inter-Counties Championship final was the tenth fastest by any British Junior ever, and made the clearest statement yet that he is a contender for European honours in Tallin, Estonia, in July.

It was nothing short of a sensational day for the 17-year-old from Thamesmead, South East London, with lifetime best performances in every round.  He opened up with a 10.38s effort in the heats, aided by the slightest wind of +0.2m/s.

In the semi-final he improved to a fastest ever 10.30, although that won’t go into the record books as the wind gauge failed.  His final time though impressed, and the only down side was the disqualification of senior,  Deji Tobias, whose early round performances suggested a thrilling finale, but that was not to be after he false started.

A delighted coach John Powell was full of praise for his 17-year-old:  “David executed each race well, even though his blocks slipped in the semi-final.  And the wonder of these performances is that he will go yet faster – it’s still only May, and the major stuff doesn’t arrive until late June and into July.”

Running equally well when compared with his lifetime best performances, was Trackspeed1’s Jason Hussain.  He clocked a fastest ever 10.77s in the heat, and went even faster in the semi-final with 10.74s, although that was slightly wind-assisted.

The surprise package for Jason though, was when he learned that he had edged into the inter-counties final by thousandths’ of  second in a blanket finish.  He went on to finish fifth behind Bolarinwa’s super run, clocking another 10.77s mark.

Day two of the championships, held on Bedford’s brand new Mondo track, takes place tomorrow (May 30^th) and features the 200m.  Hussain goes again, representing Sussex, and Lawrence Wooldridge starts for Kent.

David Bolarinwa in training at Crystal Palace with the high-tech
electronic timer beams that analyse acceleration rates out of blocks -
supplied this time courtesy of Trackspeed1's association with Lucozade.

ELLINGTON'S SCORCHER SETS SEASON ABLAZE!

Trackspeed1 sprinter James Ellington went from international to world class as he soared to a blistering 10.12 second 100 metre sprint in the Loughborough University International meeting today (Sunday 22nd).

James Ellington (right in red and white of England) finishes
2 hundredths of a second behind Harry Aikines Aryeetey,
 at Loughborough, in a world class 10.12 seconds

It was a performance of sheer class that took the 25-year-old Newham and Essex Beagles ace into the realms of the elite in one classy burst of action, despite a little bit of help from a 3.4m/s following wind.  His previous fastest ever over the distance in a career that has already spanned 12 years, was 10.23s, set in Geneva last year, when he tore a hamstring which nearly ended his career.

The Loughborough race marked the completion of an outstanding comeback from that desperate day when the future had looked so bleak.  Now, James can potentially look forward to his best ever season, although coach John Powell was quick to add words of caution:

"It was a fantastic performance by James," he said, "and a massive breakthrough mentally as much as anything else.  But it's early days and we can't get carried away, even though it was pretty tempting to scream from the rooftops when I heard his time!"

Ellington was beaten in the race by former World Junior Champion Harry Aikines Aryeetey, who edged home in front in 10.10s, although James was annoyed he didn't take the race himself:

"I tightened up over the last 10 metres when all I had to do was keep running, and I would have beaten him," he said, "but that's fine - I know now the sort of form I'm in - the best of my life - and this has been a great confidence booster."

Ellington, representing the England national team, was drawn in lane five right next-door to junior training partner David Bolarinwa, who was representing British Juniors.  David, the fastest under-18 in the world last year over the distance, also ran the fastest time of his life thanks to the following wind, timing 10.32s.

"It was a strange environment for David," said John Powell, "because he's used to being in front or more or less in front as a junior.  But here he had the unique experience of coping with international level seniors, and he dealt with it really well, although his blocks need some work still."

Ellington's run took him across the line ahead of top sprints names including Marlon Devonish and Craig Pickering, with Bolarinwa fifth in the same race.

The 200m races were not quite as kind to Trackspeed1 athletes, although Jason Hussain bettered his season's best time by a hundredth of a second with a 21.45s effort from lane eight, while Lawrence Wooldridge slipped to a disappointing 21.81s in his race.

"It's still early days," said John Powell, "and inconsistent performances are not uncommon.  It's just important that, if you don't perform as well as you hoped, you take the positives from the race, and then put it away and move on.  The squad is in great shape this year, and I know there are going to be alot more terrific breakthroughs."

In separate league matches, Powell's words were already coming true, as Kieran Daley and Jack Miller both posted lifetime best performances in the 200m.

TRACKSPEED 5 READY FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION!

Trackspeed1 have five athletes competing at the Loughborough international meeting to be held at the university's track tomorrow (Sunday 22nd May).

James Ellington (centre) leads the way in his first 2011 outing inthe UI.S.
last month, with Jason Hussain (outside left) and Lawrence EWooldridge
(black vest right) in pursuit

The annual curtain-raiser to the domestic season sees James Ellington selected to represent the England national side, while 17-year-old David Bolarinwa takes the single berth in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Junior team.  Both will contest the 100m and sprint relay.

Elsewhere, lanes have been awarded to Dwayne Grant who is entered for both the 100m and 200m, while both Lawrence Wooldridge and Jason Hussain go in the 200m.

It will be an interesting battle between the latter two.  Jason set one of his fastest ever 200m marks in the U.S. recently of 21.46, and Lawrence came within an inch of his best with a 21.54 run in a second meeting, which saw Jason beaten in the same race.

Elsewhere the squad's younger athletes are due to compete for their clubs in various local league matches, but coach John Powell was quick to warn that it's still very early days:

"The majority of the group are in terrific shape, which is great given the winter we have had, but nobody should be thinking about peaking yet.  Nothing we have done has been intended to p[roduce the ultimate best [out of people until later in the season.

"Unless you are aiming for the World Championships, in Korea in August/September, it's a short season of barely 12-14 weeks, so it's important that we produce top performances at the right time, and this group have a history of doing just that, so we'll see!"

TRACKSPEED1 BACK FROM STATESIDE PREP'

Trackspeed1 take time out for a quick photo-call before leaving
their warm weather training base in Florida.

Trackspeed1 athletes fly back to the UK this weekend after a month's pre-season training in the United States which, says coach John Powell, sees his squad return to home shores in great shape!  They have spent the last four weeks training at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, in Orlando, Florida.

Their first competition will, in most cases, be the Loughborough international on Sunday 22nd after a week's recovery work back at their Crystal Palace base.

"It's been a terrific trip this year," said John, speaking from their Florida base shortly before starting out on the return journey.  "The seniors who travelled out with us made the most of both the training opportunity and the competitions we went to.  We also this year had a number of younger guys here, who have really grown both as athletes and individuals.  Personal bests have been mixed in with some really promising times in training, and I honestly can't wait for the season to get going now."

It was certainly a huge opportunity for some of the younger athletes in Florida who, along with their senior counterparts, enjoyed the benefits of training alongside US coach Brooks Johnson's squad, including former Olympic and World Champion sprinter Justin Gatlin.

John Powell ives video feedback to former Olympic and World Gold medalist,
Justin Gatlin, at the ESPN track. 

All the athletes in Florida return with competition plans already discussed and documented with their coach , and highlights will centre on fixtures like the South of England Championships, the Bedford International Games, the European Under-20 and under-23 trials, subsequent European Championships, and then World Championship trials.

World number one under-18 over 100m last year, David Bolarinwa, will be among the favourites for selection for the European Junior Championships in Tallin, Estonia, in July, while Dwayne Grant, and James Ellington head the senior challenge.  In the under-23 age-group, Lawrence Wooldridge (200m) and Matt Threadgold (400m) could figure well in national finals.

RELAY RECORD SPARKS SERIOUS EARLY PROMISE

Trackspeed1 shattered their own squad 4x100m relay record in Florida yesterday (Thursday 5th May) with a blistering 40.12s performance - so impressive that only British national teams would have beaten it last year!

The quartet of Dwayne Grant, Jason Hussain, David Bolarinwa and James Ellington had far from perfect changes too, showing a sub-40-second performance was easily on the cards, as they cruised to victory at the University of Central Florida 'Golden Knights Twilight" meeting.

The squad's B-team of Omardo Anson (17), Lawrence Wooldridge (21), Ellis Zorro (18) and Josh Atille (16) were second across the line in a hugely impressive 42.50s.

James Ellington makes off on the home leg of the 
record-breaking 4x100m relay at UCF with third man 
David Bolarinwa handing over the baton.  The B-team 
with Lawrence Wooldridge homing in on Josh Atille 
are in hot pursuit.

The race sparked some outstanding performances individually too, making the squad's pre-season programme one of their most successful to date.  The leading performance was a wind-legal 100m sprint from James Ellington, who clocked a superb 10.42s in second place overall.

In the second heat 17-year-old David Bolarinwa served up an equally impressive 10.49s run, aided by a wind speed of +2.4s - just over the legal limit - but as the fourth fastest time of his life, it was the most encouraging sign possible for he and coach John Powell.

David Bolarinwa bursts through the 100m to his fourth
fastest ever time with Lawrence Wooldridge to his right.

"James didn't get the greatest of starts," said John, "and David wasn't the quickest over the early stages, but that's fine because that is normal for this stage of the year.  The speed is there - now we simply have to work on the detail to spice up potential lifetime bests later in the season."

The most impressive of the squad's other junior athletes was 17-year-old Omardo Anson, who improved his 11.31 100m 5 days earlier to 11.12 in winning his heat, and then went on to record a lifetime's best 22.34s over 200m - some half a second faster than ever before.

Omardo Anson (far right) on his way to the first of two sprint victories
at UCF, seen here in the 100m

"Omardo ran outstandingly well," said John, "and he really grew as an athlete today.  He's one of the most inexperienced athletes we have, but his speed of learning is frightening at the moment."

Lawrence Wooldridge was also very much on-song in the 200m, clocking the second-fastest time of his life with 21.54s, ahead of Jason Hussain who timed 21.88s.  This came after a fastest ever 100m where he took fourth in a rapid race, clocking 10.74s, albeit aided by the 2.4m/s breeze.

Omardo Anson (6) on his way to his fastest ever 200m, with Trackspeed1
athletes Ellis Zorro (4) and Josh Atille (3) to his left.

Full results are contained within the squad rankings lists displayed on this website (see link on right side of home page).

Lawrence Wooldridge (2) hit form in the 200m and is seen here 
storming to victory with Trackspeed1's Jason Hussain in second.

SPRINTERS RUB SHOULDERS WITH U.S. ELITE

Trackspeed1 sprinters trained with some of the elite in American sprinting talent today (Monday 2nd May), as they joined U.S.-based training advisor Brooks Johnson for a workout at ESPN Wide World of Sports track.


Seventeen-year-old David Bolarinwa found himself in the next lane to the fastest sprint hurdler in the world, David Oliver, while Dwayne Grant and James Ellington sandwiched European and Commonwealth Champion Andy Turner.  16-year-old Josh Atille was also awarded a lane in the session as reward for his dedication and hard work to date on their pre-season programme.

"We are hugely indebted to Brooks for letting us mix in with his world class squad of athletes," enthused Trackspeed1 coach John Powell.  "It's a huge opportunity and learning experience for many of our guys, and a priceless learning opportunity for me too,"

Some snaps of the training session held in the intense heat of the Florida sun, appear hereunder...

David Oliver (right), the fastest sprint hurdler in the world, with
David Bolarinwa, the fastest under-18 in the world, at ESPN Sports today

Josh Atille gets out in lane 2, with Trackspeed1's Dwayne Grant in 4,
James Ellington in 6, and David Bolarinwa in 8.

USA sprints guru Brooks Johnson briefs the Trackspeed1 quartet
before their workout.  The rules were simple - false start, and you
 run 400 metres; flase start twice, and you run 400 metres again!
Nobody false started!!

On their marks and set to go!  Josh Atille in lane 2, with Dwayne Grant
 in 5, James Ellington in 6, Andy Turner in 7, David Bolarinwa in 8,
and David Oliver in 9

David Bolarinwa ends his session with one final solo effort under the
watchful eye of UK coach Lloyd Cowan, who was in town as coach to
Andy Turner.

"SEASON'S OPENER IS OUR BEST YET"

Trackspeed1 coach John Powell described his squad's opening competition in the United States, where they are currently training, as "the best yet", as they returned from the annual Lake Brantley meeting.

Josh Atille (green vest) on his way to a heat-winning lifetime's fastest 200m at Lake Brantley on Saturday (30th April)

One lifetime best on day one of what will be a season packed with action, combined with the fastest ever starts for most.  Leading the way was the youngest member of the group, 16-year-old Josh Atille, who cracked his fastest ever 200m with a 22.74s run to win his heat.

His performance earned praise from coach and fellow athletes alike, after the first two weeks of their pre-season training has seen him transform from a club level competitor to a highly disciplined and focussed young athlete.

In the senior races, Jason Hussain was beaten by James Ellington, who broke his own meeting record with a strong 21.21s performance, which could have been even faster had he been pushed in the latter stages of the race.  Hussain timed one of his fastest ever outdoor 200's with 21.46s.  Lawrence Wooldridge was third in the same race with 21.94s.

James Ellington (lane 6) leads the field on his way to a new meeting
record in the 200m, with Jason Hussain in hot pursuit outside him in lane 8

"These performances were even better than they may look at first," said John, "because this meeting has no timetable and it is impossible to guess when exactly to warm up.  We were stuck in 90-plus degree heat with no shelter, and as in previous years had alot of hanging around to do with dozens of younger races being set off beforehand.  The heat was really draining on everyone."

Earlier in the day, Dwayne Grant pulled himself together to produce his fastest opener for a few years, despite suffering from a heavy cold.  His 10.54s was impressive, and won the meeting overall, with David Bolarinwa winning his heat with the second fastest time of the day of 10.69s.

In other races, Omardo Anson ran creditably to produce an 11.31s 100m, and Ellie Doel completed her 200m in 27.25s.  Winds on the day were measured at virtually zero for every race.  Details can be found on the squad rankings page of this website.

Trackspeed1 now have a brief return to training before their second competition of the trip, at the University of Central Florida, on Thursday.  And for Josh Atille, that will mean an incredible experience of training out of blocks with leading US sprints guru, Brooks Johnson, and his world class squad of athletes.

"Brooks is a great friend of this squad," said John Powell, " and we always have a couple of athletes do a session or two with his group.  It's a great learning experience for athletes as well as coach.  Not many British sprinters can say that they have trained alongside the likes of Xavier Carter, Justin Gatlin, and David Oliver!"