ELLINGTON QUALIFIES FOR THE WORLDS!

Trackspeed1 sprints ace James Ellington sprinted to the top of the British 200 metre rankings today, with a sensational 20.52s run in Metz, France.


Incredibly, it sliced nearly half a second off his previous lifetime best performance of 20.92, and soared under the World Championship qualifying standard of 20.59.  No other Briton has run as fast this year to date.  The almost irrelevant following wind was +0.4m/s.

It blows the competition for world championship places wide open now, with initial thoughts that his wind-assisted 10.12s over 100m earlier this year may have indicated his destiny when the year's showpiece comes round in Daegu, South Korea, late in August.  That now, however, appears about to change!

To make his performance even more impressive, James had run 10.23s over the 100m barely an hour earlier, equalling his lifetime best, and again with virtually no wind reading at +0.3m/s.

Ellington, who has been coached by Trackspeed1 coach John Powell since the age of 13 for all but 2 years, has been threatening to run a fast 200m for a while, but as Powell underlined, he just hasn't had the right opportunity.

"James has always had a strong 200m in him - ever since he was a junior - but it's either been injury or weather conditions that have frustrated his attempts to prove it.

"I was actually surprised at his 100m time as I reckoned he was ready to run faster than that, but the 200m is outstanding, and we really do now have to think about what we are going to aim for with respect to Daegu.  I', delighted for him though - it's high time the world sees just what a stellar talent James Ellington is."

James's run wrapped up a long and spectacularly successful weekend for Trackspeed1 athletes as the blogs on this site reflect.  David Bolarinwa sealed his ticket to the European Junior Championships in Estonia over the weekend with a double win in the england Championships in Bedford.

James Ellington takes the baton from training
colleague David Bolarinwa in a relay earlier
this season in the USA.

"The last third of the season is going to be amazing," said John Powell.  "I've already been to the States, Austria and Spain, and there's Germany and Estonia to come.  Now we're talking about Daegu.  Heaven knows how I'm going to afford it all, but if James is in an individual event in a World Championships, I'll hitch-hike to the Far East if I have to!"

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!

BOLARINWA WINS TITLE THRILLER

Trackspeed1 superkid David Bolarinwa won the most thrilling 100m national championship final ever to retain the 100m under-20 title he won last year.


The only Briton to win an under-20 title aged 16 (last year) retained it in the most dramatic of circumstances as he edged out Blackheath's Adam Gemili by literally thousandths of a second at the line.

The gusting wind had played havoc with times in the rounds with Gemili getting the better of the clock, but David was biding his time.  That said, his wind legal 10.38s in the semi-final was impressive to say the least as he coasted through the tape.

David Bolarinwa on top of the rostrum again after
retaining his England under-20 100m title

Gemili, who is on Dagenham and Redbridge FC's books, probably paid the price of lack of experience to Bolarinwa, as he dipped for the line early in desperation at David's solid pick-up and finish.  Both clocked 10.23s but were separated on thousandths of a second to decide the medals.

"It was an excellent race," said a proud coach John Powell, "it was always going to be a thriller, and it lived up to that.  I had told David that he simply had to hold his form at the end and that should be enough. Both were given the same time of 10.23, but David can be seen to hit the line first when you replay the film.  I was surprised they weren't separated by a hundredth or two."

On the same day and in the same event, Trackspeed1's Kieran Daly shattered his personal best in the semi-final to record a wind-legal 10.85, finishing fourth behind training companion David.  It was the first time he had notched up a sub-11 second mark.

The official photo-finish of the 100m thriller!

In the 400m Matt Threadgold didn't give himself the greatest start to the championships arriving just ten minutes before his final report time for the heats.  However, he ran well from lane 8 and qualified for the semi's in third place, but failed to progress further.

ELLINGTON ROARS ON WHILE BOLARINWA GIVES A SPANISH LESSON

James Ellington has proved this season that he is knocking on the door of world class in the world of sprints, and David Bolarinwa is surely one of the best juniors on the planet.  Well both proved themselves at opposite ends of the continent today.


Ellington, competing for Great Britain in the European teams Championships in Stockholm, regained the lead on third leg of the 4 x 100m relay to set up a famous win for Britain on day one.  The team clocked 38.6s

It was certainly a very strong leg in a team made up of four of Britain's best - Christian Malcolm, Craig Pickering, James, and Harry Aikines Aryeetey, and augurs well for the Catford-born sprinter's possible future inclusion in the squad travelling to the World Championships in South Korea in August.

Meanwhile, in Bilbao, Spain, the rain held off, but the wind didn't for young starlet David Bolarinwa, who was competing in a European Athletics Permit meeting.

In the semi-finals of the 100m he showed huge promise with a winning 10.42s effort in front of Britain's Simeon Williamson, but the final saw him improve that by only a fraction to 10.40, both wind assisted, and the latter leaving him just fifth in a final won in 10.11s.

The 200m, however, was a different story.  Run as two finals ranked on time, he blew away a classy field including Britain's Richard Strachan, and clocked a lifetime's fastest 20.96s to win the race - and tournament - outright.

David Bolarinwa tops the rostrum after the 200m
in Bilbao, Spain, earlier today

"There were issues with David's 100m which didn't go as well as they could," explained coach John Powell, "but that is work in progress, and there won't be too many 17-year-olds out there getting this kind of experience, which was the whole purpose of the exercise.

"The 200 was far better though," he went on, "especially as he didn't really feel up to it after two rather modest 100's.  It's a pity the wind was illegal again, but one day we'll get really good conditions, and he'll hopefully do himself justice.  It was very satisfying to see him win only his second trop onto the European circuit though!"

David attempts to impress coach John Powell, who ponders on the merits of divine intervention!

THE RAIN IN SPAIN...... IS EVERYWHERE!!

Trackspeed1 wonderkid, David Bolarinwa flew to Spain today to compete in the annual Bilbao classic international, convinced that at last he would be competing ion sunshine and next to no winds.  How wrong he could have been!

Arriving in Bilbao earlier this evening, David and coach John Powell were dismayed to see low-lying rain cloud with strong winds swirling around the airport!

"We haven't had decent conditions to compete in all season so far," said John, "so we reckoned a quick foray to Spain would solve that, no problem.  Yet we're now praying for a dry day, and hoping temperatures will creep above the 20 mark tomorrow.  It really is rather frustrating to say the least!"

The majority of Trackspeed1 will be travelling to Ashford (Kent) for the South of England Championships this weekend, a track that all would rather have avoided.

"The championships have been at Crystal Palace during recent years," explained John, "but they've moved to Ashford this year as apparently there was a problem with availability at the Palace.  We were really disappointed, because Ashford is known for its windy straights. and is immensely unpopular with sprinters.  With all the options that were open to the SEAA around the south east, it really doesn't add up that they've chosen the far extremity of Kent."

Competing at Ashford will be indoor bronze medalist Jason Hussain in the 200m, along with indoor silver medalist Lawrence Wooldridge.  Jack Miller goes in both junior sprints, while Kieron Daley will line up alongside him, with both hoping to further add to lifetime bests over 200m earlier this season.

Matt Threadgold will have high-tailed it down the motorway from Loughborough University to contest the 400m event, while the fastest sprinter Trackspeed1 have ever had, James Ellington, had travelled to Stockholm with the British team competing in the European Teams Championships.

"We were hoping James would get the opportunity to run in a non-match 100m this weekend," said John Powell, "but the decision was made that the team want to get a world top 16 time to qualify for the world championships.  The priority was keeping the whole team fresh."

POWELL'S FAMILY TO GROW BY ONE!!

Trackspeed1 coach John Powell was all smiles this week as he announced that he is to become a father again early in 2012!

"It's very early days indeed at the moment," he said, "but my wife and I were always comfortable with letting the news out as soon as we knew.  We've had loads of good wishes from people which is terrific.  2012 is going to be an even bigger year than we thought!  Suffice to say, I am absolutley ecstatic at the news, as is my wife."

TRACKSPEED1-2 IS SPOT-ON !

It simply doesn't get any better at this stage of the season - a squad one-two, in the showpiece race of the meeting at the Bedford International Games on Sunday!


James Ellington - aching for races at world class level, but currently having to settle for domestic bliss with a zero budget - was in a class of his own ahead of current and past internationals in the race of the day.  He clocked 10.41 seconds in dreadful conditions, pulling training companion David Bolarinwa (still only 17) into second behind him.

It was a class run - there is nothing else that can be said.  He beat everyone, and even afforded the luxury of shutting down well short of the finish line.  James is the interloper this year - a real inconvenience to those already ear-marked for World Championship selection, but he is now making it consistently clear that selection for the sprints in the World Championships in Korea in August, will be anything but straight forward this year!

David Bolarinwa - by far the country's best junior sprinter in years, and already being labelled the next Mark Lewis-Francis - was second behind his training partner, clocking 10.52s in the rain.  He now travels to a European meeting in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday, confident that there is at the very least a 10.2(lows) ion the tank over 100m.

Trackspeed1 coach John Powell is usually pretty reserved after races, but was screaming after the Bedford showpiece.  It wasn't the World final, but he knew a one-two at this level was some achievement:

"I was again impressed with James, but he's got to produce a real time in good conditions.  The weather in the UK is so frustrating, it's unbelievable.  But it will come.  Everyone can see the sort of form he'd in, and he will produce something very special in the very near future.

"David is obviously on terrific form, but again he needs to remain very focussed and realise the real challenge of the year will be in the trials for the European Junior Championships in 2 weeks' time, and then of course in the European Championships themselves.

"The one-two though was absolutely terrific, although we now have to search for a race for James after he comes back from the European Team Championships this weekend.  He's in the GB relay team, and has been banned from running as an individual because they want a world top 16 time to quaify for the World Championships.  I understand that, but James needs races, and now we have to look for something a week later.  It's a challenge because, without funding, flights and travel are a huge problem for him."

The Bedford fixture - held in the cold and pouring wet conditions that created the nightmare for most, let alone the headwinds in the sprints straight, also saw Trackspeed1's Jason Hussain produce a very positive 200m performance.  He finished second in his race but had to settle for a very modest 22.22s, with training partner Lawrence Wooldridge a shade behind in 22.23s.

In another 200m race, 17-year-old Edmond Amaning produced an outstanding 22.30 run - his opening race of the season after no fewer than three hamstring injuries in quick succession over the past 3 months,.

John  Powell commented: "These were great performances on the conditions, and Edmond was far better than he thought immediately after the race.  Lawrence especially should have been heading back south full of confidence."

Now John will fly to Bilbao with David Bolarinwa this weekend, while the rest of the squad contest the South of England Championships, at Ashford, Kent.

"It's a joke having the Southern Championships in Ashford,", said Powell.  "Apart form the geography, the conditions there are always poor for sprinters, and there are many more far better options than deepest Kent.  But hey, why should the athletes ever matter!"

This weekend also saw the London Schools Championships staged at Battersea Park.  Anton Daley took second in the intermediate Boys 100m with a lifetime best 11.1s - pretty impressive given he suffered a cramp twice on the way up the straight!  All first 3 finishers were recorded at 11.1s.

ELLINGTON'S BATTLE CRY

Trackspeed1's reborn world class sprinter James Elliington cannot wait to face the best the planet has to offer!  Competing for Great Britain in Regensburg, Germany today, he clocked 10.39s and 10.40s, winning both heat and final in the Sparkassen Gala.  Only thing was - both were into a -1.8 and then -3.1m/s headwind!


They were two hugely impressive performances which had the British team management watching in awe as he demolished an international field.  The headwinds obviously prevented any spectacular times, but gave the clearest indication yet that James is ready to deliver something very special indeed given the right conditions.


Ellington next goes into action alongside several of his Trackspeed1 training comrades, on the brand new Mondo surface at Bedford, on Sunday (12thJune).  The Bedford International Games will provide the next potential forum for the 25-year-old South Londoner to prove that he really has broken through into the ranks of world class athletics this year.


Included in the Bedford line-up will be 24-year-old Jason Hussain, who roared to two of the fastest sprints of his life on Saturday.


While Ellington was undergoing the German experience, Hussain was a little nearer home in Barnet, North London, competing in the British League's opening fixture.  He clocked a lifetime's fastest 10.65s in the 100m, but could not record it as a personal best due to the tail wind of +2.6m/s.


The story was the same in the 200m where, despite drawn in lane 8, Jason clocked the second fastest time of his life of 21.33s, but this was again struck from the record books due to the following 2.4m/s tail wind.


"Jason is slowly but surely improving this season towards the form of his life," said coach John Powell.  "He had a bit of a hic-cup in training during May, but he has picked up again now, and I would fully expect him to record lifetime bests in both sprints in the very near future."


Looking ahead to the Bedford fixture on Sunday, Powell was extremely upbeat:  "We've had a few injury issues this year, but this Sunday represents the first major domestic fixture of the season, and all of our seniors plus a couple of juniors will be there.  The fields could be stunning if everyone shows up, so it's game-on, and alot of our guys are in good shape now."

TRACKSPEED TRIO IMPRESS IN AUSTRIA

Trackspeed1’s party who flew to the Liese Prokop Memorial meeting, in St Polten, Austria yesterday (June 2^nd) may have been a little depleted, but that did not prevent further progress into the 2011 summer season.

David Bolarinwa (17) again impressed with three significant performances which converted to at least as good – if not better – than his lifetime best marks recorded at Bedford for days earlier.

In the 100m heats he recorded 10.42s to win ahead of 10.1 man Ryan Moseley, the Austrian number one senior.  Although slower than his lifetime best of 10.29 at Bedford, it was run into a headwind of -1.8m/s.

David Bolarinwa (right) out-dips Austrian number one 
Ryan Moseley in the 100m in St Polten.

In the final, he was confronted with Moseley again, determined to exact revenge in front of the home crowd, and the talented Commonwealth Games semi-finalist Adrian Griffth (Bahamas), who romped home to win in 10.28.

David clocked another 10.42 into another headwind of -1.2m/s, while Moseley pipped him for second this time, with a slightly superior 10.36s.

“Both efforts convert to a shade faster than his best performances on Sunday,” explained coach John Powell, “so I am more than satisfied.  David is a huge competitor, and although he knows there are areas of his race that need improvement, you can never fault him for effort on any outing.”

David later took part in his first 200m of the season, and recorded 21.35 in second place behind Matthew Mathiau (Bahamas) athlete, who clocked 20.90 into a -1.8m/s headwind - not a bad comparison with an athlete who has run 20.3 in the past and who reached the Olympic Games semi finals in Beijing. 

Matt Threadgold should have been well into his season by this stage, but for a hamstring injury, compounded by a groin problem over the last month.  He was therefore opening up his 2011 campaign, and succeeded with a second-placed 48.94s 400m effort.  With a best of 48.5, this was a more than encouraging performance.

In the 200m races at the end of the meeting, Lawrence Wooldridge added a 21.81s run to his two earlier 100m efforts of 11.08s and 11.00s, both into headwinds, while Threadgold suddenly discovered the penalties of fatigue after early-season 400s, managing only 22.51s in his race, albeit into another headwind.

This weekend, some Trackspeed1 athletes will compete in league competition for their cllubs before the meaty part of the summer kicks in with the Bedford International Games on June 12^th.  James Ellington, however, is representing Great Britain in an international meeting in Germany, on Saturday (June 4^th).