HUSSAIN STRIKES DOUBLE GOLD AS PB's FALL AGAIN!

Trackspeed1 sprinter Jason Hussain struck gold - twice - at the Sussex County Championships over the weekend, running the fastest 200m of his illustrious career into the bargain!

Jason proudly displays gold medal number one after his sensational 200m in the Sussex 
Championships, at the K2 Leisure Centre, Crawley

The 25-year-old Crawley AC Athlete of the Year for 2011 entered the 200m final on Saturday afternoon alongside former training pal Wade Bennett-Jackson and British Junior International multi-eventer Seb Roger.

It was a hard-fought battle that Hussain won, but not after an early fright that saw Bennett-Jackson fly out of the blocks and tear round the bend!  Hussain's trademark surge in the second half of the race pulled him clear at the line though, recording a lifetime's fastest 21.2 seconds.  It won't enter the official record books though, as it was both hand timed and assisted by a 3.2m/s tail wind.

Undeterred, Hussain - the London indoor Champion for 2012 - moved on to the 100m on Sunday, and duly struck gold a second time with an 11.1 run into a -0.8m/s head wind.  They were two performances which led another superb weekend for Trackspeed1.

In the Kent County Championships, Omardo Anson equalled his lifetime best 200m despite being drawn in lane one in the final.  And he was rewarded with his first ever medal in athletics - silver - although better was to come 24 hours later.

Omardo Anson struck gold and silver at the Kent County Championships

Coping with the traditionally unpredictable and changeable conditions at the Ashford Julie Rose Stadium, Omardo, from Abbey Wood, charged to gold in the 100m recording an albeit modest 11.49s, but when considering a significant head wind, it was a highly respectable effort.

"Omardo emerged into track and field from Met-Track a couple of years ago,"explained coach John Powell, "and he was no star, but he has progressed and matured amazingly since.  He spent much of last year recuperating from a badly torn hamstring, so you could say this is his first ever proper season, and those two medals will never be more deserved, I am delighted for him."

Meanwhile, Trackspeed1 training partner Edmond Amaning was further improving his fastest ever 200m, making it three out of three so far this season.  Competing in the Middlesex Junior Championships at Mile End, he clocked 21.54 in the heat, and then 21.41 (wind +0.9m/s) to win the under-20 final.

"Edmond is a potentially very special talent," commented John Powell.  "He has a long way to go before he gets close to his real best, but clipping fractions off his best at every outing is a great way to go into early season.  I've said he could be a dark horse this year, and so far he has underlined that."

With a trip to Belgium mid-week for the European Permit meeting in Namur on Wednesday, and the Loughborough International on Sunday, it's all systems 'go' for Trackspeed1 in the biggest season for track and field in the UK ever!

"We've never had a start to a season like this," said John, "and I simply cannot wait for the next few weeks to play out - we could be heading for something very special indeed this year."

The squad's progress may stall slightly though - James Ellington was suffering from flu at the weekend, a European Junior 200m Champion David Bolarinwa has only just got over a nasty fever.  Conversely, injury-dogged Andrew Matthews is looking to put the last few troubled weeks behind him with a niggle-free 100m the other side of the English Channel on Wednesday.

Ed Harrison joins his sprinter companions in Belgium on Wednesday
when he hopes to improve his opening 400m hurdles of the season
(52.70s), set in Gainsville, USA, last month.