WEEK OF DESTINY EXTENDS TO DAVID

There is no doubt about it - the next seven days will take an already phenomenal season for Trackspeed1 into orbit - or toward a crash landing!


The Olympic trials this weekend will almost certainly decide the destiny of James Ellington, whose A-standard 200m time set in Geneva 2 weeks ago lines him up as a real contender for Olympic status. For him it is simple - finish first or second in Birmingham, and he is selected for the Olympic Games.  But it isn't just him who will be looking to impress.

The rest of the senior squad - and some juniors too - will be looking to run the race of their lives in front of a capacity Birmingham crowd and, of course, the TV cameras.

The weekend just gone should have been a virtual formality for David Bolarinwa confirming his place in the British Junior team to compete in the World Junior Championships, in Barcelona, next month.  He certainly gained the option of automatic selection in winning the 100m on Saturday, but a sciatic nerve problem forced him to withdraw from the final of the 200m which has become his favoured event of late.

Now David will join training partners at Birmingham and is likely, if fit, to run the 200m to reinforce his claim on selection in the longer sprint.  Selectors meet on Monday to finally decide the team.  The added complication has been that Josh Street clocked 20.90 to win the 200m on Sunday, and so got the one automatic place, only one place remains.

With new GB wonder kid Adam Gemilli having clocked 20.61s in the heats (he too withdrew from the final), if he opted to double at Barcelona in 100m and 200m, David would have to settle for the 100m.

So it's all about Birmingham now, with Ellington leading the Trackspeed1 line-up.  He will be joined by Edmond Amaning, whose outstanding umpteenth personal best of 21.13 in second place at Bedford puts him in with an outside chance of a finals berth in Birmingham.  Jason Hussain will also run both sprints, Andrew Matthews the 100m, and Ed Harrison the 400m hurdles.  Julian Thomas is likely to major on the 200m.


For an update on day one of the World Junior Championship Trials at Bedford, see the earlier blog written on Saturday (16th)