Trackspeed1 coach John Powell was in shock this weekend after he learned yesterday that he has been awarded a Personal Coach accreditation package for the London Olympic Games.
He opened the email at 6.30am yesterday morning and said that he almost gave his wife a heart attack when he read it and spontaneously released a few words that he politely described as rather "spur of the moment!"
The "Personal Coach" pass means that he will be flown out to the pre-Games holding camp in Portugal and given free full-board and lodging with the Olympic team. He will be able to therefore personally oversee athlete James Ellington's final preparations before the Olympics.
UK Athletics head coach, Charles Van Commenee said to him in an email: "I am happy that you can now optimise James' preparations for the highlight of both your careers. Well deserved by long term determination and dedication. Fully enjoy the Games in your home town."
John was, as he put it, "totally blown away" by the award, and had actually already booked his journey to Portugal.
"Luckily I was able to cancel it," he said, "although the airline would only give me vouchers back, but I'll use them eventually. I simply didn't dream of being one of the accredited coaches, and I had been pretty much resigned to watching James race on the TV until recently."
UK Athletics have now said that personal coaches will be given a ticket to watch their athletes compete in the Games, and so John would have got to see James perform, but was not going to be able to access anywhere in the warm-up or training area, and would have had to personally bank roll any trip to Portugal. Now of course all that has changed.
"I am so grateful to the powers that be, especially Charles Van Commenee who I know had alot of influence on selection, and now obviously we need to ensure that James does his very best to repay the faith that has been shown in both he and his coach."John's pass will allow him access to pretty much all areas in Stratford, although he will be given specific tickets to watch James' races, the first of which is August 7th (200m round 1)
To celebrate the lifetime achievement of James making it to the biggest show on earth, his mother threw a party all day today at her home in south east London (see picture left), where dozens of friends and family gathered to congrat-ulate James and wish him well for the coming weeks. Former Trackspeed1 400m athlete Conrad Willliams was also there to celebrate his selection to the Games.
I had barely landed after the elation of the trials win a couple of weeks ago," said John, "and now I get this further news about coaching accreditation - I don't think I'm going to need a runay to come into land on until well afer the Games have finished!"
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