Showing posts with label Bedford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bedford. Show all posts

Monday, 21 June 2010

DAVID NOW WORLD NUMBER TWO!

Trackspeed1 wonderkid David Bolarinwa, 16, added a new dimension to sprinting at the weekend as he hit number two in the world under-18 rankings for 100 metres.

In a scintillating weekend's work at the England under-20 championships in Bedford, he not only grabbed the national title from under the noses of athletes far senior to him, but clocked an incredible 10.47 seconds, which leaves him as third fastest ever Brit, and second on this year's global lists for under-18's.

The latter is most relevant as his agenda takes him to Singapore in August for the World Youth Olympics, an under-18 competition.

"I think I might have cheesed a few people off," said David after the 100m on Saturday (19th), "because I'm friends with alot of the guys in the event, but nobody contacted me at all for ages afterwards.  I think they were a bit shocked that an under-17 beat them, but we're all fine now."

Bolarinwa had caught the eye of the crowd right from the off, as he stormed to victory in the heats in a wind-aided 10.62 - the fastest he had ever run over the distance thus far.  Then in the semi-final he clocked 10.43, but again the wind speed was over the legal limit.

When the clock stopped in the final everyone held their breath as the wind speed was communicated to the announcer's box.

"I must admit I was a bit awe-struck when we found out the wind speed was legal," said coach John Powell, "because this puts a copletely new dimension on David's career from here on.  He will be seen as the new kid on the block, and the fun will soon become pressure as expectations rise, but he has a stable head on his shoulders and I am confident he will handle it."

Bolarinwa had not finished though as, barely 24 hours later, he was in action again in the 200 metres, making it six races in a 24-hour period, a challenge for the most senior of athletes.

The heats saw him speed round in a fastest ever 21.36, but again the wind speed was just over the permitted limit, but in the semi-final it dropped, and his 21.17 saw him fire into fifth place on the all-time lists for his age in the UK.

The final saw his first technical slip of the weekend as he didn't quite hit the bend hard enough, and he entered the straight with it all to do.  His eventual third place in 21.21s, another wind-legal mark, earned him bronze in an age-group three years his senior, and wide acclaim as the athlete of the championships.

"David had an outstanding weekend and I'm immensely proud of him," said John Powell,"because not only did he run fast, he exeited his events really well in the main, and he is learning all the time.  He's a great talent, but there is still much work to do, both before Singapore, and in the longer term before we start thinking about senior athletics."

Bolarinwa next races in the British Athletics League for his club, Cambridge Harriers, on Saturday July 3rd, after which he will be defending his English Schools 100 metres title, in Birmingham, on July 9/10th.

Trackspeed1 had one other athlete in action at Bedford on Sunday in Femi Owolade, and he too travelled back down the M1 with a smile from ear to ear.

The 22 year-old Blackheath and Bromley athlete sped through the heats of the under-23 200 metres in a lifetime's fastest 21.44 seconds in first, and progressed through the semi-finals with 21.53, although only as a fastest loser to the final.

In the final, he was drawn outside in lane eight making a solo run a real challenge, but he came off the bend well in touch with the leaders, and held on for a bronze medal he dare not have even dreamed about beforehand.

"I can't believe it," he said afterwards, "getting a PB was one thing, but winning a medal is beyond my wildest dreams, I am really happy."

Finally, the news was at last getting better for UK number three over 100 metres, James Ellington, whose tragic hamstring tear in Geneva earlier this month saw his European Championship dreams evaporate.

The 24-year-old Belgrave Harrier began rehabilitation work in the hydrotherapy pool on Sunday, and now must battle to prove his fitness before final selection for the Commonwealth Games.  That is likely to be mid-August at the latest.
Femi Owolade is all smiles with his 200m Bronze at Bedford.

Monday, 31 May 2010

ELLINGTON POISED FOR GLORY

Trackspeed1's James Ellington stood poised to at last make his mark among the elite of British sprinting after a scintillating 200 metre victory at Bedford today (31st May).  He was competing in the annual inter-counties championship meeting.

The 24-year-old Belgrave Harrier timed the fastest half-lap sprint of his illustrious career of 20.86 seconds, but it was frustratingly assisted by a 3.1m/s following wind and so won't impact on existing rankings.  It nevertheless placed the former World Junior finalist among the top performers over both sprints in the UK this year.

"James is on fire this summer," said a delighted coach John Powell who has worked with Catford-born Ellington since the age of 13 bar two seasons.  "He has wintered really well, and touch wood, all the niggles of last year seem to have cleared up.  Although the winds have been just over the permitted limit for his early outings, it's obvious he's in great shape and only a matter of time before he puts down a serious - and legal - performance."

The weekend hadn't begun quite so positively for Ellington, as he false started in the 100m heats, and was given a straight red card under the new zero tolerance rules, a repeat of the scenario in last year's Crystal palace grand prix.

"We've looked at the film John took of the start, and the guy on my right twitched which is what set me off," said James.

Ellington now looks toward next weekend when he travels to Germany with the British team for an international meeting, contesting the 100 metres and 4 x 100m relay.

Also in action over the weekend for Trackspeed1 was 27-year-old Blackheath Harrier Dwayne Grant, who was competing in a European invitation meeting in Greece.

Grant clocked a season's best 100m of 10.42s, finishing third in the A-race, and went on to time another season's fastest 21.13s over 200m, also finishing third, and with legal wind speeds in both events.

"It's really coming together well this season," said John Powell, and there are other athletes in pretty good shape who haven't really got going yet, so 2010 is looking very positive right now."
James Ellington (left) and Dwayne Grant in training before 
a productive weekend's sprinting at home and abroad.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

ELLINGTON REHAB'ING WELL

James Ellington (pictured) continued his fight back to fitness as the Trackspeed1 pre-season training camp in Florida headed toward its close this week.

As the photograph suggests, James is at long last apparently shaking off injuries that have blighted his recent career throughout 2007 and 2008.  The session at Disney's Wide World of Sports saw James back in blocks for the first time in months, with subsequent flat out runs looking equally as convincing.

It's been a productive trip for the 23-year-old European under-23 4x100m gold medalist in 2007, with the results of time trials (published earlier on this site) underlining his progression back to full fitness.  James is likely to be opening his competitive account at Bedford on May 31st, defending the title he won over 100m at the Bedford International Games.  Depending on further progress, he may also choose to contend the 200m at that meeting also.

Meanwhile, the latest update from across the Atlantic was that there could be a premature end to track work this week, as violent storms swept across Central Florida, with a forecast of more to come this week!