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.

NEWS GETTING BETTER FOR TS1

As the week opened it was beginning to look b leak, but Trackspeed1's season looks to be back on the rails after a series of really good news stories suggested 2010 could yet be the best ever.

First, James Ellington's injury was reviewed by doctors and judged to be a grade two tear which would keep the British number three off the track for a few weeks, but nowhere near the weeks or months initially feared.

Then the squad's youngest athlete, 15-year-old Omari Carr-Miller, whose nightmare winter saw him nursing a recurring stress fracture in his left shin, completed his comeback with a superb 50.3 second effort over 400 metres in the Surrey Schools final to ensure selection for the prestigious English Schools Championships in July.

Omari was the country's number two last year as an under-15, but hit the rocks in October as injury frustrated his plans for a sturdy winter with his new squad.

"Omari has been incredibly determined," said coach John Powell, "and many 15-year-olds would not have stayed the distance, but Omari stuck at it and now he is almost back to his best."

In addition, Dele Onifade put a winter full of injury behind him with some solid sprints in the South of England Championships last weekend, and pronounced himself fit for the under-23 nationals this weekend in Bedford.  And training colleague Danny Doyley at last opens his 2010 account in an open meeting in Tooting Bec.

"It's been a difficult time for two or three otherwise very talented sprinters in the group, but now we are optimistic that everyone can enjoy a really fruitful and productive second half of the summer," said John Powell.

Competing in this weekend's national under-20 and under-23 championships, in Bedford, are Femi Owolade, Dele Onifade, Samuel Adeyemi, and David Bolarinwa.

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.

DESTINATION: THE WORLD!

Trackspeed1 sprinters enjoyed an amazing opening day of their summer season today (Sunday 23rd) with success at home and abroad.

In Moscow, 16-year-old David Bolarinwa came within an inch of a second gold medal in three days, eventually finishing second in the 200m at the European Youth Olympics, clocking a lifetime's fastest 21.49s.

Meanwhile, back home, James Ellington opened his account at the Loughborough International meeting with his fastest ever 100m of 10.22s, albeit slightly wind aided (+2.5m/s).  Later he was awarded second leg for England seniors who proceeded to beat the Great Britain 4 x 100m relay team.

Also in action at Loughborough was Trackspeed1's Jason Hussain, who signaled a return to form with 21.58s from lane one (wind +2.3m/s).

Coach John Powell was smiling all the way back to his hotel on the Moscow Metro:

"Make no mistake, there is alot more to come yet," he said, "and this is only the start.  We knew we had athletes in form, and we haven't even seen the likes of Dwayne Grant and others in action yet.

"David did outstandingly well in Moscow, and just couldn't quite catch the Pole outside him, but gold on Friday in the 100m added to this silver makes him arguably the highest achiever as an individual in a major championship this squad has seen!

"And James has far more in the tank - don't forget he finished second ahead of Marlon Devonish, Christian Malcolm, Nick Smith and others - real scalps!

"And people may not think that the 2008 nightmare that saw Jason Hussain undergo punishing chemotherapy is of any relevance now, but I can say from personal experience that it is!  It rips the body apart, and the fact that he has fought back to this kind of form in little more than 18 months is a massive compliment to an exceptionally determined athlete."

John Powell will have to budget carefully this year, as his squad could potentially be competing all over the world!  Barcelona sees the European Championships, and Singapore the World Youth Olympics, where David Bolarinwa is now officially selected in the 100 metres.

"I am immensely grateful to United Kingdom Athletics (Jo Jennings in particular) for helping me attend Moscow," he said, "but I now have to work out how I can afford to get myself potentially to the Far East as well as any other majors, not to mention domestic competitions all over the UK.  And if anyone gets selected for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi....!"

BOLARINWA STRIKES GOLD IN MOSCOW

Trackspeed1 teenage sprint sensation, David Bolarinwa, struck gold for Britain in Moscow today (21st May), as he powered to the European Youth Olympic 100 metres title in a lifetime's best time.

David, whose heat time of 10.72s was the fastest qualifying mark, clocked 10.68s in near perfect conditions, beating the fastest athletes in Europe by some margin - second was a German competitor in 10.85s.

Celebrating the squad's first European Gold since Chris Lambert won the Under-23 200m title in 2003, coach John Powell was grinning from ear to ear:

"He didn't have the greatest of starts, and we have to work on that, but his transition and pick-up was absolutely awesome," he said.  "I'm delighted for him because he has worked hard for this, and it's a great springboard now for the rest of the season, let alone the years to come."

David will get little rest though - he goes again on Saturday (22nd) in the heats of the 200m, which are due off at 4.20pm BST.  The final is at 4.30pm BST on Sunday.

David celebrates gold on the rostrum with the other medalists

European Youth Olympic 100m Champion 

with a delighted coach, John Powell.

BOLARINWA FACES EURO TEST

See end of this story for updates from Moscow...

Trackspeed1's latest teenage sprint sensation, 16-year-old David Bolarinwa, faces his sternest test yet today (May 21st), as he opens his account in the European Youth Olympics, in Moscow.

The heats of the 100m go at 1210m local time, and the final at 7.40pm.  Moscow lies three hours ahead of the UK, so by late afternoon in London the title will have been decided.  The event doubles as the trials for the first ever World Youth Olympics, to be held in Singapore in August.

It will be a tough test for David, with fellow Brit' Jerome Musa Lawal having already clocked a faster time this year, plus rivals from Russia and Turkey.  The top four go to Singapore , but only one British athlete can be selected.

Speaking from the Olympic complex in Moscow, coach John Powell commented: "This will be a tough test.  David is in great form, but he is almost a year younger than Jerome, and we know there are at least two other lads faster than him on paper."

David runs also, as the only Brit', in the 200m tomorrow (heats) and Sunday (final), and so has two chances of selection for the prestigious world event later in the summer.

MOSCOW UPDATE...


11:10am BST - David Bolarinwa came through the heats of the 100m in the European Youth Olympics unscathed, and qualified for this afternoon's final as the fastest in the field.


He clocked 10.72s, equal to his one other performance this year, set in Florida, USA, two weeks ago.  Fellow Brit' Jerome Musa Lawal, failed to qualify after finishing second in his heat with the winner only sure to go through.


Of the other strongly fancied athletes, the Italian pulled up with a hamstring tear, but both Russians looked very impressive.  The final goes at 16:40 BST, and this website will be updated later this evening.

David Bolarinwa wins his heat with ease in Moscow

OSHO LEAVES TRACKSPEED1

Set Osho, who clocked several lifetime best performances over 400m in 2009, and clinched bronze in the World Championship Trials, has left Trackspeed1 after only 20 months.

Coach John Powell cited unreconcilable differences between coach and athlete, along with a deteriorating relationship with fellow athletes in the group.

"Set called me just before we left the U.S., but I would have called it when we got back anyway.  Set had tremendous potential as an athlete, but for some reason he has drifted this last 8 months, and hence unsurprisingly his performances have fallen.

"In Trackspeed1 we have a vast network of advice and opportunities stretching the globe as well as at home, and all we ask in return is for respect and engagement.  I believe the successes of our group over the years endorse that approach.  It is a shame Set chose to look elsewhere."

ATHLETES HEAD HOME HUNGRY!

Trackspeed1 athletes training in Florida for the past 3-4 weeks arrive home this weekend hungry for competition to commence.  Initially blighted by volcano ash that delayed departure, and then electrical storms canceling their opening races, the news from the south eastern corner of the U.S. is now all good!

"We've had some set-backs," said coach John Powell, "but this has ended up being one of the most positive camps I've been on, and we have had absolutely no injury problems at all.  Times in training have progressed beyond previous years, and all everyone wants to do now is race.

"I'm not expecting PB's straight away, although most people have shown an ability to go very close already, but I would be surprised if we don't have a really good summer if everyone stays clear of injury."

Some members of Trackspeed1 will open their account at the Loughborough International meeting on Sunday 23rd, and others will wait for the annual inter-counties championships, in Bedford, on 30-31st May.

The annual pre-season camp in Florida features just about everything a track and field athlete can wish for in optimising preparation for the summer season.  The weather is clearly a huge plus, with 80-90 degrees guaranteed daily, but the training facilities put the UK to shame and explain very clearly why athletes drift away from home shores in April and May.

Trackspeed1 have partnerships with the now ESPN Wide World of Sports, and access outstanding facilities there both on track and in the gym.  Clermont's National Triathlon Training Centre provide access to six-star physio' treatment at discounted cost if and when needed, and there is an alternative track and gym facility there also.

Couple this with opportunities for developing athletes such as David Bolarinwa to train with some of the world's best seniors under the watchful eye of US sprints supremo Brooks Johnson, and it begins to look like a pretty attractive package!  Just a few photographic memories appear hereunder...

The Florida squad (l-r): Jer O'Donoghue, Dwayne Grant, 

James Ellington, Jason Hussain, front - David Bolarinwa, 

John Powell, Ellie Doel.

David Bolarinwa gets a thorough screening by manager 

Leah Dearman, at Clermont's six-star physiotherapy and 

rehabilitation facility

Training on the final day saw the previous three years' 

records re-written! L-R: Jer O'Donoghue, James 

Ellington, David Bolarinwa

Experience tells!  Seasoned international James Ellington

imparts words of wisdom with video feedback to young

prospect David Bolarinwa

No competition for Trackspeed1.  James Ellington leads 

Dwayne Grant and David Bolarinwa home in the 200m at 

a High School meeting in Orlando. 

Jason Hussain training at ESPN - his nightmare of 3 years

traveling there injured, now well behind him!

GODS NOT LOOKING KINDLY ON TRACKSPEED1

The second "act of God" in less than a month frustrated Trackspeed1's pre-season preparations yesterday (6th May), as electrical storms prevented their opening competition from taking place.

The annual University of Central Florida Twilight track meet, a traditionally high class affair, failed to kick off as the skies clouded over, the rain poured down, and thunder and lightening put the whole UCF campus on 'red alert'.

"We're all frustrated as anything," said coach John Powell, because we simply can't wait to get going this year, but we have the Lake Brantley meet tomorrow (May 8th)."

Trackspeed1 have all their Florida athletes competing at the Florida Gliders Spring Classic meeting at Lake Brantley High School, Orlando.  "It's a bit of a crazy meeting with loads of kids and a rather unpredictable timetable," explained John, "but the senior races are usually pretty classy, and we know some from the UCF event may well be chasing late entries."

In true American style, the timetable begins at 7.30am and works through to 5pm.  Looking to be in action over 100m will be James Ellington, David Bolarinwa, Dwayne Grant and Jer O'Donoghue, with all bar O'Donoghue in the 200m with the addition of Jason Hussain.

The squad will also make a late entry in the 4 x 10m relay to see if their quartet of O'Donoghue, Grant, Bolarinwa and Ellington can crack the 40-second barrier, which would see them into the IAAF world rankings as a training group - possibly the first European squad to do so!

With UCF cancelled, we were able to do a couple of baton changes at the ESPN track today (Friday)," said John, so we'll see what happens.  At the end of the day it's about the individual events mainly, although a good relay would be a great boost early on in the year for everyone."

 

Trackspeed1 relay practice at the ESPN training track today (7th)

Storms sweep across the UCF track yesterday, postponing Trackspeed1's kick-off to the new season by 48 hours.  They compete at Lake Brantley tomorrow (8th)

LATEST UPDATE RE: WARM WEATHER TRAINING

Trackspeed1 athletes due to fly to Florida for pre-season training last weekend are still rooted in the UK.  The Icelandic volcano continues to frustrate their trip, as well as those of many others.

A multi-agency meeting of key agencies including the British Government is scheduled for 7pm today 20th April, and Virgin Atlantic are updating passengers via their website at 10.30pm.

Coach John Powell and one athlete are rescheduled to travel tomorrow 21st at 1pm.  "The good news is that we haven't been cancelled yet," said John, "but it's getting very tight again, and if we are cancelled again, it gets hugely complicated with other athletes on different flights potentially flying ahead and having to manage cars and accommodation bookings themselves.

"The next availability is Monday at the earliest apparently, so a further cancellation makes this a real nightmare.  Much longer and we would have to evaluate how beneficial a trip would be from a training perspective, although I suspect some athletes will want to travel whenever they can."

TRACKSPEED1 GROUNDED !

Trackspeed1 athletes, coach John Powell, and therapists Stuart Phazey and Lucy Eggleton, have been grounded after their pre-season training camp in Florida failed to take off following the Icelandic volcano eruption last week.

The group, who would have included British Senior Internationals Dwayne Grant, James Ellington and Set Osho, not to mention youth starlet David Bolarinwa, and others, were due to leave on Sunday.  The whole group has been rescheduled now across the next few days, but coach John Powell, along with one squad member, have been put on a flight on Wednesday, and are now counting on some rapid progress.

"We are really tight for time now," said John, "and we are counting on the fact that the volcano has calmed down a bit today and might actually see UK airspace open again in time for us to fly.  We now have Dwayne booked for Thursday, James Friday, and the rest on Sunday.  But of course all that assumes there are planes in the right place to fly on!

"It's a logistical nightmare, because if I don't fly first, all the paperwork and bookings have to go with the first athlete to travel, and if that's Dwayne, he isn't one of those in our party who has a hire car reserved, so the likelihood is that at least he would have to be rebooked again."

Meanwhile, the squad have defaulted to training back at Crystal Palace and, although there were a few discontented athletes there on Sunday morning (instead of sitting on a Boeing 747 jet!), at least the weather was perfect for a track workout originally scheduled for Florida on Tuesday!

"We've got some athletes in seriously good shape this year," said John, "so wherever we train I reckon we are on for a great summer.  It's just devastating to have a month's trip to the sun that we had all been yearning after such a terrible winter, snatched from under our noses at such short notice."

The latest update was from Sky News 4pm on Monday 19th April, saying that flights could resume in Scotland tomorrow morning, and in the south by evening, but this was dependant on the volcano (below) continuing to calm down.

HUSSAIN PASSES WITH FLYING COLOURS

Trackspeed1 stalwart Jason Hussain passed an early health check with flying colours at Crawley on Sunday (28th March), as he stormed to a 300m victory almost a second ahead of the rest of the field.

Competing in a local open meeting, and anxious to put a nightmare two years behind him, the former British Junior International clocked an outstanding 34.88 seconds to underline just how well training is now going.

Jason suffered the ultimate nightmare in 2008 with a summer of misery undergoing chemotherapy which threatened his very athletics career, and the legacy of that holed last year's season below the waterline.  2010 though, it would seem, is likely to be a whole different ball game!

Trackspeed1 coach John Powell was impressed as he witnessed Hussain's Sussex run: "Jason ran well, and for where we are in training right now, anything below 35 seconds is great," he said.  "We learned alot from the race too - stuff we can work on to improve his 200m as his main event this year.  After his last couple of years, it was great to see him walk off the track with a smile on his face too."

Hussain's closest rival in Crawley clocked just over 35.7, and his performance was undoubtedly one of the best at the meeting, which represented an exceptionally early test for track athletes.  Hussain will now train on for three weeks before leaving for the squad's pre-season training camp in Florida where he will work on final preparations for the summer season for four weeks.

BOLARINWA HEADS TO MOSCOW

Trackspeed1's newest young sprints ace, David Bolarinwa, is heading to Moscow just days after returning from the United States on the squad's warm weather training camp.  The 16-year-old Cambridge Harrier has been selected to compete for Great Britain in the European Youth Olympics.

Bolarinwa, together with coach John Powell, return from the 4-week training camp, which will include at least one competitive outing at the University of Central Florida's high profile annual spring meet, and have just four days in the UK before going through another set of time zones east to the Russian capital.

The event represents the trials for the main event of the year, the World Youth Olympics, in Singapore, in August, and the powers that be reckon Trackspeed1's representative has a great chance of qualifying.  Right now the plan is that he will compete in the 100 metres.

SENSATIONAL BOLARINWA THE BEST IN UK HISTORY: OFFICIAL !

Trackspeed1 superkid, David Bolarinwa, is now the best all-round under-17 sprinter of all time!  An amazing weekend saw him take the Midlands by storm, clinching both the 60m and 200m national indoor titles in sensational style, in Birmingham's National Indoor Arena.

He clocked a lifetime best 6.81s in the 60m final on Saturday (27th) to become the third fastest of all time, and capped that with a 21.59s 200m in Sunday (28th) which is also the third fastest ever Briton.  It was within only a few hundredths of British International Tim Benjamen's 200m record mark set over ten years ago. But with different names ahead of him in each event, his combined efforts make him an all-time number  one!

Its all systems go now for the 16-year-old Cambridge Harrier, and his sights will now be focussed on Moscow in May for the European Youth Olympics, after which it is hopefully a ticket to Singapore for the World Youth Olympics.

"This was a fantastic weekend's work," said an absolutely delighted coach, John Powell.  "David is learning so much all the time, and improved even during this weekend.

"The focus in the summer now looks as if it will be the European Youth Olympics in Moscow in May.  They act as trials for a European team in the World Youth Olympics in Singapore in August.  Quite frankly, the real dilemma is what event to do - or to double up 100/200m if we are allowed to.  The way this weekend has gone - and the indications in training - would suggest David could be a real cntender for a medal in both Moscow and Singapore.  It's a great position to be in."

UK Athletics have made it clear that competing in the Youth Olympics and the World Junior Championships is not an option, but Powell isn't worried in the slightest:

"David has two years as an under-20 after 2010, and he will get a crack at both Eurpean and World Championships at that level before graduating to the senior ranks.  It would be great experience to witness a World Juniors this year while still so young, but he'll only get one crack at the youth Olympcs, so that has tobe our priority now."

Bolarinwa will now go back to training with his Trackspeed1 squad at Crystal palace, and go to the USA in April with a number of his senior training partners for pre-season training.  His otdor season is likely to open with an outing at the University of Central Florida in May.

DAVID BLASTS TO ALL-TIME NUMBER TWO!

Trackspeed1 teenage sprints ace, David Bolarinwa, switched into overdrive last Sunday and notched the equal second fastest time over 60 metres by a 16 year-old in the UK - ever!l


Competing in a low key Sutton open meeting at the Greenwich Leisure arena in Surrey, the Cambridge Harrier from Thamesmead clocked 6.84 seconds to put down the fourth fastest time of the meeting.


Bolarinwa had begun the competition in the first round with a modest 7.08 second run, which prompted coach John Powell to deliver a few stern words of motivation for the second run - and they obviously worked!


David won both races, beating senior counterparts in the latter, and posting the fourth fastest time of the entire meeting.  It will be a performance which will be a small but nevertheless significant contribution toward his staking his claim for a place in the team competing in Moscow in May.  These are the trials for the World Youth Olympics, being held in Singapore in the summer.


"David is keen to be part of the Moscow event," said John Powell, "but he is a year young and there is a long way to go before we get there, He obviously has a great chance, but when you have a talent like David, it is easy to get carried away, and that is exactly what I do not intend to do."


David now remains unbeaten in eight races in what has been his first season running indoors, and he will be hoping to continue that into the London Indoor Games at Lee Valley Athletic Centre this weekend (30/31st).

"DB 7" - BOLARINWA PROVES HE'S MORE THAN NAME AND NUMBER!

David Bolarinwa steamrollered into the record books at the weekend with two golden sprints that has established him as one of the fastest teenagers ever in Britain.

The sixteen-year-old Trackspeed1 starlet proved that his initials - and competitor number (7) - at the South of England indoor Championships, stretched beyond a certain celebrity's exploits on a football field!

Gold medal number one! David (below) is all smiles after the 200m!

David clocked the three fastest times of the meeting over 200m, recording 23.02s in the heats of the 200m, 22.56 in the semi-finals, and 22.34 in the final remaining unbeaten on day one (Saturday).

In the 60m on Sunday however, he impressed right from the off. In the heat he clocked 7.10s, the semi-final still faster at 6.97s, and in winning the final, recorded the sixth fastest time by any 16-year-old Briton over the distance, 6.87s.

Arguably, David produced two of the leading performances of the weekend at the Lee Valley Athletic Centre, and the World Schools 100m silver medalist has certainly lined himslef up for the next couple of seasons as one of the most exciting teenage sprint talents around.

His 60m time has coach John Powell convinced that he can improve by the time his protegee reaches the national indoor championships in Birmingham on February 27/28th. Already though, the Cambridge Harrier from Thamesmead has his performances rubbing shoulders with the likes of British Senior International Craig Pickering and others.

"David coped with what was, remarkably, his first ever indoor competition, very well indeed," said John Powell. "Coming to grips with the sharp bends and ramps that typify an indoor arena is not easy, but David adapted phenomenally well.

David leads the 200m final home at Lee Valley

"He is a very raw talent indeed, and has an awful lot to learn, but equally as importantly, I learned alot about David at the weekend, and there is alot we can now do to improve toward the summer season. It's exciting times for sure."

David competes again this Sunday at Sutton's indoor track over 60m, and then returns to Lee Valley the weekend after to contest the London Indoor Games when he will again double up over 60m and 200m.

Also competing at Lee Valley in the South of England event was Dwayne Grant in his first indoor contest for some time. He recorded a respectable 6.81s in the semi-final, although his main focus remains on events later in the year. Femi Olowade was also a semi-finalist in the 200m but failed to make the final after a nightmare draw in lane one made qualification a virtual impossibility having misjudged pace in the first round.

POWELL FURY AT 'SHAMBOLIC PALACE'

Trackspeed1 coach John Powell has slammed the capital's sports facilities as 'seriously sub-standard' and, in the case of his home venue, Crystal Palace, 'shambolic'.

His words came as the big freeze added insult to injury, consigning his squad of talented internationals to a single 60 metre straight in a squalid indoor facility in south east London.

What was formerly the shining star and spiritual home of track and field in the UK, Crystal Palace 'National Sports Centre' is left to languish under inches of snow.

"What is even worse," said Powell, "is that the indoor track has doors with hinges hanging off hence allowing pigeons to seek refuge from the cold. The soiling all over the track has to be seen to be believed. But I've been using the facility since 1975 and I can't recall the indoors ever being cleaned.

"The corrugated plastic windows have pulled away from the walls, so we freeze in there anyway, and if it rains, the roof leaks so badly the bottom half of the track floods. There are disgusting fluid stains all over the place, it's revolting."

As London prepares for the 2012 Olympics it might not be entirely unreasonable to expect some investment in legendary iconic venues such as the Palace, but Greenwich Leisure, the current tenants, don't see it that way, and actually shut the place down out of hours for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year.

"I couldn't believe it,"said Powell. "We all have to work during the day, so can't train 9-5. They actually closed for 2 weeks in the evening, although credit where it's due that they gave in to our complaints and extended the track hours on 3 nights, but I've already been told it'll be shut at the end of 2010 because of lack of use. Just when athletes are trying to prepare for the indoor season. The attitude to our sportsmen and women in this country really defies belief - and then we wonder why we can't compete on the world stage!

"I've seen how the other half live in the States, and it puts us to shame. The only decent facility we have n London is at Lee Valley and that's way too far to go for my group. Sutton's got a decent indoor straight, but it has almost no local public transport and is a nightmare to drive to unless you are local."

Powell, who has the experience of having coached US athletes in California, Massachusetts, Florida, and New York, met with Crystal Palace management recently but they were unrepentant, citing business priorities that come before cleaning the indoor track or, much less, sweeping snow off the stadium area.

"There needs to be some political will to reinvest in the Palace. If I were Mayor Boris Johnson, I would be intensely embarrassed," said Powell. "A little investment in the place, and a bit of a clean up, and I'm sure you would get alot more use and, with 2012 not so far away now, it would provide an outstanding training base for some visiting teams."

Meanwhile, Trackspeed1 got its indoor season off to a modest start at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre on Sunday (10th). Samuel Adeyemi shattered his previous indoor best over 400m with a semi-final 51.19s effort that only just evaded qualification for the final. He had timed 51.45s in the heat, slicing a healthy second off his then best performance on the boards.

Ellie Doel was also in action, but disappointed with a 61.12s run in her heats, and which was insufficient to progress to the final.

"Ellie would rightly be disappointed with that," said Powell, "because she has been training way faster and is worth two or three seconds better. She'll improve next time though. Sam did well - a very smooth runner who, when he gets stronger, could switch up a gear and turn a few heads in the next 12-18 months."

BOLARINWA TAKES WORLD SILVER

Sixteen-year-old wonder-kid, David Bolarinwa, grabbed a superb 100 metres silver at the World Schools Championships, in Qatar last week. And his time of 10.76s was the second fastest of his life, despite the event coming in December when most sprinters are grafting through speed endurance and conditioning work!

He was beaten by fellow Brit, Jordan Arthur (10.67s), but with Arthur entering the under-20 ranks in 2010, and David still an under-17, David's performance simply underlined his immense promise as a real contender for honours in the not-too-distant future.

"There's no two ways about it," said coach John Powell, "David is a talent, and his silver medal at the Worlds was very well deserved, but he knows he has a very long way to go to break through to the big time in the real world.

"He hasn't been in Trackspeed1 for long to be fair, but I can say that he has already shown huge potential, and some of the seniors are already beginning to take him under their wing. He has big issues with his start and drive phase that need alot of work, but that is great news, because with a few basics being sorted pout, he can obviously run alot faster."

David is hoping to go warm weather training with his new squad to Florida in April, and that would represent a massive opportunity for him to prepare perfectly for his summer season, but that will depend on whether he gets funding to support him or not. He has already been rejected for Lottery funding, so only time will tell !

POWELL SCOOPS PRESTIGIOUS COACHING AWARD

Trackspeed1 coach John Powell scooped a high profile award at the recent Sportscoach UK coaching awards night, in Old Billingsgate, London.

The prestigious award, made at a glittering ceremony MC'd by BBC presenter John Inverdale, recognised John and the three other coaches who had been instrumental in guiding Triple Jumper Phillips Idowu's career to his World Championship gold in 2009.

The rewarding coaching excellence 'coaching chain' award was presented by Phillips on stage in front of a 600-strong audience, to his school teacher Humphrey Long, John Powell, who coached him as a junior, and John Herbert plus current coach Aston Moore.

Phillips spent four profitable seasons with Trackspeed1, peaking with a fourth place in the European Junior Championships, in Slovenia, in 1997. He improved from 12.32m to 16.36m bneforr moving on to John Herbert as a senior athlete.

Kevin Tyler, Strategic Head of Coaching and Development for UK Athletics, said: "This was a well deserved award. This is a great example of four coaches working unselfishly to help shape Phillips' life and athletic career. All (sic) are to be commended, the sport is fortunate to have you".

John Powell said: "I was delighted we won the award, it was a lovely evening, and great to have it presented by the athlete. Phillips is a superb example of what young athletes can achieve even if they aren't majopr medal winners in early years."

TRACKSPEED1 EVER STRONGER

Trackspeed1 confirmed who coach John Powell suspects will be the final new face to join the group this winter, as former Trackspeed1 multi-events teen, Layla Hawkins.

Layla had been waiting patiently to make a comeback into the sport after stress fractures in both feet sidelined her long term after a successful teenage contesting heptathlons.

Now 23, Layla (pictured here back in 2004) is serious about her training and is delighted to be back in her old training group.

"I really want to work hard," she said, "and see what I can achieve. I'm not one of these people who is simply social athlete."

"Layla always was a real talent," said John Powell, "and she never came close to her true potential. I just hope this time she can use a less fragile, adult body constructively toward success next summer."

Layla will focus on the 400m, which pitches her alongside new training partners Frederica Foster, Ellie Doel, and Savannah Echel-Thomson. She will also renew acquaintancs with athletes who were part o;f Trackspeed1 when she was last training, including Dwayne Grant and James Ellington.

"We really do have an amazing group now," said John, "made even better by the fact that everyone, irrespective of age, has an incredibly mature and hard-working approach to what is a really tough time training-wise. If it is maintained, people are going to fly in the New Year!"