Fawwaz
Okunola powered to a sensational English Schools 100 metres title in Birmingham
on Saturday (6/7/13), and in so doing became yet another brilliant success story in a
glittering Trackspeed1 UK roll of honour over the years.
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Fawwaz Okunola - English Schools Intermediate Boys
100 metres Champion, and yet another international
graduate from Trackspeed1 UK |
It promised to be the closest fought final
on the programme sheet as the heats threw up two semi finals that were simply
too close to call. Fawwaz, the youngest
member of coach John Powell’s training squad, drew the fastest qualpifier,
Oliver Bromby (Hampshire) in the lane next to him.
Bromby had the crowd drawing breath as he
clocked 10.69s in the heats, but that was assisted by a +2.7 breeze, and evened
out with lesser winds in the other heats.
“I told Fawwaz he had to believe he could
beat Bromby and to really go for it in the semi, because if you go into a 100m
final with any doubts in your head you are finished,” said John.
Fawwaz had run 10.87 in the heats, a
hundredth off his PB, despite the negligible +0.3 breeze, but that reversed in
the semi to -1.4 as he saw off Bromby and others in a blanket finish. He clocked 11.00, just a hundredth ahead of
the Hampshire boy, with others closing in.
The final was set to be a classic.
With an international vest o offer for the
first two across the line, the stakes were high, but Fawaz took his opportunity
by the scruff of the neck. He blasted
out of the blocks, hit top speed, and switched on the after-burners as the rest
faded.
His 10.86s into a headwind of -1.5m/s in the final was exceptional, and would
convert to under 10.7 had that breeze reversed.
He crossed the line a clear tenth of a second ahead of the rest to take
gold, and be assured of a seat on the plane to Ireland next weekend for the
schools home international, representing England.
“I was delighted for Fawaaz, because it
came as the result of some conscientious training this last few months. He’s the youngest in the group, but probably
one of the most dedicated. He has three
years as an under-20 now, so we can develop him properly into hopefully a full
international.”
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| Fawwaz proudly shows off his English Schools gold |
Also competing in Birmingham was
Trackspeed1 UK’s Nathan Gilbert in the Senior Boys 100m. Nathan’s season promised so much, but had
thus far been frustrated with a lengthy hamstring problem, and more lately
illness.
The heats saw him glued to his blocks, but
he came through the field in the latter stages to qualify for the final in
second, clocking 11.00 facing a -1.4m/s wind.
In the final, he clocked a highly
respectable 10.86s with a -0.1 breeze, taking fifth place which, under the
circumstances, was exceptional. He
hadn’t finished there though!
With the new found belief that he could
still run despite all his trials and tribulations in recent weeks, he anchored
a nervous London Schools team in the 4x100m relay. None of the teams had thus far wpo a medal in
a disastrous string of results that, if continued in the senior boys race,
would make it their worst showing in 30 years!
Nathan was in no mood to return home empty
handed though, and duly took his team from fifth when he received the baton, to
the bronze medal position at the line, to complete a hugely satisfactory day
for the Trackspeed1 pair.
Both results were a massive testimony to
the success of the Trackspeed1 UK Academy launched only last Autumn. Intending to open an elite squad’s doors to
younger developing athletes, results like Fawwaz, and the potential shown by
Nathan have continued an impressive roll of honour for the group, stretching
back years into the early eighties.
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Nathan Gilbert - 5th in the Senior Boys 100m,
and took London to bronze in the relay |
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