LIFETIME MARKS CONTINUE TO FALL

With the exception of three long term injuries, and two other athletes yet to crack their best, and one of those not yet fully back from injury, the whole of Trackspeed1-UK have improved personal records already this season!

Ishmael Smith-John smashed two lifetime best sprints over 100m and 200m

 Two more records fell this weekend (5th June) with Blackheath and Bromley's Ishmael Smith-John improving over both 100m and 200m, and Shaftesbury Barnet's Jerome Lule slashing his previous 100m best mark by over three tenths of a second.

The performances came as the busy June schedule kicks in, with the South of England Championships next up this coming weekend 10/11th June.  Following that the England National under-20 and under-23 Championships take place in Bedford, and then the Olympic Trials and British Championships round off a chaotic month.

Some of the most notable performances this year have emerged early in the season, raising hopes that more may be to come in the championships and later season meetings.

These include Niclas Baker's phenomenal best 400m run which took three seconds off his fastest at this time last year, while David Bolarinwa's return to the group after a four-year absence, saw his fastest 100m time in 3 years recorded in April.  Even Chris Pope, out through injury for virtually two years, returned this weekend to the sub-11 second range over 100m in only his second outing of 2016!

Jerome Lule shattered his 100m best as Trackspeed1-UK athletes continue
to hit the form of their lives this year!

Another quite remarkable achievement was Sam Imhogiemhe's improvement from 11.5 to 10.74 over 100m this year, the only frustration there being that he has since suffered a hamstring niggle that has prevented surely inevitable consolidation on already spectacular improvement.

Niclas Baker has likewise had his progress suspended with a fall at home sidelining him with an ankle injury.  He hopes to be back in training this week after three weeks out - a break that cost him  selection for the England team competing at the Loughborough International last month.

Trackspeed1-UK coach John Powell was cautiously optimistic about his charges' prospects for the remainder of the season:

"It's been a great year so far," he said, "and with everyone setting PB's that is naturally very satisfying for a coach.  The injuries to Sam and Nic have been frustrating, and it's a real pity Jason Hussain has been taken out for the year with ankle surgery imminent, but it's clear the programme is working for most, so that has to be good!"

CHAKA'S ZERO ZERO HOUR!

Lifetime best performances continue to fall in abundance already this season for Trackspeed1-UK athletes, but the latest did not come without a hint of frustration for a hugely-improved Chaka Maillet.

Competing in a local open meeting in Norman Park, Bromley tonight (Monday 23rd) he lopped a healthy two tenths of a second off his fastest ever 100m, but clocking exactly 11.00 seconds was tantalisingly close to the elusive 10-point bracket hotly pursued by so many!

Chaka Maillet was in the form
of his life at Bromley tonight

"There are some significant barriers for a progressing sprinter," said coach John  Powell, "and eleven seconds is one.  A 10-point for Chaka will come for sure, but we all laughed out loud when the time was read out at Bromley, because for the sake of one hundredth of a second, Chaka has to wait until next time for his big breakthrough.  But let's not forget though, it was a great personal best anyway!"

Just 24 hours earlier training partners David Bolarinwa and Dean Hylton were in action at the Loughborough University International, and both posted hugely encouraging times.

Hylton set a season's fastest by three tenths of a second with a 10.72 second sprint, while Bolarinwa clocked 10.59 seconds.  The latter was slower than his opening 10.35 blast in the USA a few weeks earlier, but having been buried in final university exams ever since he flew back across the Atlantic, coach John Powell, as well as his athlete, was more than happy.

David went on to time 21.18s with a really positive 200m - his opening performance over the distance this season, and his fastest since 2013.

"There is far more to come from  David, we know that," said John Powell, "but he's got to finish his uni' course, then we can get back to business on the track."

It was an encouraging finale to a frustrating week for two other squad members, with Niclas Baker especially aggrieved after a twisted ankle sustained at home falling down the stairs prevented him from being able to accept a call-up to the England senior team for the Loughborough International clash.

It was yet another international born within the group, but on this occasion, it will be at least a few weeks before any second chances.  As this blog was published, Nic' was cautiously optimistic of getting back into training this week, and getting competition fit for the South England Championships, at Lee Valley, on June10/11th.

The vast majority of Trackspeed1-UK athletes have already surpassed their personal best times this year already, and that even stretched to the youngest member the group has had in several years.  Princess Manning, just turned 13, clocked 13.60s at Bromley in her first ever race in any competition. catapulting her into the top 80 athletes of her age in the United Kingdom.

SAM SPEARHEADS A GOLDEN WEEKEND

Sam Imhogiemhe triggered a golden county championship weekend for Trackspeed1-UK as he stormed to the Essex 100 metre title in one of the most spectacular lifetime best performances ever recorded!

Newly crowned Essex County 100m Champion Sam Imhogiemhe
is rightly all smiles after a massive personal best 10.74s sprint.

The 21-year-old sprints hopeful joined the squad last year as a modest 11.5 second athlete, and put down a decent 60m pb indoors during the winter months.  Saturday, however, saw him enter a new stratosphere with a phenomenal 10.74s win to clinch gold and wipe almost a second off his previous fastest time.

Yet more impressive though was the fact that he had been hospitalised after a car crash less than 2 weeks earlier and hadn't been able to train at all before his Essex outing!

It was the first of a clutch of medals for Trackspeed1-UK athletes competing in six different county championships.  Piers Chen took off to a nightmare start in the Oxfordshire 100m final, but recovered to run the second fastest time of his life to take gold.

In Middlesex, Niclas Baker started the 400m as hot favourite after his huge personal best 47.4s a week earlier, and duly obliged with a solo run that clocked 47.91 in the final.

Niclas Baker ran solo for the most part of the Middlesex 400m final,
which he won at a canter in 47.91s.

Three more medalist performances were to come over the weekend, with Ishmael Smith-John taking bronze in the Kent 100m final, and Oweka Wanogho clinching another bronze medalist in the Surrey 200m, albeit with a surprisingly below-par time.

Overall it was another series of outstandingly positive performances for the Crystal Palace-based squad, although the weekend ended with some concerns over injuries that hit no fewer than three of the group.

Niclas Baker fell on the stairs at home and twisted an ankle, Oweka Wanogho pulled up with a groin problem in the Surrey 100m heats after a scintillating first 40 metres, and then Yomi Adeyemi fell at the line in his Surrey 100m heat sustaining a suspected broken shoulder!

"The injuries were phenomenally frustrating," said coach John Powell, who visited the Middlesex meeting on Saturday and Surreys on Sunday.  "Oweka looked terrific out of the blocks in the 100m, but he was absolutely right to pull up when he felt a sharp pain in his groin.

"The situation with Niclas was a bit bizarre and he will need treatment this week.  What makes things worse is that Oweka and Niclas had been selected to compete in the Loughborough International next Sunday (22nd) and they now have to be real doubts.

"At this stage of the season though, you simply can't take any risks, and if they're not fit then they don't run.  There is far too much lying ahead for them to compromise the summer now.  By and large we have started really well this year and everyone is in the form of their lives, so we need to manage any hiccups like this shrewdly."

Oweka Wanogho exits the Surrey 100m as he pulls
up in the heats with what turned out to be
a very slight groin strain

It wasn't only medalist performances that impressed at the weekend though.  The squad produced five other sprints finalists, and in most cases performances were better than or at least very close to lifetime bests.  The 2016 season moves no next weekend  to the Loughborough International with David Bolarinwa, Niclas Baker, and Dean Hylton in action, with Sam Imhogiemhe waiting in the wings to see if he can grab an eleventh hour lane.

Others will be in action at the Blackheath and Bromley Open meeting on Monday 23rd, with the cancellation of this year's Bedford International Games leaving the bank holiday weekend a potential training weekend as things stand.

NINE PB'S, BUT NIC STEALS THE SHOW

Trackspeed1-UK athletes opened up their domestic season in East London today just 12 days after their return from their Stateside training camp, predictably impressing with nine lifetime best times.

Niclas Baker stole the show at Newham to record a massive
lifetime best time over 400 metres

Stealing the show though was 21-year-old Niclas Baker, who tore his previous 400 metres best time to shreds on the mondo surface that is the Newham Leisure Centre track, with an outstanding 47.41s lap, catapulting him into the top 25 in the UK.

A perfectly paced race saw him take control from the off, cruising the home bend, and holding strong on the home straight to win the race outright.  His performance cast into the shadows his existing best ever over the distance of 49.06s, set last year.

Leading short sprints performer was David Bolarinwa whose 10.66s into a -1.9m/s wind may have seen him beaten by the majority of an international class field, but it augured well for his season after a stressful week of university exam's and very little training.

Elsewhere it was a few of the largely unsung heroes of the squad who shattered previous best marks.  Emmanuel Adeoye took nearly two tenths off his 100m best, and then made a joke of his 200m fastest time with a performance well over half a second superior at Newham.

Jerome Lule, 19, ran his fastest 100m ever although was slightly wind-aided with a +2.4m/s breeze, while his 200m was another best ever, this time despite a -1.7m/s headwind.  Piers Chen equalled his fastest ever 200m after the second-fastest 100m of his career.

Chaka Maillet was forced to run into a gale of -3.1m/s in his 100m, but still came to within a tenth of a second of his fastest time ever, but then went on to crack his fastest ever 200m by a quarter of a second with a negligible +0.5m/s breeze behind him.

Coach John Powell who witnessed all the performances was more than pleased with the majority of his charges on the day.  He commented:

"Niclas was obviously outstanding, and should go faster this year.  He is a class act and could well turn some heads over the next 18 months.  It was good to see the PB's so early in the season, and from a coaching perspective I learned a fair bit about the group in a competitive environment.

"David has had a very difficult week, and was pitched into a challenging field which, if I were honest, wouldn't have helped at such an early point in the season, but he still faired really well, and will run a lot faster this year.

"There are several athletes in the group who are in their first year with me, and it's always an education when they first pitch into competition.  There was only one false start and subsequent disqualification too, which was pleasing, although that one culprit will be hearing from me next week!"

The next stop for Trackspeed1-UK athletes will be next weekend's County Championships at various venues around the home counties, and then that is followed by the annual Loughborough University International on Sunday May 22nd.

SENSATIONAL OPENER - GAME ON FOR 2016!

David Bolarinwa European Junior Champion in 2011, and World Junior finalist in 2012, is back!  A sensational 10.35 (wind +0.4m/s) opening 100m run yesterday (22/4) was his fastest in three years, and spurred training partner Oweka Wanogho to his first lifetime best since 2012.

David Bolarinwa is all smiles after his season
opening 100m shot him into the top five
rankings in the UK, his fastest sprint since 2013.

Wanogho clung to David's coat tails until around halfway when the former world class junior pulled away to decimate all but one of the field, while Wanogho hung on to third with 10.69s, shattering his previous fastest ever time.

It was a huge boost for the whole of Trackspeed1-UK who were eagerly awaiting news from the rain-soaked Percy Beard track facility, in Gainesville, Florida.  The meeting had been suspended for almost two hours, putting their record-breaking performances on hold, and adding to the pressure of a season's opener.

It is of course, early days, but after three seasons away, David's first year back with Trackspeed1-UK since 2012 would appear to hold great promise.  His run was his fourth fastest ever, and ranks as fifth fastest in the UK.  Wanogho himself crept into the top 10 in the UK for the first time ever.

Conditions ultimately were pretty good despite torrential rain holding up proceedings for a substantial period, which won't have helped preparations, with a season's opening competition always an added pressure.  The rain returned for the 200m later in the day, but the meet pushed on, and duly produced another lifetime best for John Powell's squad.

A double rainbow decorates a rain-soaked Gainesville
track where Trackspeed1-UK athletes completed
outstanding season debut performances

Nic Baker had never gone under 22 seconds in his life, but braved the wet to record 21.83s, one hundredth behind Wanogho, who is clearly destined to go much faster this year.

The results triggered a host of messaging within the remainder of the group who were unable to compete, with recent internal time trials suggesting that most athletes are on course for lifetime best performances this year, and that the coach's timing in training might have been accurate after all!

"It's incredibly early days," said John Powell who couldn't help but punch the air when Bolarinwa's time was revealed, "but it's great to get an endorsement of someone's form so early on.  We know what David is capable of, and we know that both Oweka and Nic are in the form of their lives.

"Now all we have to do is ensure the rest of the group prove that they are too!"

Virtually the whole squad will open up their UK season at Newham on May 8th.

40 YEARS A COACH

It was 40 years ago today that Trackspeed1-UK head coach, John Powell took his first coaching badge at Crystal Palace, with coach Ron Roddan, coach of eventual Olympic and World 100m Champion, Linford Christie. 

A montage of some of John's international athletes since the turn
of the century including Chris Lambert, James Ellington,
Dwayne Grant, Jason Hussain, and Wade Bennett-Jackson

During the ensuing four decades, what he describes as an "unimaginable rollercoaster" shaped his life and formed a sporting community that he sits at the centre of today.

Speaking from his squad's warm weather training camp in Florida, USA, he reflected on a voluntary career that shadowed but supplemented what most would see as one of the more challenging professions:

"Many thought that coaching and the Police would clash big time," he said, "but in fact they complemented each other really well.  I learned people management skills in the Police, but adapted them to a massively diverse audience - many young - in athletics.

"I liked to think I could actually relate to young people far better as a result.  As time went on, management and organisational experience in athletics definitely helped in various ways through the ranks in the Met'.  The combination, I strongly believe to this day, made me a better coach and a better Police Officer."

Of the many highlights during the last 40 years, the early days saw arguably the most successful youth scheme in British Athletics created at then Blackheath Harriers, winning five national titles under John's management.  That then formed the trigger for an international coaching career that saw him travel worldwide, developing contacts and coaching partnerships all over the globe.

John's squads were highlighted by athletes taking part in Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World and European Championships, along with innumerable World and European Junior Championships.

David Bolarinwa became only the third British junior to win three medals at a European junior championships under John's tutelege, while Chris Lambert won gold in the European under-23 championships 200m in a record time that stands to this day, along with the 4x100m relay, and then the World Student title over 100m all in the same year.

In 2013 John was presented with the MBE for services to Athletics by HM The Queen - a moment he described as more thrilling than any track success by any of his athletes ever!

The biggest moment of his coaching career - HM The Queen rewards John
with the MBE for services to Athletics.

On the day that he celebrated his 40 years holding a stop watch, his squad produced a mass of personal best times at pre-season time trials at their US base - and to cap it all, Head of Performance for British Athletics, Neil Black, put in a surprise appearance!

In what he describes as "life-part 2" John still has many challenges ahead, not least his currently 2 and 4 year-old daughters!  He is currently Chairman, Life Member and President of his club, Belgrave Harriers, and remains hugely ambitious to be part of the international athletics scene in the years to come.

Just a few moments from the later days of his coaching career are captured hereunder...

A spot interview on Australian TV during a training trip in Queensland

Bronze for athlete Wade Bennett-Jackson in the World Junior
Championships 4x100m relay in  Beijing 2006

Chris Lambert celebrates his World Student 100m title in South Korea, 2003

John talks through a training session Stateside with
Olympic sprinter James Ellington

This Trackspeed1-UK relay quartet sent shockwaves through some
top American college teams with a 40.12 4x100m in Orlando

John stands in front of the Harvard University track and field records
board which show Chris Lambert's college records which stand to this day.

John with European Junior 200m Champion, David Bolarinwa, 2011

John meets a track legend - former world 200m and 400m
record holder Michael Johnson

Another liaison with one of the world's all-time great sprinters - Don Quarrie

John shakes with British Athletics Head Coach Charles Van Commenee
whilst at the holding camp in Portugal for the London Olympics

Congratulating eventual Dame, Kelly Holmes, after her first
gold medal in the Athens Olympics, 2004

Carrying the London Olympics Torch at Crystal Palace 23/7/12 

Another shot of that big day with longest-serving
 athlete in the squad, and who led the nomination,
Jason Hussain

Another international and Olympian, Dwayne Grant.

TRACKSPEED1-UK READY TO ROLL STATESIDE!

Described as one of the most focussed groups at a pre-season training camp, by head coach John Powell, Trackspeed1-UK athletes cannot wait to open up their outdoor programme Stateside this year.

Flying out of the blocks - some of the squad in training at Clermont today

Based at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida, rep' times, technical work and general focus on the tasks at hand are on a real high.

"Olympic year always gives that extra thrill to track and field," said John, "and this group are very motivated - not to mention confident - to get going this season.  It's only the elite few who actually get to a major Games, but the sense of excitement is very contagious at every level in the sport.

"As usual we've had a couple of niggles this time round, but the support we have here is exceptional with physio' Dr John Allen, and Strength and Conditioning guru Mark Stanton, who also provides soft tissue treatment.

"That said, unlike previous years, there has been minimal  demand for massage therapy, and most of the group are in pretty good shape, so all the indications are good for a summer season.  We have only 8 weeks when we return to the UK before the Olympic trials and British Championships!"

More images from today's session...

David Bolarinwa (left) and Oweka Wanogho in action
during Stateside training

Niclas Baker is back with Trackspeed1-UK after studying in Leeds
University for the past year, and looking like
a great prospect over 400m!

Coach John Powell gives video feedback during a session at Clermont
this morning as the group gradually gear up for summer.

Piers Chen in action earlier today

Sam Imhogiemhe is quickly overcoming an initial hamstring
niggle to rejoin mainstream training next week.

ELITE SUPPORT FOR A FLYING START!

As Trackspeed1-UK athletes ease into the second week of their annual pre-season USA training camp in Florida, their elite support staff are already having a massive influence on some outstanding early-trip performances. 

Dr John Allen, arguably the most experienced and senior physiotherapist in athletics in the UK, is again the medical / therapy lead, with this year excellent backup from Mark Stanton MSc, whose qualifications in sports science, strength and conditioning and soft tissue therapy provide athlete support second to none.

Dr John Allen chats with Trackspeed1-UK athletes between training sessions

 Along with Head Coach, John Powell, who celebrates 40 years of qualified coaching in April, he joins Stanton and Allen to combine to form a formidable support team.

"It's not that we've had sack loads of injury issues already," explained John, "but we have a great set-up this year with discussion forums on various aspects of training led by John and Mark, while in-session advice is given by Mark in the gym, with John screening every athlete for any issues they need to be aware of.

"I doubt many squads have such quality, not-to-mention comprehensive support at a pre-season training camp other than the British team themselves.  It's a real privilege to have people like John and Mark on board for a 5-week camp.

"What is also a major contributor too of course, is the excellent facilities offered at the National Training Center in Clermont.  We've been going there for many years now, and it's small wonder that several world class American athletes base themselves there."

John Powell chats with some of the Trackspeed1-UK athletes in Flroida

Oweka Wanogho and Chaka Maillet go head to head in a training rep'
at Clermont as their coach looks on.

Meanwhile on the track early session times suggest most athletes are in shape to move on to some very positive performances this summer.  Their first intended competition is at the Tom Jones Memorial meeting, in Gainesville, on April 22nd.

"The Gainesville meet is far from a big deal for us," John continued, "but it's a great opportunity for people to get an idea of where they're at a few weeks before the season proper kicks in."

The first major meeting for the principle athletes in the squad on home ground will be the annual Loughborough University international on May 22nd.

Oweka Wanogho in action during training in Clermont

COACHING ON FOUR CONTINENTS AS SQUAD WARM UP FOR SUMMER.

With 2016 barely 3 months old, Trackspeed1-UK head coach, John Powell, has visited four continents, as well as overseen his squad steadily improve toward the 'business' end of the year!

After a few days in the US rekindling coaching links in southern states, Powell flew out to Thailand for a family visit, but still ended up advising one of the local athletes in Bangkok!

Then it was off to Austria with an England team in February for an indoor international, before jetting off to South Africa as a consultant advisor to the Director filming a pre-Olympics commercial, which was filmed on mountainsides around four hours outside Cape Town.

Also involved in that exercise were current TS1 sprinter Dwayne Dowding, and former squad member Matthew Threadgold, plus Olympian Dan Awde and South African sprinter Ryle Rene De Morny.

Taking time out to admire a new continent - John Powell
admires the Western Cape at sunrise earlier this month

"It was a real experience, and seeing some of the scenery around Cape Town was amazing," said John,  "We can't say too much about the commercial itself, but it was awesome working with the Californian film crew and a huge team of support staff, although the 4.30am starts were a tiny bit irksome!"

After time back in the UK - and a brief foray into rather more nearby Sussex to deliver a Masterclass to local coaches and athletes at Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, John will jet off again to Orlando with a number of squad athletes for the annual warm weather training camp in Clermont.

Helping county coaches and athletes in Sussex -
John chats about aspects of sprinting science to a
selected group of the county's top exponents

"The Sussex event was great fun," said John, who spoke on a number of subjects including the 'coach/athlete journey', acceleration, running bends, and how to prepare for championships.  After that it was down to the track to put a lot of it into practice, assisted by one of the all-time greats in Sussex sprinting, Jason Hussain, and former European junior Champion David Bolarinwa.

Meanwhile, other Trackspeed1-UK athletes, whilst unlikely to be involved in the Rio Olympics this year, are shaping up to the point that PB's are expected pretty much across the board this summer.

The short indoor season produced almost everyone setting lifetime best times over 60m, and a similar return is hoped for certainly the 100m this summer, if not 200m as well.

The group's first competition will be in Gainesville, Florida, on April 22nd.

POWELL'S PURPLE PATCH

Trackspeed1-UK's head coach John Powell has hit something of a purple patch with 2016 barely a month old!

He has put to one side the sizeable haul of lifetime bests his athletes achieved in the few indoor meetings they took part in last month, and is now celebrating being selected as England team coach (sprints) for the indoor international in Linz, Austria, this Friday (12th).

"It was an email completely out of the blue," John explained, "but it was a pleasant surprise.  I've been to this meeting before and it's an excellent venue and fairly fast track, so hopefully we can come back with some decent results."

The meeting will reunite John with one of his former athletes, Josh Swaray, whose recent excellent form over 60 metres earned him selection at the eleventh hour.

Trackspeed1-UK coach John Powell will be leading
English sprinters into the Austrian international this Friday

Having already been on a flying visit to the USA early in January, and a few days on family business in Thailand a couple of weeks ago, one would have thought that keeping his feet on terra firma would be a reasonable tactic given that he has a six-week trip to the US for pre-season training this Spring.

Wrong!  A local promotions agency put his name forward to act as advisor to an American filming company who are putting together a major commercial from an Olympic sponsor pre-Rio.  So in March it's off to South Africa to oversee and advise the filming of the sprints side of that project!

"I've always had itchy feet," said John, and I'm pretty fond of traveling, but even for me this is a fair bit of globe trotting, given that I'm barely in the UK 48 hours after the filming trip and it's off to Orlando for the training camp!"

Meanwhile back home his squad of athletes have been left with a strict regime of training for the next few days to replenish basic fitness levels which John has assessed as having dropped during the competitive period.

"It's pretty normal to drop a peg or two when you're focussing on speed in January," he explained, "but now it's back down to the serious stuff to ensure we hit the ground running - quite literally - pre-season!"