ISHMAEL SHATTERS HIS LIFETIME FASTEST!

Yet another lifetime best mark has been annihilated by a trackspeed1-UK sprinter - this time it was the turn of Ishmael Smith-John to produce not one, but the two fastest 100 metre sprints of his life at the weekend.

Ishmael Smith-John's PB at the weekend moves him to
within 8 places of the top 100 sprinters in the UK for 2017!

The 21-year-old Blackheath and Bromley AC athlete began the year with a 2016 best ever of 11.12 seconds, but at the Medway track in Rochester on Sunday all of that changed

First he cracked the infamous 11-second barrier with a wind-legal 10.92s, but then in the second round of the open meeting, he switched on the after-burners up the home straight to record another wind-legal time - this time of 10.79 seconds.

Ishmael - one of Trackspeed1-UK's most dedicated and hard-working athletes, having barely missed a training session since he joined the group back in 2014 - now rates as one of the most improved sprinters in the country at this level, with a host of new opportunities now available as a result.

When he began with the Crystal Palace-based training group he had a recorded best of 11.32s over 100m, but improved that pretty quickly to 11.17 in 2015, albeit levelling out a little in 2016 with a slightly improved 11.12s.  2017, however, has launched him into a different stratosphere of sprinting.

"I'm looking to compete in the European Athletics Permit meeting at Loughborough in a couple of weeks now I have the entry standard," he said after his achievement on Sunday, and coach John Powell endorsed his athletes new pitch:

"These were outstanding performances by Ishmael," he said, "and it is only right that he takes advantage of some good quality races now - not necessarily to set more new PB's, although we obviously hope he does, but to gain more experience of running at this level and above."

Ishmael joins training partner Brandon Murray as another hugely improved athlete this year, having moved his best 100m time down from 11.16s to 10.71s this year.

Meanwhile, their coach is doing his bit to add to the Trackspeed1-UK list of 2017 achievements, having been asked to act as team coach for the South of England Junior team competing in the home international in Cardiff on Wednesday (12th July).

HYLTON'S BREAKTHROUGH SEASON

Trackspeed1-UK sprinter Dean Hylton is enjoying his most successful season yet in his illustrious if a little turbulent track career.

Dean Hylton at Newham after he destroyed the opposition
to record a lifetime's fastest 21.29s over 200 metres.

Running at Newham Leisure Centre on Sunday he destroyed his lifetime's best 200 metres time with a 21.29 second run (wind speed +2.0m/s) that obliterated the opposition.. And that came after a thoroughly decent 10.60 100m sprint a couple of hours earlier.

Hylton, a former Jamaican Junior International, has struggled to find his form the last couple of seasons, and has suffered his fair share of injuries, but 2017 has seen the breakthrough he has threatened for so long, and he is confident there is more to come.

"I could have run faster in the 200m at Newham," he said, "but I haven't run any 200's this year and I'm a bit rusty.  The 100 has been better this year too though, so I am slowly getting it together."

Dean levelled with his fastest ever 100m a week ago with a 10.56 effort at Lee Valley, but already has one eye on next year, with clearance to apply for a British passport expected this Autumn.

Yet again this summer, Trackspeed1-UK athletes have been bus setting personal best times in the sprints, and most now have improved on their 2016 marks.  The newest name to the squad, Reon Wade, wasn't planning to run this year having done very little fitness work, but after impressing his coach in training he was persuaded to run at Newham.

He duly obliged with a lifetime's fastest 11.05 seconds over 100m, having had no blocks practice and precious little technical work.  It was a performance that underlined coach John Powell's aspirations for him in 2018.

"Reon is going to be a real talent if he puts the work in over winter," said John, "and I have every confidence he will turn a few heads next year over both 100 and 200 metres."

Meanwhile in Birmingham, David Bolarinwa was contesting the 100 metres at the British Championships, and ran well to reach the semi-finals.  He clocked 10.56s in the heats, and 10.50 in the semi's, finishing 6th in the latter in an extraordinary race containing ten athletes.

"David is work in progress," said John Powell.  "He proved his worth a few weeks ago with a windy 10.29s 100m at Lee Valley, and as long as he sticks with it, he can easily surpass the lifetime best wind legal 10.29 he set several years ago."

With no sponsor to prop the group up the squad's competitive agenda has been restricted to the UK and mostly London-based competitions, but that is not preventing a capable group of sprinters improve steadily through the summer.

One of the most spectacular improvements on 2016 is Brandon Murray, who has taken his 100m time down from 11.1 to 10.7 this season, although his hamstring strain in a race surely destined to beat even that mark at Lee Valley 10 days ago, will mean he has to wait a little longer before he has the chance to edge in to the 10.6's!

WIND-UP OF THE YEAR!

The link below is to Channel 4's catch-up page for the "Britain Today Tonight" programme aired on Friday May 12th, 2017.

It features Trackspeed1-UK athletes who thought they were visiting a guest Russian physiotherapist.

The truth could not have been more different!

A hilarious outcome courtesy of the production team in association with TS1 head coach John Powell!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/britain-today-tonight/on-demand/60696-003

Or simply play this...

HONOURS SHARED!

It was a blanket finish, the clock didn't stop, and they had to wait an hour for the final result, but Dean Hylton and Brandon Murray both ended medal winners after a thrilling Surrey County 100m senior men's 100 metres final!

Dean Hylton (12) on his way to gold, and Brandon Murray (17) bronze,
in the Surrey County AA 100m senior men's 100m final at Kingston

Blackheath and Bromley's Hylton edged over the line ahead of Herne Hill's Marvin Popoola, with Murray hooked onto their shirt tails.  All three men clocked 10.9 seconds according to the manual timekeepers stacked above the finish line.

Winds have been the curse of early season competitions for Trackspeed1-UK athletes, and the sprints at Kingston's Kingsmeadow stadium were no different.  Wind speeds fluctuated but all the sprints faced a headwind of anything up to and beyond 3 metres per second.

Trackspeed1-UK sprinters Dean Hylton and Brandon
Murray on the medal rostrum in Kingston

With most other squad athletes still recovering from traveling back across the Atlantic from their pre-season training camp barely a week earlier, County duty featured few of the Crystal  Palace-based group.

Calvin Kirstein was outside the medals in the Sussex 100m final in fourth, but was involved in a gold medal performance in the 4x100m relay, where his Eastbourne Rovers quartet set a new club record.  Ishmael Smith-John won silver in the Kent 200m at Ashford despite a gale blowing him backwards in the final.

Twenty-four hours before Hylton and Murray took to the tartan in Kingston, Trackspeed-UK's Cameron Starr took silver in the 200m senior men's final clocking 21.99s amid another swirling wind.  Niclas Baker took bronze in the Middlesex 200m final at Lee Valley - again into a huge headwind - with training partner Jerome Lule in fifth to make it six medals out of eight performances for the squad over the weekend.

SQUAD'S FINAL TUNE-UP STATESIDE

Trackspeed1-UK athletes fly back to the UK this weekend after their final pre-season tune-up, at their annual training camp at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida

Trackspeed1-UK's squad in Florida this year including strength
and conditioning assistant, Mark Stanton (far right), and top
British physiotherapist Dr John Allen (second from left)

Already announced by head coach John Powell as another huge step toward a great 2017 summer season, many of their number will be returning with new lifetime best performances already after competing in the two track meetings in Clermont and Gainesville last month.

It will have been the eighteenth annual training camp John Powell will have led in the US, some of the earlier years having been based at the Disney facility (now run by ESPN) near Orlando.

"The National Training Center (NTC) offers everything we could wish for," said John.  "It has been very popular this year with British, German and Canadian national teams also working out there, along with a number of independent groups, not least local American Olympians and internationals.

"Sessions are always very well coordinated though, and shared usage of the outstanding weight room and cardio facilities, never mind the track, is always very well organised.  Generally speaking I don't like crowded tracks, but here it simply isn't a problem, we are always well looked after."

Trackspeed1-UK athletes in training at Clermont (above & below)
under the watchful eye of John Powell

An added bonus for two of Trackspeed1-UK's number was a blocks session this week under the watchful eye of leading US sprints coach, Lance Brauman, and amid his world class squad of athletes.  David Bolarinwa and Cameron Starr gave more than a good account of themselves against some of the best.

"I have no qualms with athletes dipping into another coach's session like that," said John who eagerly scrutinised the session himself.  "In fact giving up an opportunity to work with a group like that would be positively criminal - and in any case, another set of coaching eyes is always welcome at this stage."

Top American sprints coach Lance Brauman supervises
as David Bolarinwa gets set to impress (above),
while Cameron Starr gets some one-on-one attention (below)

Early competitions for Trackspeed1-UK back on UK soil will feature the County Championships in 10 days' time, the Loughborough International, and other local invitation meetings.

BAKER LAPS IT UP AS PB's CONTINUE TO FALL

Niclas Baker capped the best start to the season of his life with a huge personal best 400m run in the Tom Jones Memorial meeting, in Gainesville, Florida.

Niclas Baker (2272) heads for hime in the 400m Stateside

Despite windy conditions he swept round the University of Florida track to win his heat in 47.05 seconds - almost half a second faster than the lifetime's fastest mark set last year of 47.41s.

It came a fortnight after a very impressive, albeit very windy, 20.89s (+5.9m/s) 200m sprint in Clermont, and sets him up for a great summer season that will see him competing both at home and on European soil.

It was another very solid day at the office for Trackspeed1-UK athletes, most of whom sent existing lifetime best marks into the history books.  Cameron Starr showed the form that has promised on the training track with two of the fastest sprints of his life.

Cameron Starr (2277) on his way to his fastest ever 100m sprint
in Gainesville, Florida

In the 100m, a breeze slightly over the legal limit at 2.7m/s saw him cross the line in 10.69 seconds - his fastest ever recorded time for the event.  Better was to come in the 200m though, when he dismissed his 22.08s best mark for 200m with a 21.87 wind-legal run with the breeze measured at +1.4m/s.

"Cameron's 200m best time was a farce, and will undoubtedly be lowered still further this year," commented coach John Powell, "and his 100m performances will improve as we increasingly shake hands with speed work in training.

"Niclas's performance was little surprise as we have known for some time that he is a serious talent over 400m, and the various components of his race are gradually coming together.

"Athletes always seek instant success at these meetings, and when it doesn't always materialise they panic, but it's only April, and their training programme is not designed to see them peak the minute they hit the track.  There are far more important meetings further own the line in June and July.

"That said, it was very pleasing to see how most of the squad executed their races, with most shaving a little bit off their best times.  Solid runs at this stage are always good for confidence as we return to the UK in a week, and engage with the busy domestic programme as well as some meetings on the continent."

Further lifetime best marks were set by Blackheath and Bromley athlete Ishmael Smith-John, who clocked 22.12s over 200m - his second improvement this year already, while Chaka Maillet shaved a tiny fraction off his 22.56s best with a 22.53s run. Suffering from a sporadic achilles tendon complaint, and having missed much of the pre-camp training, this was a significant performance for him.

Elsewhere, Rhys Francis came to within the thickness of his vest of setting a 100m PB, timing 11.15s against his 11.14 best with a legal wind of +1.8m/s, while Brandon Murray underlined his dramatic improvement 2 weeks earlier with another 10.71s 100m dash, albeit helped by a slightly over-the-limit 2.7m/s breeze.  His previous 10.71 effort had been just legal with a reading off +2.0.

Rhys Francis en route to one of his fastest ever 100m

Finally, David Bolarinwa was far from satisfied with his wind legal 10.57s 100m performance, but as a former multiple Euro-Juniors medalist and with a wealth of international experience behind him, that mark is unlikely to remain in the record books for very long.

"It was a very good day at the office," concluded John Powell, " and as long as the UK weather doesn't misbehave this summer, its looking like a really good season ahead."

Talking tactics!  John Powell discusses race planning  in the hugely
impressive air-conditioned indoor football pitch used on this occasion
as the athlete warm-up area at the University of Florida!

LIFETIME BESTS SHATTERED AGAIN!

Trackspeed1-UK sprinters enjoyed a spectacular opening to their competitive 2017 summer season with several lifetime best marks shattered in a meeting in Clermont, Florida.

Brandon Murray(right) is all smiles as he reflects
on his fastest ever 100m at Clermont, Florida

Nearly all the performances at the meet, held at their training base at the National Triathlon Training Centre, were assisted by a strong breeze but, even ignoring that, several times were well within previous personal bests.

Arguably the leading performance of the day was 19-year-old Brandon Murray.  Having joined the squad 2 years ago with a lifetime's fastest 100 metres of 11.37, he lowered that in 2016 to 11.16, but at Clermont sent that into oblivion with a 10.71 second sprint aided by one of the only legal tail winds of the day measured at 2.0m/s.

It was of course mixed with an element of luck that the wind gauge stopped on the absolute limit for legal times, but it was a performance that easily outshone any other in the 19-year-old South London Harrier's 4-year track career.

It was a close call for the top squad performer of the day though, with Niclas Baker tearing up the home straight to record a sensational 20.89s 200m run, albeit assisted by a mini-gale recorded at 5.9m/s.  It still easily outshone his previous 21.61 best, and was assessed by coach John Powell as potentially faster:

Niclas  Baker on his way to a sensational sub-21-second 200m,
annihilating his previous lifetime best for the distance!

"Nic didn't really get hold of the bend, and only switched on the after-burners in the straight.  It was a very classy run despite the wind, especially as he had run a 48.81 400 meters 3 hours or so earlier," he explained.

It's real!  Confirmation of Nic's super 200m run!

Another Trackspeed1-UK athlete in the form of his life was Cameron Starr, who clocked 10.71s for the 100m aided by a 3.6m/s tail wind - the second fastest time of his life behind his best 10.70, but in the 200m he timed 21.69s to win his heat despite nearly falling 10 strides into the race.  His heat winning time destroyed his previous best of 22.08s, and was another run that was easily inside his best with or without the wind.

Rhys Francis, 18, from Cambridge Harriers, began the day with a 11.14s personal best, but was blown to 10.98s at Clermont with a 4.1m/s tail wind.  In the 200m his form was even better with a 22.92s run, dispelling his previous best 23.59s with a 4.2m/s tail wind.  His 200m was surrounded in controversy though as he finished 2 metres ahead of second place in his race, yet was recorded at the same time as second place.  With the backside clock stopping at 22.8 it is likely his mark was in reality yet faster!

Rhys Francis on his way to a lifetime best 200m

Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Jerome Lule was knocked for six when news reached him of the tragic passing of his grandmother after arriving in the US, making all the more creditable his focus in training, and eventual personal best 200m at Clermont.

Jerome timed 22.96 with a 3.7m/s tail wind, having started the day with a 23.17s best mark.  John Powell commented:

"Jerome didn't take the news well, but has knuckled down in training to produce some excellent sessions.  Wind or no wind he is clearly in the form of his life, and will doubtless do his Grand Mother proud this summer.

Jerome Lule set a wind-assisted best ever 200m

"Overall I was delighted with everyone's showing at Clermont though.  It was a pity the wind confused results a little, but there is always a bit of pressure around an athlete's opening race.  It has been another long winter and everyone is always anxious to see where they are at on day one."

Trackspeed1-UK return to the same track this week to continue their training programme, with the next competition scheduled for Friday 28th April in Gainesville for the elite Tim Jones Memorial meet.  At least five athletes will compete on a traditionally fast track, with another week of training to follow before the group return to the UK.

Cameron Starr (red shirt) was in the form of his life at Clermont 

TRACKSPEED1-UK OFF TO A FLYER STATESIDE

The annual pre-season training camp in Florida, USA, has seen Trackspeed1-UK athletes flying out of the blocks in their first couple of sessions, while back in the UK there has already been a personal best set on the opening day on the season!

David Bolarinwa and Cameron Starr open up their track training
programme in the Florida sunshine

Working out at their usual training base, the National Triathlon Training Center, in Clermont, Central Florida, early indications are that there could be some impressive performances this year.

The majority of the squad are crossing the Atlantic this year to put the finishing touches to their  summer season preparations, although some are not due to fly until a little later this month.

One of those still in the UK elected to begin his season early this year, and competed in the Herne Hill Open meeting in Tooting, promptly annihilating his personal best over 200m with a fine 22.25s blast with a zero wind reading.  Ishmael Smith-John was all smiles after his run, and was soon receiving many plaudits from across the Atlantic.

"It's ever so early right now," said Trackspeed1-UK Head Coach John Powell, "but if you put down a PB in any of your opening meets, that is always a great morale booster.  Our programme will never peak athletes for April, so hopefully there will be a lot more to come, with Ishmael surely cracking the 22-second barrier this year."

Keep an eye on this blog for further updates from the US, where Trackspeed1-UK will be competing too, in two track meetings later this month.

WINTER SLOG TO PAY OFF?

L-R: Brandon Murray, Chaka Maillett and Cameron Starr
training in the bleak mid winter at Crystal Palace.

It's the unseen side of  athletics - the grind and toil of track sprinters in the UK training in the freezing cold and dark at a local track - in this case, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Winters can be long and hard, and the athletes in the Trackspeed1-UK training stable know only too well what they have to face during the winter months, but also how vital it is if they are to fulfil their potential in the summer.

Currently the group are focussing on a training window of speed that includes some indoor competition during January, but their next hurdle will be the snow forecast for the next few days.

"It's always a challenge when the white stuff comes down," confesses Head Coach John Powell.   "You can't train on the outdoor track, and the indoor facility becomes chaotic with so many users. You just have to make the best of it, and we try to get a few of the quicker guys training early before the clubs and other squads descend upon us toward evening time."

There's hope on the horizon for most of the group, however, with at least 14 of them headed for pre-season training in Florida toward the end of March for a near 6-week stint.  Meanwhile, open meetings are currently being run at Crystal Palace on their indoor track, and next Wednesday (18th January) it is highly likely that several of the squad will be in action.

Trackspeed1-UK's 400m hope for 2017, Niclas Baker,
braves the cold at Crystal Palace during a recent workout.

BRANDON OFF TO A FLYER

Brandon Murray is the latest in a long line of Trackspeed1-UK athletes to fire off an explosive start to the new year with some scintillating form on the indoor circuit.

Brandon Murray set a lifetime's fastest 60m at Crystal Palace.

The 19-year-old South London Harrier joined the group 16 months ago with a 60m sprint best of 7.25 seconds, but he lowered that to 7.07s last year, and now already in 2017 he has clocked a speedy 6.90s.

His new lifetime best mark was set during the first indoor open meeting held this season at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Wednesday (4th January).  He wasn't the only Trackspeed1-UK athlete in top form either.

Cameron Starr only joined the group at the beginning of the Autumn, but he came out firing on all cylinders setting a personal best 60m also of 6.90s.

Coach John Powell was delighted for his charges, given the circumstances, let alone at this stage of the year:

"The indoor track at Crystal Palace is nothing like most indoor facilities," he explained.  "It is very cold there and not great for sprints, and of course this was the first outing for anyone in the group, so any kind of half decent performance so early is very pleasing."

Trackspeed1-UK athletes will be in action throughout January and early February, but will then return to  a winter training schedule before the vast majority of them depart for their annual pre-season training camp in Florida, USA, in late March.