SATURDAY SHOWDOWN FOR BOLARINWA

Trackspeed1's David Bolarinwa faces a Saturday evening showdown with his Jamaican rival in the first ever Youth Olympic Games 100 metres final, 2110hrs local time (1410 UK).

See his blog for a full report on today's heats, and how Britain's world leader in the event at the moment qualified for the final as the fastest in all five heats...

DAVID READY TO ROCK!

Trackspeed1 sprinter is ready for the off in Singapore as he completed his final preparatory training session today at the Anglo-English Independent School facility.

See his regular daily update at the link top left of this site's home page.  He starts the 100m in the first ever Youth Olympic Games on Wednesday as the fastest under-18 in the world...

BOLARINWA TO MAKE HISTORY IN LEADING TEAMGB IN FRONT OF MILLIONS!

Trackspeed1 sprinter David Bolarinwa is to make history in Singapore as he leads TeamGB out in front of a multi-million worldwide TV audience, at the opening ceremony of the first ever Youth Olympic Games.


See our dedicated blog top left of the home page on this site for pictures and daily updates from the Far East...

DAVID ARRIVES IN SINGAPORE AS WORLD NUMBER ONE!

David Bolarinwa landed in the Far East yesterday as the world number one over 100 metres after his sensational sprint double at lee Valley last week.

See his Singapore blog on this website for his progress.  His 10.39s sprint in the north London open meeting took him to the summit of the 2010 world lists as he prepared to travel east to Singapore for the first ever World Youth Olympic Games.

Watch this blog for updates as to how David progresses after landing in the Orient!!

BOLARINWA CHASES HIS (YOUTH) OLYMPIC DREAM

Sixteen-year-old Trackspeed1 sprinter, David Bolarinwa, unbeaten over 100m this year, and Europe's number one under-18, faces the race of his life later this month in the World Youth Olympic Games.  But he will have to complete last minute preparations without the coach that has taken him to the brink of Youth Olympic glory.

David wins the European 100m Olympic Trials in Moscow

Coach John Powell, who has remortgaged to travel out to Singapore so he can support his protégée - a real TeamGB medal hope - says that he could be twiddling his fingers in a hotel room rather than helping the Thamesmead-based Cambridge Harrier prepare for the event of a lifetime.

"UK Athletics warned me there may be a problem," he said, "and it appears that the organising committee in Singapore have said that there will be no accreditations for personal coaches.  At one stage I wasn't even going to get in to see David compete, because all the tickets were sold out, but then thankfully the British Olympic Association stepped in and said they could sell coaches tickets for sessions relevant to their athletes. The journey has cost me a fortune, but I want to see a fantastic season through to its climax."

"We won't know for sure whether I can access the training track before the Games begin.  The very idea of possibly not being able to coach David for the final ten days before the event is quite bizarre.  David will have a detailed training programme, and I'm sure the team staff will do all they can to ensure he completes it if I can't.  

"Having seen him through his first serious winter of training, followed him to the European title in Moscow, and overseen an outstanding unbeaten season in the UK to date, I would of course rather like to finish the job!  I can't criticise the British authorities though - UKA and the British Olympic Association seem to have done everything they can, and the flow of information on the event throughout the season has been really helpful in guiding David's preparations."

David is all smiles as he meets leading USA sprints coach Brooks Johnson during pre-season training in Florida

Bolarinwa starts as a strong favourite to medal in the blue ribband event of any Olympics.  This is the first ever 'Youth Olympics' and will take on the format of a full Olympic Games incorporating all sports, but aimed at participants from all over the globe aged under 18.

The South East Londoner is ranked second in the world at present, a fraction behind a Jamaican rival whose best currently stands at 10.46s.  But TeamGB's brightest young sprints prospect in years remains a firm hope for a medal on the day - which colour remains to be seen!  

Bolarinwa has won the English under-20 title as well as the English Schools under-17 championship, not to mention the international schools crown.  His fastest 100m time came in the English under-20 final when he clocked a wind legal 10.47s, after timing a slightly wind-assisted 10.43s in an earlier round.

"I'm going out to Singapore to win," he said, "but as long as I bring home a medal, I guess I'll be fairly happy.  The whole trip's going to be amazing, but I'm going to have to really get it together to achieve my goals there.  I want two golds ideally - with Europe winning the relay too!"

An additional pressure on David will be documentary cameras from CBBC's Blue Peter programme, who are filming him and three other TeamGB athletes from airport to track and home again for footage that will go out early in the New Year.

"This will be a great adventure for David," said Powell, "but he must remain incredibly focussed throughout the trip if he is to get even close to the winners' rostrum."


Check out this website for up-to-date news on how David's preparations go and then how he deals with the world's most talented teenage sprinters in Singapore!

Apprentice David learns from senior international training 

partner James Ellington as they review training video footage

HUSSAIN SPEED RETURNS

A chequered season for Trackspeed1 sprinter Jason Hussain picked up again on Saturday when he clocked a lifetime's fastest 100m of 10.85s.

Competing for Belgrave Harriers in the British League Premiership clash in Windsor, he took advantage of a 1.9m/s following wind, although having been promoted to the A-race after the late withdrawal of Wade Bennett-Jackson (ill) he wasn't able to make an impression in a race that saw the local ground record and League record broken.

Jason Hussain recovered his basic speed to record

 a lifetime's best 100m at Windsor

"Jason has been exploring the idea of moving up to 400m this year, but he has returned to speed work this last week or so, and it's clearly paid off," said coach John Powell.

The latest addition to Trackspeed1, Loughborough University student Matt Threadgold, clocked the second fastest 400m of his life in the same fixture, timing 49.18s with a gutsy B-race effort, although both athlete and coach were insistent there is far more to come.

"I know I am worth at least 48.mid's right now, and reckon well under 48 is easily on the cards next year," he said after the race.

Meanwhile, further north, David Bolarinwa was busy maintaining his sensational unbeaten record this year over 100m in Leeds, competing for Cambridge Harriers in their British League division 3 fixture.  David clocked 10.70 to win, following up with a winning 21.57s 200m.

The meeting marked the beginning of the most important period of the talented young sprinter's life.  On Wednesday he runs at Lee Valley in an open 100m trial, and then travels to Singapore on Monday 9th for the World Youth Olympic Games.

"It's really exciting times for David," said Powell, "but it's all about keeping your feet on the ground right now, because no medal is guaranteed - it has to be earned."

OMARI SUB-50 AS BOLARINWA STRIKES GOLD (AGAIN!)

Fifteen-year-old Omari Carr-Miller, whose winter training was wrecked by a potentially career-threatening stress fracture in his shin, shattered his lifetime best 400m performance in Birmingham on Saturday (10/7).

Competing in the semi-finals of the intermediate boys English Schools Championship, the Croydon Harrier  dismissed the disappointment of being drawn out in lane eight with a superb 49.60s run, his first ever under 50 seconds.

Meanwhile fellow Trackspeed1 squad member, David Bolarinwa, was up to his usual tricks, strolling to victory in the inter' boy's 100m.  His 10.77s run in the final was a far cry from the 10.47 he had chalked up in winning the under-20 national title a couple of weeks earlier, but it was enough to see off the rest of the field in Birmingham by a clear margin.

Coach of both athletes, John Powell, who travelled to Birmingham to watch his two youngest charges battle it out with the best England could muster, was hugely complimentary to both athletes:

"Omari had never run in lane eight in his life, and called me after he saw the draw to ask how on earth he should run the race," he said.  "We talked it through, and he ran it by the book, with a fine finish that saw him scrape into the final by three hundredths of a second.

"Omari has endured a nightmare this last nine months.  He had a classic injury caused by overuse, in other words doing far more physical activity than his body could take.  He is so talented that there are huge demands on him, and with a slender frame it all proved too much.  Not being able to run at all during the winter was sending him round the bend at training.

"I was delighted for him running under 50 seconds at last - he will be so much better next year though.  He was immensely disappointed with seventh in the final (50.33s) where he landed lane eight again, but this summer was always going to be difficult, and simply being there was a huge achievement."

Bolarinwa heads now to Scotland this Saturday (17th) for the schools home international, although his training now will be solely focussed on the World Youth Olympics, in Singapore, next month.

"David will compete in the English National Championships for his age-group on 7-8th August in Stoke before flying out to Singapore on 9th," said Powell. "There is alot to be done between now and then."

Another gold for David Bolarinwa

SCHOOLS RECORD ON FOR BOLARINWA AS ELLINGTON RETURNS

Trackspeed1 sprinter David Bolarinwa attempts to crack the English Schools intermediate boys 100m championship record, set by Mark Lewis-Francis, right in the former World Junior Champion's back yard, tomorrow.

The 16-year-old, who travels to Singapore next month to context the World Youth Olympic title, cruised through the heats today (Friday 9th) in Birmingham's Alexander Stadium.  The semi-final and final are tomorrow, and Bolarinwa's target is 10.54s

David in training in the U.S. earlier this year

Coach John Powell will be hoping for a the omens this week to work positively, with senior springer James Ellington setting foot back on a track this week for the first time since his tragic hamstring tear in Geneva a month ago to the day.

"James is looking great in terms of getting back to stake a claim for Commonwalth Games selection," said Powell, "and the English Schools is a great stage for David to prepare for Singapore."

One other Trackspeed1 athlete competing in Birmingham is 15-year-old Omari Carr-Miller.  Having suffered a winter ravaged by injury his summer was always going to be difficult, but he has got back at least to last year's best form with a 50.31s third place in the inter' boys 400m heats today, which was good enough to see him through to tomorrow's semi-final.

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.