Wednesday 12th August 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH student Abbey McGhee underlined her position as the top ranked Scottish Under-20 athlete by claiming a superb double gold success in the 1500m and 800m at the 2009 Bank of Scotland U20 & U23 Championships held on the track of Falkirk’s Grangemouth Stadium last weekend (9th August).

The 19-year-old from Glasgow’s Victoria Park club won the 1500m with a time of 4mins 21.23secs nearly four seconds inside the previous championship best, defeating the title-holder Beth Potter, and completed the golden double by taking victory in the 800m in 2:10.16.

Full results are available on the following link: www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=29471

Wednesday 12th August 2009

CHARLOTTE BEST and Laura Finucane were two of nine 'On Camp with Kelly’ athletes and their coaches who travelled out to Monte Gordo, Portugal, over the weekend (5th-8th August) to participate in an Aviva funded educational trip at the Great Britain holding camp where the senior squad are preparing for the forthcoming 12th IAAF World Championships that take place in Berlin (15th-23rd August).

Loughborough graduates Best and Finucane were joined by their respective coaches George Gandy and John Nuttall who attended part of the camp as they were already in Monte Gordo as team and/or personal coaches to athletes on the senior squad.

The two full days in Monte Gordo included activities devised to allow the athletes to experience a holding camp and get a better idea of how they would cope with having to prepare away from home for a major championship.

Dame Kelly Holmes commented: “This gives the athletes a really good education base, so when they do get into the GB senior team they are prepared and not a burden on the team and they are ready to do what they do best and perform.”


The athletes were also given the opportunity to ask questions following a talk given by UKA Head Coach Charles van Commenee.



Charlotte Best said: “I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to Charles prior to this trip and it was really good to hear his views on the Great Britain athletes and his hopes for the future and 2012.”



Laura Finucane added: “A hotel like this clearly has a lot of distractions and a lot of amazing food to eat! It shows how focused you need to be at a holding camp not to let things like that distract you or to eat too much. You can enjoy the facilities but stick to your normal routine as much as possible.”



The athletes also carried out media duties, interviewed by various members of the press and photographed posing and running along the beach with Kelly. Training was also on the agenda and the athletes took full advantage of the excellent facilities as well as the 30-degree heat and completed some very useful sessions on the track and in the gym.

The trip to Monte Gordo was the first instalment of a two-part OCWK educational trip funded by Aviva and the nine athletes will be heading to the IAAF World Championships in Berlin on 19th-22nd August to watch the action in the stadium and take part in a behind the scenes tour.


Above photo: Laura Fincane.

Sunday 9th August 2009

MARTYN Rooney, despite an emotional rollercoaster year of highs and lows in 2009 has still left the 22-year-old Loughborough-based sprinter with the ferment self belief that he can still challenge for a podium place come the final of the 400 metres and challenge Iwan Thomas’s longstanding 12-year-old British record of 44.36secs at the forthcoming 12th IAAF World Championships that begin on the 15th August in Berlin.

However, it all looked so much brighter for the Croydon-born world junior bronze medallist twelve months ago following the Beijing Olympics where he finished a highly respectable sixth in the final of the 400m setting a lifetime best of 44.60 in the heats to promise much for the future of British athletics and cap a superb breakthrough season in which he broke the 45-second barrier for the first time by winning at the Aviva IAAF London Grand Prix and then went on to take an equally impressive victory in Monaco.

Sadly though for much of 2009 Rooney has looked a shadow of that same athlete which shone so brightly in the Bird’s Nest Stadium with a season dogged by injuries and setbacks that really began with his warm weather training trip to California in April as part of coach Nick Dakin’s impressive group of sprinters assembled at Loughborough that includes Ireland’s double European indoor 400m champion David Gillick and the promising British protégé Meghan Beesley, as with Rooney a world junior bronze medallist over the one-lap.

Whilst in Los Angeles Rooney’s Hamstring problem flared-up once again preventing him from competing in any of the pre-season track meets scheduled at UCLA. Back in Loughborough and with the help of his top support team of Rone Thompson, and Tommy Yule at his disposal he spent more time on the physio’s table than on the track as a tendon tear just escalated his problems - a situation which he firmly blames UK Athletics for having barred him from taking his own support team out to America.

With all the rehabilitation work required Rooney’s outdoor season was severely delayed and started very late on June 28th at the low-key European permit meeting in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, however, he surprised everyone not least himself by clocking his fastest ever start to a season with a time of 45.35 and things were beginning to look positive.

However, this was to be short-lived as the backlash of that performance was more injury problems forcing him to miss the UK trials in Birmingham before re-emerging at the Aviva IAAF London Grand Prix stepping onto his home track in Crystal Palace to face a true world class field, but he was then up-staged following a superb lifetime best performance by US-based sprinter Michael Bingham who finished ahead of America’s Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist Angelo Taylor to take victory with a time of 45.03secs to gain his selection for Team GB ahead of Berlin.

Days later at the IAAF Herculis meeting in Monaco with near perfect conditions for sprinting on the Cote-de-Azur, Gillick looked the more likely of the Loughborough duo to gain a medal in Berlin as the Dubliner finished in a strong third place in 45.34 as America’s impressive Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt was simply a class apart storming to victory with a quality 44.72 clocking leaving Rooney trailing behind in a distant 7th place (46.22), albeit from a difficult lane one draw.

Next week at the World Championships Rooney will step out on the stunning electric blue track in front of a packed Olympic Stadium in Berlin full of hope and optimism that his winter training will carry him through, however, it will be a tough ask for the tall elegant sprinter to gain a medal place should he make the final as Merritt looks the firm favourite for gold with compatriot and double world and defending champion Jeremy Wariner for company, whilst, fellow Brit Michael Bingham and training partner at Loughborough David Gillick having already having lowered his national record (44.77) in Madrid last month are also in top form leaving the Croydon Harrier with much to prove in the German capital and the British record from 1997 looks set to be out of reach for this season at least.

Article by Mark Woolley.

Saturday 8th August 2009

GOLDIE SAYERS recently reflected on how good it was to be back in action competing after a tough few weeks suffering with back problems as the British javelin record-holder heads to Portugal for the Team GB holding camp ahead of the forthcoming 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin that begin on 15th August.

The Loughborough University graduate was struggling to find her my timing off a full run-up having had such a short amount of time to prepare for the recent Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. So much so that the 27-year-old Suffolk-born athlete was even considering giving the world championships a miss.

“I was considering calling it a day on the whole season because on the the Tuesday before the London Grand Prix I flared my back up and was throwing really badly," said Sayers.

“However my doctor (Robin Chakraverty), physio (Rone Thompson from Loughborough University) and I had a discussion and decided I had nothing to lose by competing, so I did.”

A combined decision that proved to be correct and confirmed her selection for the British squad for Berlin sending the Javelin out to 59.82m in London to take second place behind Germany’s European champion Steffi Nerius who claimed victory with 64.64m.

Sayers reflecting on her London performance commented: “Although it wasn't the greatest distance in the world, I felt I was in control of the run-up and I was very consistent around 59m without trying too hard.

“It was just nice to be out there competing, and Crystal Palace always has one of the best atmospheres anywhere in the world. The crowd was fantastic.”


Sayers will now be hoping that her back stays the course and she can reach the final in Berlin to replicate her fine performance in Beijing last summer - setting a new UK record with a mark of 65.75m when finishing fourth in the Olympic final and challenge the home favourite Steffi Nerius in her own back garden in the German capital.

Article by Mark Woolley.

Friday 7th August 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH 2012 Sports Scholar Oluseyi Smith has been selected to represent Canada at the forthcoming IAAF World Athletics Championships that take place in Berlin from 15th-23rd August.

The 22-year-old Ottawa-born sprinter will represent the Mapleleafs as part of their 4x100m relay squad in the German capital later this month.

Smith gains his national selection for his fine outdoor season that witnessed him collect double gold at the (BUCS) British Universities Championships in Bedford where he produced a phenomenal 10.23secs record-breaking run in the men’s 100m semi-final to surpass the previous championship best time set by Olympian Craig Pickering two years earlier. Smith then went on to win the final in an equally impressive time of 10.32.

Smith also represented Canada in the 100m at the 2006 IAAF Word Junior Championships in Beijing.

Monday 3rd August 2009

TOP sprint hurdles talent Meghan Beesley and Berlin bound William Sharman were on winning form at the latest round of the (BAL) British Athletics League fixtures in Hendon and Gateshead.

Loughborough graduate William Sharman (Birchfield) having broken his lifetime best (13.44) at the European LEAP meeting the previous Wednesday a performance that earned the 25-year-old selection for the Great Britain team for the forthcoming Berlin IAAF World Championships completed a commanding victory at the Gateshead International Stadium clocking a time of 14.30secs.

Fellow Alumni Andy Blow (Basingstoke) and Simon Wombwell (Notts) finished 5th and 6th with times of 15.42 and 15.80 respectively.

Over the one-lap distance Andy Blow won the 400m Hurdles ‘A’ race in 51.96secs, whilst, Kieran Flannery (Gateshead) competing on his home track finished second over 800m in 1:51.98 as steeplechaser Jermaine Mays (Kent) prevailed in 1:51.55.

In north London on the track of Hendon’s Copthall Stadium Loughborough Sports Scholar and world junior 400m hurdles bronze medalist Megan Beesley (Birchfield) competing over the 100m hurdles distance claimed a fine victory in the ‘A’ race clocking a new lifetime best of 13.75secs (wind: -1.5) as the 19-year-old finished narrowly ahead of Alumni Sara McGreavy (13.77) making her steady return to the sport following an injury hit 2008 season.

Beesley also finished second over the flat 100m in a time of 12.03secs as Laura Turner (WSE & H) warmed-up for Berlin where she will compete in the 4x100m relay squad for Team GB won in 11.91.

Loughborough Alumni Sonia Samuels (Sale) clocked 9:44.53 to finish runner-up over the 3,000m as Gemma Turtle (Shaftesbury) prevailed in 9:37.72.

On the infield Leicester’s European Under-23 gold medallist Eden Francis (Birchfield) won the Shot ‘A’ competition with a best of 15.54 metres to defeat Loughborough’s BUCS champion Rebecca Peake (Sale), second with 15.20.

Francis also competed in the Discus taking second place with a mark of 54.01 metres as Shaftesbury’s Jade Nicolls won with a best of 54.47.

In the men’s competition Loughborough Alumni Emeka Udechuku (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) set a season's best of 59.23m which places him second on the United Kingdom rankings.

Monday 3rd August 2009

STEVE LEWIS found his form with great timing to set a new outdoor lifetime best in the Pole Vault ahead of the Berlin IAAF World Championships by winning the men’s competition at the DAK Leichtathletik-Gala Bochum meeting in Wattenscheid, Germany, with a height of 5.72 metres.

The 23-year-old 2006 Commonwealth bronze medalist coached at Loughborough by Steve Rippon won the competition with a fourth round effort after passing at 5.62 to finish ahead of a host of German vaulters including the vastly experienced Danny Ecker, the 2007 European indoor champion Tim Lobinger, European outdoor sliver medalist

Other Brit’s in action included Mark Lewis-Francis (Birchfield) who ran 10.64 (1.2m/s) in the men’s 100m, whilst, Abi Oyepitan (Shaftesbury Barnet) recorded 11.81 (0.4m/s) and Loughborough graduate Jeanette Kwakye (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) clocked 11.79 (0.4m/s) in the heats of the women’s 100m.

Full results are available on the following link:www.sportresult.com/sports/la/framework/user_files/2009/Bochum/pdf/Day1.pdf

Sunday 2nd August 2009

DAVID Gillick and Michelle Carey warmed up for the forthcoming Berlin IAAF World Championships by claiming the 200 metres and 400m Hurdles titles at the 2009 Woodie's DIY National Athletics Championships on the track of the Morton Stadium in Santry (1st-2nd August).

On the opening day Loughborough-based Gillick dropped down in distance from his preferred 400m and clocked performances of 21.78secs (heat) and 21.43 (final) for a solid day’s work out.

The double European indoor 400m champion finished ahead of Sli Cualann's Darragh Graham (21.55) and Crusaders junior Steven Colvert (21.99), running into a head wind of 3.6m/s.

The Dublin born-athlete recently became the first Irishman to dip under 45 seconds over one lap, lowering his national record to 44.77 in Madrid last month.

Fellow Loughborough Alumni Michelle Carey (Dublin Striders) already has the ‘B’ standard for the Berlin Worlds and duly won the women’s 400m Hurdles as the 28-year-old Beijing Olympian prevailed in a time of 57.82secs.

Carey as with Gillick trains at Loughborough University as part of Nick Dakin’s impressive sprint squad that also includes top British talent Martyn Rooney and rising star Meghan Beesley.

http://sdc.lboro.ac.uk/shownews.php?news_id=1030&cat_id=16&level=1

Heanor 5 Mile

Heanor, Derbyshire

Friday 31st July 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH University student Chris Rainsford led a fine 1-2 over the line to complete a comprehensive home victory for the host club following a course record-breaking performance at the eighth edition of the Heanor 5 Mile sponsored by Up & Running.

Over an undulating single lap figure of eight course surrounding the Shipley Hall Cricket Club, Rainsford, the reigning Derbyshire Under-20 county cross-country champion, racing in the bright yellow vest of Heanor Running Club led home the field of 186 runners to cross the line twenty-one seconds ahead of club mate Kieran Davis taking victory in a new course-record time of 26mins 51secs to take the £50 prize on offer.

Martin Lewis of Poole Runners finished third in 27:33 with Leicester Coritanian Derek Guess taking 6th place overall (28:51) to secure the Vet45 title.

In the women’s race Lisa Palmer claimed a double success for Heanor as the 32-year-old produced a fine solo effort to take victory in 30:47 finishing ahead of Leicestershire’s Jenni Muston (Shepshed), second in 31:47, with Suzanne Roddis representing North Derbyshire RC securing third in 32:23.

In the one mile fun run support event Joel Herbert representing Derby AC won the boys race in 9mins, whilst, Shelton Strider Judith Marriot claimed the girls title in 9:32.

Friday 31st July 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH graduate Will Sharman along with James Brewer have received late call-ups to the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for next month's IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

Sharman will line up alongside Andy Turner and Gianni Frankis in 110 metre hurdles, whilst, Brewer joins Andy Baddeley and Tom Lancashire in the 1500m.

The duo join the 60-strong team which was named on Tuesday.

Charles van Commenee, the head coach of UK Athletics, said: "Both athletes were felt by the selection panel to be worthy candidates for inclusion into the Aviva GB & NI Team during the original selection process.

"James was missing an additional B standard so could not be included, but subsequent investigations demonstrate that his mile time at Crystal Palace was in fact within the standard.

"There was a very tight selection between Will Sharman and Gianni Frankis for the 110 hurdles, with Gianni edging it after much debate, thanks to his higher placing at the trials.

"Thankfully in light of Will's outstanding performance in achieving the A standard at Loughborough on Wednesday the appeal panel has given the selectors special dispensation to include Will in the team."

Sharman lowered his personal best to 13.44
seconds at the Loughborough European (L*E*A*P) meeting.

Above photo by Nigel Farrow.

International Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Saturday 25th July 2009

DAVID GILLICK led a trio of Loughborough athletes in action at the Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona in Spain.

On the track of the 1992 Olympic Lluís Companys Stadium, venue for next year’s 2010 European Athletics Championships, Ireland’s Gillick finished runner-up in the 400m with a time of 45.48secs as Congolese Gary Kikaya won in 45.35, with Tabarie Henry of the Virgin Islands third in 45.54.

In the 1500m events 19-year-old current Loughborough student Stevie Stockton coached by George Gandy, improved her lifetime best by almost two seconds with a time of 4mins 14.37secs to finish 12th as the 2009 World indoor leader Nuria Fernández of Spain won also in a new PB of 4:02.43.

Reigning European indoor medallist Diego Ruiz took the men’s race in 3:36.97 ahead of fellow Spaniard Arturo Casado (3:37.79) as Loughborough graduate Nick Samuels set a 1500m PB of 3:45.17 when finishing 8th in the men’s B race.

Full results are available on the following link: www.rfea.es/competi/barcelonameeting/resultados/result_2009.pdf

2009 UK Athletics Jumps & Throws Fest

Alexander Stadium, Birmingham

25th-26th July 2009

SARAH HOLT led the way for Loughborough athletes in action at the UK Athletics Jumps & Throws meeting held at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium over the weekend (25th-26th July) as the European Under-23 bronze medallist won the women’s Hammer with 62.31m as the 22-year-old, selected for the Original Source-funded UKA Heroes project, finished ahead of club-mate at Sale Harriers Laura Douglas, who threw 61.62m.

Loughborough graduate Robbie Grabarz (Bedford) claimed an easy victory in the men’s High Jump competition with a leap of 2.20m.

British Universities champion Kieren Kelly (Newham & Essex Beagles) finished second with a best of 18.19m as Carl Myerscough (Blackpool Wyre & Fylde) achieved his second best mark of the year with a throw of 20.19m to take victory in the men’s Shot.

Rebecca Peake (Sale Harriers Manchester) finished second with a mark of 15.50m on countback in the women’s Shot.

Leicester’s 2002 Commonwealth champion Nathan Morgan (Birchfield) finished fourth with 7.42m (-0.1ms) in the Long Jump.

India’s Seema Antil threw 57.67m to defeat Britain’s leading athlete in the Discus, European Under-23 gold medallist Eden Francis (Leicester Coritanian), second with 55.91m.

Max Eaves (Newham & Essex Beagles) won the men’s Pole Vault with 4.95m.

Full results are available on the following link: www.athletics-uk.net/fest2009/

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH University athletes Charlotte Best, Laura Finucane and Dani Christmas are set to compete in the high quality ‘On Camp with Kelly’ invitation race that will take place at the Aviva IAAF London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on Saturday 25th July.

The trio of ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes will compete against three overseas athletes and a selection of the UK’s leading 800m runners.
‘On Camp with Kelly’, supported by Aviva since 2004, is double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes’ mentoring initiative for talented young middle distance athletes.

The annual IAAF Super Grand Prix is UK Athletics most prestigious televised meeting and the ‘On Camp with Kelly’ race provides the athletes with a unique opportunity to compete in a top class meeting in front of a large crowd.



Dame Kelly said: “I am really looking forward to the ‘On Camp with Kelly’ race and hoping for some fast times from the OCWK athletes. ‘On Camp with Kelly’ is about giving athletes all the tools they need to achieve at the highest level in athletics and competing in a major televised meeting like this is another part of the learning process.”


Charlotte Best
(Crawley AC & Loughborough Students), age 24, who set her personal best of 2:01.50 when winning the bronze medal at the 2007 World University Games. This year she has improved her 1500m best to 4:12.29 indoors and won a bronze medal at that distance at the Aviva UK Indoor Championships. She finished fifth over 800m at the recent Aviva World Trials and UK Championships.


Laura Finucane
(Pendle AC & Loughborough Students), age 22, who has made a late start to her season after recovering from knee surgery, clocking 2:04.30 at the BMC Milers meeting in Solihull on 18th July. She was a finalist over 800m at both the European Athletics Under-23 Championships and the World University Games in 2007 and has a personal best of 2:01.35.


Dani Christmas
(Crawley AC & Loughborough Students), age 21, who has improved her personal best to 2:04.92 this season. She won silver in the 800m at the BUCS Championships and bronze at the Aviva England Under-23 Championships.



The Aviva IAAF London Grand Prix takes place on 24th-25th July and is live on BBC Two from 6.00pm (Friday) and 2.15pm (Saturday).

Tuesday 21st July 2009

NICOLA SANDERS, the world 400m silver medallist behind fellow Brit Christine Ohuruogu two years ago in Osaka, made a fine winning return to action at the 25th edition of the European Athletics Outdoor Premium Meeting “Vardinoyiannia” in Rethymno, Greece, on Monday (20th July).

Loughborough graduate Sanders, competing in her first race since a 200m outing in early June, was impressive over the last 50 metres of the women’s 400m race. Entering the final straight in fifth position she increasingly accelerated crossing the finishing line in a season’s best of 51.21secs inside the qualifying standard for the Berlin World Championships next month.

Highlights of the meeting in Crete included the Bahamas’ Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and USA’s Lolo Jones setting world leading performances in the 200m and 100m Hurdles with 22.32secs and 12.47secs respectively.

In the men’s 100m, USA’s Ivory Williams ran a lifetime best of 9.93secs (+0.3m/s) moving to the fifth position of the IAAF world season list for 2009. Compatriot Marc Jelks was second with 10.04 as Brit Tyron Edgar secured third place in 10.09.

Cuba’s Olympic champion and world record-holder Dayron Robles was the winner of the 110m Hurdles with a time of 13.17secs (+1.5 m/s) following a close race as American Dexter Faulk, an emphatic winner of the Paris on Golden League Friday, not only provided a strong competition for Robles but also challenged the Cuban in the final metres of the race. Faulk clocked 13.18, whilst, Barbados Ryan Brathwaite was third with 13.23. Britain's Andy Turner was fifth in 13.47.

Full results are available on the following link: www.ear-athletics.com/en/news/detail.php?id=68

Thursday 16th July 2009

LISA DOBRISKEY returned to action to gain a moral boosting victory in the 1500 metres at the Spitzenleichtathletik EA Permit meeting in Luzern, Switzerland, on Wednesday (15th July).

The 25-year-old Loughborough-based Commonwealth champion and fourth placer in the 1500 metres final at the Olympic Games in Bejing, won unchallenged in a season's best time of 4mins 08.35secs.

Jamaican Isa Phillips won the 400m Hurdles in 48.66secs with a very narrow win over US Michael Tinsley who clocked 48.69 for second place. Great Britain's David Greene, the fastest 400 metres hurdler in Europe this year was third with 48.62.

Angela Morosanu from Romania prevailed in the women’s 400m Hurdles in 54.82secs over Australia's reigning World champion Jana Pittman-Rawlinson who clocked 55.34 in her comeback season with Loughborough graduate Michelle Carey fourth in 56.63.

Chris Dykes from the USA won the 100 metres ‘B’ race in 10.35secs ahead of Great Britain’s Mark Lewis Francis (10.40).

The 200 metres ‘B’ race went to Joel Brown in 20.54secs ahead of Great Britain’s Marlon Devonish (20.79) with Loughborough-based Leon Baptiste third in 21.06.

Full results are available on the following link: www.spitzenleichtathletik.ch/dateien/dokumente/gesamtrangliste_2009.pdf

Thursday 9th July 2009

LOUGHBOROUGH director of athletics George Gandy was officially presented with his British Milers Club Coach of the Year Award by chairman Dr Norman Poole at Manchester’s Sports City at the end of May.

The award celebrated Gandy’s work with Olympic fourth-place finisher Lisa Dobriskey, 1500m runner Chris Warburton, distance runner Laura Kenney and former World University Games bronze medallist Charlotte Best – the latter three all achieving top four finishes at Britain’s Olympic trials.

This year’s award, which recognises achievements throughout 2008, is the second time Gandy has received the prestigious gong. He last achieved the honours in 1994 - a year in which his athletes included European Championship finalists John Nuttall (5k) and Gary Lough (1500m), with runners Nuttall, Jon Brown and Sonia McGeorge also achieving top four finished at the Commonwealth Games.

In 2008 Loughborough athlete Lisa Dobriskey named athlete of the year by the BMC.

Article in association with Loughborough University.

Saturday 4th July 2009

DAVID GILLICK smashed his own Irish record when winning the 400m in a time of 44.77 seconds at the Meeting de Madrid 2009, part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009. The first time the 26-year-old Loughborough-based double European indoor champion has broken the 45 seconds barrier which is a significant milestone in Gillick's career.

This performance moves the Dublin-born athlete, coached by Nick Dakin, to fourth on the IAAF World rankings for 2009 and bodes well for the World Championships in Berlin in August.
“It’s fantastic; I had a good reference in Cedric (Van Branteghem) since he ran in lane 7 and me in 5; I tried to relax in the bend and then to move on home; I think that I already had a sub-45 clocking in my legs last year but I couldn’t do it.”

Gillick competing in one of his favourite cities commented: "I grabbed the European indoors gold medal back in 2005 and now I have set my best clocking by far so definitely I like competing in Madrid.”

Loughborough University Sports Scholar Lee McConnell also finished runner-up in the 400m with a time of 52.29secs as Christine Amertil of the Bahamas prevailed in 51.77.

http://sdc.lboro.ac.uk/shownews.php?news_id=1012&cat_id=16&level=1

Friday 3rd July 2009

DAME Kelly Holmes was at Loughborough University on Thursday (2nd July) to deliver a training and education day for eight Loughborough athletes and over 20 up-and-coming young runners from across the country.

The ‘On Camp with Kelly’ mentoring initiative includes Loughborough athletes such as Charlotte Best and Dani Christmas who participated in the first ever camp in South Africa in 2004 as well as those that joined the programme as recently as last year.

On Thursday athletes undertook a series of workshops throughout the day on topics including nutrition and sports psychology before taking to the track for a training session overseen by the double Olympic champion.

“I ensure that I meet up regularly with the ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes to check on their progress and help them develop in their athletics careers by giving them mentoring support,” explained Dame Kelly.

“Although I am in regular contact with the athletes by phone and text it is also important for me to see them face-to-face. The girls also enjoy meeting up and training together, they all go through the same things and are an important support network for each other.”

21-year-old Loughborough student Dani Christmas has been part of the initiative since it began five years ago. The 800m runner, who is currently ranked fifth indoors in the UK, believes she is really benefitting from the programme.

“As an athlete it's beyond your wildest dreams to have a double Olympic champion as a mentor, especially one who is so dedicated to helping the next generation of athletes reach their potential,” she said.

“Kelly is an incredible person who is helping me to achieve my dreams. The thing that inspires me the most is the amount that she achieved in her career despite the adversity that she faced.”

Loughborough athletes in the ‘On Camp with Kelly’ programme who attended the session on Thursday are Charlotte Best, Dani Christmas, Jess Coulson, Laura Finucane, Jordan Kinney, Stevie Stockton, Claire Tarplee and Heather Timmins.

‘On Camp with Kelly’, supported by Aviva since 2004, is double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes’ mentoring initiative for talented young middle distance athletes. Recent research has shown that ‘On Camp with Kelly’ has had a significant impact on retaining female athletes in the sport in the late teenage years when drop out rates are traditionally high and has also led to improved performances in female middle distance running.

During her day in Loughborough Dame Kelly also visited Loughborough College to launch a new partnership with the Dame Kelly Holmes (DKH) Legacy Trust which will see the college become a base for the DKH Legacy Trust to deliver training and workshops with high profile visiting speakers, including Commonwealth, Olympic, Paralympic, and World champions, with the aim of inspiring young people to reach their potential.

Above photo L-R: Loughborough athletes - Stevie Stockton, Charlotte Best, Laura Finucane, Dame Kelly Holmes, Dani Christmas, Jess Coulson, Heather Timmins, Jordan Kinney and Claire Tarplee.

For more information about ‘On Camp with Kelly’ and latest news and updates go to: www.oncampwithkelly.co.uk

2009 England Athletics Aviva U23 & U20 Championships

incorporating the European Trials

Bedford International Stadium

Sunday 28th June 2009 – Day 2

LLOYD GUMBS set a lifetime best to gold in the 400m Hurdles to gain his first GB vest with a fabulous performance clocking 50.36secs on the track of the Bedford International Stadium on the second day of competition at the 2009 England Athletics Aviva Under-23 Championships.

The 21-year-old Leicestershire sprinter representing Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers crossed the line to slice almost a second off his previous personal best and inside the 50.70 qualifying standard for next months European Under-23 Championships.

Gumbs will be joined on the plane for the Euros that take place in Kaunas, Lithuania from 16th-19th July, by the runner-up Toby Ulm (Swindon), second in 50.69 having already achieved the standard.

United Kingdom Under-23 record-holder Sarah Holt, part of the UKA Heroes Project, broke the championship best mark with a huge throw of 63.60 metres in the third round – the 22-year-old Loughborough student representing Sale Harriers changed coaches last winter to great positive effect and is now under the guidance of John Pearson, and despite needing surgery following the Europeans on long standing hip injury was simply a class apart in the competition.

Holt surpassed club mate Laura Douglas mark of 61.39m set in 2005, this having broken her own British record at the Halle Throws Festival in Germany in May with a distance of 65.33.

Gianni Frankis led the Leicestershire duo of Callum Priestley (Woodford Green and Julian Adeniran (Shaftesbury) over the line in the 110m Hurdles final with Frankis winning in 13.95secs.

Former European junior champion Emily Pidgeon (Stroud) produced a season’s best performance to win gold with a very solid run in the 5,000m - the 20-year-old Loughborough student coached by John Nuttall clocked 16mins 31.80secs to defeat Jessica Sparke (Woodford) by a margin if 15 seconds over the line.

The 2008 British Universities champion from the Loughborough Students Rosie Semenytsh (WSEH) returned to form to win the women’s Javelin title with a best throw of 46.90 metres in the fourth round.

Stevie Stockton (Vale Royal) won silver over the 1500m, the 19-year-old Loughborough student clocked a time of 4mins 29.20secs to finish runner-up to the outstanding Emma Pallant (AFD) who claimed gold in 4:27.13.

BUCS champion Meghan Beesley had to settle for silver over the 400m Hurdles as the Birchfield Harrier finished runner-up to Wakefield’s Zara Hohn in 13.84secs to 13.37.

Fellow BUCS gold medallist Ruth Senior (City of Norwich) finished third in the 3,000m Steeplechase in 10:33.84 as New Zealander Alice Mason won gold with a championship record of 10:13.10.

Loughborough student Dani Christmas (Crawley AC) collected a bronze medal in the 800m as Tara Bird (Woodford Green) raced to a championship record of 2:03.00 with Emma Jackson (City of Stoke) second in 2:03.19 and Christmas third with 2:06.24.

Leicester’s Denae Matthew (Birchfield) won silver in the Triple Jump with a best of 12.67m (+1.7) in the third round as Devon’s Claire Linskill won the title with a leap of 12.78m (+1.7).

Loughborough students Sophie Hine (Rugby & Northampton AC) and Vicki Hubbard (Birchfield) finished in the silver and bronze medal positions respectively on countback with a heights of 1.82m and 1.78 as Sale Harrier Adele Lassu won the competition.

Leicester Walking Club’s Fiona McGorum clocked a time of 29:27.6 to gain silver in the 5,000m track walk as the highly talented Rebecca Mersh (City of Sheffield) won in 29:05.17.

Report by Mark Woolley.

In association with Loughborough University http://sdc.lboro.ac.uk/shownews.php?news_id=1002&cat_id=16&level=1

Full results are available on the following link: www.athletics-uk.net/england/results/

Sunday 28th June 2009

MARTYN ROONEY returned to action following a hamstring injury to make an impressive season debut by finishing second to Team GB compatriot Rob Tobin in the 400 metres at the EAA Meeting La Chaux des Fond, Switzerland.

Loughborough-based Rooney (22), sixth in the Beijing Olympic final last August, clocked a time of 45.35secs as Tobin claimed victory in 45.15 - the second fastest by a Briton this year behind Michael Bingham's excellent 45.05 set in Greenboro, USA, at the NCAA regional championships - but more importantly the duo were both inside the Berlin IAAF World Championships qualifying standard of 45.55.

Rooney will now face a tough test of his form and fitness when he lines-up against the world’s best at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games next Friday (3rd July), the second of this season’s IAAF ÅF Golden League meetings.