UK's Moscow medal hopes • [Eriksson's out, who's in?]

[dunedine]

Actually, Tom Farrell is reportedly setting his sights mainly on making the British team in London and thereby has run only two races outdoors so far, while he didn't race as much as he used to in previous seasons indoors either.

[72]

We will see what his College have to say about it. Assuming they take part in the various competitions over the next 6 weeks so it will be most unusual that the Track Coach there makes a special allowance and forgoes potential good points from a 13.15 guy..

[IanS_Liv]

According to the commentators on FloTrack, Tom Farrell is 'redshirting', which I think means passing the collegiate season, this year specifically in order to make the British team. Interestingly they quoted/paraphrased him as saying that he couldn't pass up the chance of a home Olympics, but if the Games had been anywhere else he wouldn't have redshirted.

[lonewolf]

Unfortunately Farrell is at Oklahoma College, and any athlete who is part of the American College TF system will be beaten up by the needs of the College and will be made to compete not for his good, for sure.
Last year the very promising Farrell did 13.26 for 5K by May and was f****d by the end of the season and his best for 1500 metres was also very early in the track year by our standards ; by the time the College/ NCAA season is over in June, Farrell will return to the UK and find at 21 he may not be at his best at the British Trials.

What is this "Oklahoma College"? We have a number of colleges and universities in the state. I have lived her 55 of my 80 years and am not familiar with this one.

[72]

should read Oklahoma State University. Thats where he has been since 2010/2011.

[26mi235]

Running unattached so he is not competing in the college season/champs. Mo Ahmed for Wisconsin is in a similar boat, with college competition for a top-level XC, distance school but he is racing this season. He does have a focus on the Olympics however. He says hitting the "A" standard (ran 27:34) allows him to completely ignore times the rest of the season and only worry about racing. He will have three 10,000s (Big Ten Champs, Regional qualifier - should be an easy race for him) and NCAAs (straight final)). He might run the 5000 too at the Big Ten meet if the meet is on the line. He has run one 1500 to get speed work in and did not run NCAA Indoors.

There were three Canadians with 27 in that race and two of them got the "A" standard (and Bairu was not one of them)

[John G]

O'Hare was only the third Brit home in the 1500 but his run was far more impressive than the time suggested. He really attacked down the back straight and briefly led. He died badly in the last 50m but with more training under his belt I can see him getting under 3:35.

[dunedine]

This one looks like a genuine medal contender for Britain and the new Carl Lewis-esque take-off looks to be working wonders with him! Greg Rutherford equalled Chris Tomlinson's UK record of 8.35m (2.0m/sec) at Chula Vista a few hours ago, looking really ominous for the summer!

[Shipley]

There is a recent interview with Julia Bleasdale here if you are interested:

[url]
http://www.activetrainingworld.co.uk/ne ... _interview[/url]

[dunedine]

Andy Pozzi eased to a 13.52 heat in the 110mh into a -1.1m/sec headwind in around 5-6C (!) this morning, easily an Olympic A and there looks more to come later.

Christine Ohuruogu hit the A in 50.93 in the 400m in Kingston yesterday, as did Andy Turner in 13.50 over the hurdles and of course Tiffany Porter in 12.65 looking well on the way to seriously rewriting her UK record of 12.56 secs.

[dunedine]

Andy Pozzi improved to 13.35 (1.3) today and rises as a potential contender for a final place in London now, with Lawrence Clarke and Andy Turner both running 13.50 in the 110mh during the weekend.

[Daisy]

Andy Pozzi improved to 13.35 (1.3)

Remarkable time for a British Universities meet. I'm assuming there was little competition if any. And wasn't the weather foul for this event? What was his previous best?

[jjimbojames]

Andy Pozzi improved to 13.35 (1.3)

Remarkable time for a British Universities meet. I'm assuming there was little competition if any. And wasn't the weather foul for this event? What was his previous best?

13.73 (1.5) last August. Reduced indoor best from 7.87 to 7.56 this year also

[Daisy]

Andy Pozzi improved to 13.35 (1.3)

Remarkable time for a British Universities meet. I'm assuming there was little competition if any. And wasn't the weather foul for this event? What was his previous best?

13.73 (1.5) last August. Reduced indoor best from 7.87 to 7.56 this year also

Wow!

[IanS_Liv]

Andy Pozzi improved to 13.35 (1.3)

Remarkable time for a British Universities meet. I'm assuming there was little competition if any. And wasn't the weather foul for this event?

Drizzle and about 6 or 7C. The usual May bank holiday weather! Pozzi ran 13.52 in the heat, 13.72 in the semi. Second was Euro U20 medallist Jack Meredith who ran sub-14 for the first time over the senior hurdles. Lawrence Clarke ran 13.50 in a guest event.

13.35 in May in those conditions!

[72]

do you posters realise that Pozzi's performance might well be a World Record.... for an under 8 degrees centigrade conditions. Probably worth in Florida conditions and a nice tailwind sub 13.30.

Good to note he is a Malcolm Arnold young fellow.

[norunner]

This weekend will be Okoyes first real test. He is throwing in Halle/Germany against Harting, Malachowski and Hadadi. Morse and Buhari will also be there and Sophie Hitchon too.

[bushop]

This weekend will be Okoyes first real test. He is throwing in Halle/Germany against Harting, Malachowski and Hadadi. Morse and Buhari will also be there and Sophie Hitchon too.

Halle / Saale - Sportzentrum Brandberge
3. Okoye, Lawrence 1991 GBR Großbritanien 68,24 m

Athletics: Roger Black backs Dai Greene as best British Olympic hope
“On their day, there are five realistic chances of medals, if not gold medals, and that’s Dai Greene in the hurdles, Mo Farah twice, Jessica Ennis and Phillips Idowu,” said Black, who when pushed to pick a leading candidate added: “I wouldn’t put my house on anybody, because I know how hard it is. But if I had to I would put it on Dai Greene.”

[mump boy]

Before anyone complains i know these people aren't medal contenders but for me they are just as exciting

Firstly, after the disappointment of missin out on marathon selection Jo Pavey ran a solo A quailifier for the 5k so we now have 3 people with the A and Helen Clitheroe hasn't run yet this year, Julie Bleasdale will surely also get it. She has already qualified for the 10k and Jo, Charlotte Purdue, Helen, Gemma Steel and Freya must also be in with a shout. I love the fact that there are actually going to be selection battles

Abi O ran 22.59 !! in Florida unfortunately the wind was 2.1 but this shows what grat form she's in maybe there's another Olympic final on the cards

And Eden Francis threw a B qualifier of 17.24 in the SP, i know this is nothing spectacular but she will be the first new UK woman to represent us at an Olympics since 1988 it makes her the 7th best alltime and the best since Judy Oakes threw 18.83 in 1998.

She is physically very impressive (which is more than i can say for some of our female throwers) and i see a lot more coming from her

[Jon]

And Eden Francis threw a B qualifier of 17.24 in the SP, i know this is nothing spectacular but she will be the first new UK woman to represent us at an Olympics since 1988 it makes her the 7th best alltime and the best since Judy Oakes threw 18.83 in 1998.

Judy Oakes threw 18.22m in 2000 and also competed at the Olympics that year*. Still exciting that GB could have an athlete in that event at London 2012.

*Po10 isn't the most reliable source for complete historical stats.

[mump boy]

And Eden Francis threw a B qualifier of 17.24 in the SP, i know this is nothing spectacular but she will be the first new UK woman to represent us at an Olympics since 1988 it makes her the 7th best alltime and the best since Judy Oakes threw 18.83 in 1998.

Judy Oakes threw 18.22m in 2000 and also competed at the Olympics that year*. Still exciting that GB could have an athlete in that event at London 2012.

*Po10 isn't the most reliable source for complete historical stats.

i thought she went in 2000 but her Power of 10 stops in 98

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/p ... teid=41201

[nianchengyu]

i thought she went in 2000 but her Power of 10 stops in 98

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/p ... teid=41201[/quote]
Indeed Judy Oakes went on throwing at least until 2000 in my memory, she ranked 13th in 2000oly qualification with over 17.80m.

[norunner]

Adam Gemili just ran a legal (+1.2) 10.11s in Regensburg/Germany.

And now he improved to 10.08s in the final. Very impressive for an 18 year old!

[errolM]

Adam Gemili just ran a legal (+1.2) 10.11s in Regensburg/Germany.

And now he improved to 10.08s in the final. Very impressive for an 18 year old!

Wow, that's excellent. My nephew played soccer with him a couple of years ago and said he had serious gas. Hope he chooses track and not soccer.

[norunner]

Another good result: Conrad Williams ran 45.09s in Geneva.

[fromage]

Are these torrents of SBs we may expect in Geneva or good old Chaux de Fonds ?

[norunner]

Are these torrents of SBs we may expect in Geneva or good old Chaux de Fonds ?

I don't know about Geneva, they still haven't posted results, but there were some good british results in Regensburg. Onuora with SBs over 100m and 200 (11.31 and 22.93), Bolarinwa, like Gemili also just 18 years old, with a PB of 20.69 over 200m. And Christian Malcolm ran 20.46s .

[norunner]

Just found the results from Geneva, UK is going to have a very good 4x400 in London: Conrad 45.08, Lennon-Ford 45.23, Tobin 45.47, Buck 45.61, Persent 45.77 . Lawrence Clarke 13.33 over 110m h.

[bushop]

Who should be added or deleted from the list... what are the UK's prospects in London?

"Charles Van Commenee believes... in order to win eight medals we probably need to have 17 or 18 medal contenders because some will get injured or just won't perform on the day."

Who are these "eighteen medal contenders"?

• your picks:
01.) A Baddeley (1500m)
02.) M Bernard (hj)
03.) N Brooks (1500m)
04.) T Danvers (400m hurdles)
05.) N Douglas (tj)
06.) L Hazel (hept)
07.) K Johnson-Thompson (lj)
08.) T Lancashire (3k steeple)
09.) C Ohuruogu (400m)
10.) M Okoro (800m)
11.) I Pooley (hj)
12.) P Radcliffe (mara)
13.) M Rooney (400m)
14.) N Sanders (800m)
15.) S Twell (1500m)
16.) L Weightman (1500m)
17.) J Williams (sprints)
18.) M Yamauchi (mara)

by event:
100m
• J Williams
200m
• J Williams
400m
• C Ohuruogu
• N Sanders
• M Rooney
800m
• J Meadows
• M Okoro
1500m
• L Dobriskey
• H England
• S Twell
• L Weightman
• N Brooks
• A Baddeley
5k
• M Farah
10k
• M Farah
marathon
• P Radcliffe
• M Yamauchi
sprint hurdles
• T Porter
• A Turner
400m hurdles
• T Danvers
• P Shakes-Drayton
• D Greene
3k steeple
• T Lancashire
4x100m relay
• women
• men
4x400m relay
• women
• men
high jump
• I Pooley
• M Bernard
pole vault
• Holly Bleasedale
long jump
• K Johnson-Thompson
• G Rutherford
• C Tomlinson
triple jump
• N Douglas
• P Idowu
shot put
discus
hammer
javelin
• G Sayers
multis
• L Hazel
• J Ennis

[norunner]

Who should be added or deleted from the list... what are the UK's prospects in London?

I'm surprised Grabarz isn't on that list.

[fromage]

The list of medal contenders, 18 in number, contains names which cannot be regarded by any stretch of the imagination, even for the super optimists UK forum as medal contenders:
Many will not necessarily be on the team and/or have not achieved the standards required.

For me no one on the upper list of 18 athletes is a medal contender based on objective evidence such as performance this year.

The lower list contains genuine contenders such as Farah, Idowu, D. Greene, Porter, Ennis, Rutherford,. I would add Grabarz and Okoye as a surprise. Aldama is a long shot for the list.

[mump boy]

TBO
a female middle distance runner
mo x2
Tiffany Porter
Dai Green
Greg Rutherford
Shara Proctor
Yamile Aldmama
Phillips Idowu
Holly Bleasdale
Robi Grabbatz
Lawrence Okeye
Goldie Sayers
Jess Ennis
there is a chance (of differing levels) in all 4 relays

[nevetsllim]

Abigail Irozuru just tweeted she jumped 6.80m today.

[fromage]

Her best this year was so much less than 6.80 I regard her jump as fascinating, but not convincing

[mump boy]

Her best this year was so much less than 6.80 I regard her jump as fascinating, but not convincing

This ^

the fact this it happened in Bulgaria doesn't help it's credibility