Athletics Weekly

by **Lovelock** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:58 pm

Britain has such a rich vein of talent coming through that it is hard to pick just a number from all of these youngsters but in your opinion who are the next Coes Radcliffes & Christies ?

by **Beatrix Kiddo** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:45 pm

There seem so many to choose from... Emily Pidgeon leads the way, but there are a dozen or so mega talented kids in her slipstream... led by Non Stanford ... and this is just for female middle distance.

One athlete missing this year, though, due to injury, who I tip to be a star is Dani Barnes. She seems to have her head screwed on and willing to accept the tough lifestyle necessary to be an elite athlete.

by **slowcoach** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:53 pm

Kelly Holmes' training group seems to be getting results.

And the procession of (male) sprinters just keeps churning them out. But how many will develop into senior champions?

I'm quite impressed by Greg Rutherford, too.

The future looks rosy, in some events.

by **Beatrix Kiddo** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 7:03 pm

Outside middle distances it looks great... the sprinters in particular are very tasty... with a clean sweep of medallists in the 100m at the European Junior Champs ... and the likes of Joey Duck, Lucy Sargent and Ashleigh Nelson on the girls' side.

by **legs** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:43 am

Craig Pickering at the moment is the only sprinter i think that will make it as a senior at the moment. fair play to the others at the europeans, but i fell craig has got a better attitude and has got his head screwed on moer than the others.

by **Lovelock** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:13 pm

i think we have many promising stars in the boys middle distance events James Shane for example won the youth olympics 1500m in 3.52 and is only 15 ! next year when he's still u-17 who's to say he can't get 3.45 ???

by **Wanderer** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 2:30 pm

In the National Young Athletes League this year, two Under-13 girls have high-jumped over 1.60m. And an Under-15 boy from one of the London clubs has thrown a discus over 54m.

Both of these are League records.

by **Silver Fox** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:45 pm

the kids are as talented as ever, they just end up playing football, hanging around shopping centres, messing around on skateboards, filling their faces with McDonald's or getting pregnant once they hit their late teens.

by **CoventryHarrier** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:26 pm

Absolutely right, there is no point in talking up the U13 athletes as if they will become the stars of the future! They wont. How many kids from the English Schools Championships make it through to anything vaguely senior, very few if any. We need to look at our clubs here, encouraging kids to train up to three sessions per week and specialise in one or two events is, and always has been, the wrong way. Encourage them all to be Heptathletes or Decathletes with a good mix of other sports such as martial arts, football, etc and we might just stand a chance in holding onto one or two of the best. Burn out is so common with our kids. I have always maintained there is no point in getting excited about a junior athletes performance until he or she is at least 17 or 18 years old.

by **Silver Fox** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:35 pm

Tim Benjamin looks a bigger prospect with every race he runs. Let's just hope this isn't the peak of his career right now.

However, I don't think Britain's will be producing any world record-breaking 10km men for a while. They have some catching up to do to get anywhere near Kenny Bekele.

by **smith** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 3:50 pm

james shane

by **Silver Fox** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 9:10 pm

I wonder if Kenenisa Bekele has a British uncle or aunt or something so the British can pinch him. A bit like Zola Budd...

by **Beatrix Kiddo** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:05 pm

John Mayock - in the marathon...!

by **mountainrunner** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:21 am

Andi Jones

by **wormstone** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 3:30 pm

Blue Heywood - broke senior ladies record for shelf moor uphill fell race this summer..........

by **roadrunner** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 3:53 pm

And this girl is very young. Had to point that out, as people on here wouldnt realise that Blue is only a very young teenager.

by **mountainrunner** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 3:55 pm

Yes - it was only a year or so ago that she won the national cross country title in the u13 age group.

by **mountainrunner** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:08 pm

And on the subject of Blue Haywood - she won her age group at the Junior home international fellrunning championships this weekend.

by **Multiterrain runner** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:08 pm

mountainrunner wrote:And on the subject of Blue Haywood - she won her age group at the Junior home international fellrunning championships this weekend.

Must be all those hills down there in Lincoln :lol:

by **mountainrunner** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 5:01 pm

I went to Limcolnshire once (cant remember where exactly) and smack bang in the middle of the town centre there was an very big hill.

by **Fleeter** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 5:09 pm

she really is a good runner

by **AVERAGE PUNTER** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:35 am

CoventryHarrier wrote:Absolutely right, there is no point in talking up the U13 athletes as if they will become the stars of the future! They wont.... I have always maintained there is no point in getting excited about a junior athletes performance until he or she is at least 17 or 18 years old.

My 3 year old daughter has done a couple of fell races for juniors this year. I'll post again in 15 years time to let you know how she's doing.

by **Fleeter** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:56 pm

watch me! I will definetly win the wharmton dash at the saddleworth shoe in the coming years! Thats my dream!

by **penguin** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:38 pm

difficult that growth spouts etc.. can alter a lot of things, some can be brilliant when they are younger, then have a slight dip in there early 20's and get written off if they are nutureed they will prospor.

by **screenager** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:51 pm

Emily Pidgeon is definitely one to watch, and there are several other boys from my neck of the woods who are leading their age classes in middle distance running, Matt Withey is one. Also Vikki Hubbard, and U17 high jumper, is considerably ahead of the rest of the field in her age class, having jumped 1.82 this summer.

by **AllanT** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:43 pm

Hmm no mention of Keith Gerrard here. Not to worry, Paula's already noticed him.

by **ecg** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 2:07 pm

hes from your neck of the woods isnt he allanT?

by **Fatti Matti** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 2:10 pm

freddie star :!:

by **AllanT** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:30 pm

ecg wrote:hes from your neck of the woods isnt he allanT?

Yep, he's a sound bloke. I used to go to college with him and know him fairly well. Definitely deserved his victory, here's to many more.

Looking at his picture in the local paper, he looked really relaxed on the day, as if he was going for a recovery run or something. Apparently he wasn't feeling great on the day either. I'll have to ask him about it next time I see him.

by **Sw00p** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:58 pm

Congratulations Allan - somebody had to be the first to post today on this thriving forum! :roll:

Athletics Weekly

Who Are Britain's Stars Of The Future ?

Who Are Britain's Stars Of The Future ?

High jumpers and a discus thrower

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