Dante Legister, Divine Akinlolu, Dejaune Lingard and Shaquille Fernandez Folkes all got PB's at the London Indoor Games.
The London Indoor Games is the UK’s largest indoor Open meeting spanning four long days of competitions at the Lee Valley Athletics centre in North London. Entries topped 2,500 this year and as well as the athletics the event brings together various food and drink vendors, kit and shoes sales stalls, event photographers and 6th form colleges looking for prospective students. The south of England AA provides all the officials making for a well-run events with lots to see and do. The caterers were even offering £1 off food for anyone setting a PB!
Club Athletes support the event in good numbers with many of our members performing at the top level while others enjoyed the chance to improve on PB’s and break up winter training.
Senior and Under 20 Women
Doyin Aderinto nudged her 60m PB down a bit further to 7.76 with good back up from Rachel Taylor (8.70) and Victory Etafo (8.76). Rachel added a PB of 29.79 in the 200m. In the field Chichi Cooper improved her best to 11.09m in the triple jump and Natalie Mann threw 7.71m in the shot put event.
Senior and Under 20 Men
Dejaune Lingard, now training with Ryan Freckleton at Oaklands College in Hertfordshire, went straight to number 2 on the UK under 20 rankings with a 60m PB of 6.79 in his first race of the winter. He races again the Southern Championships this coming weekend before moving on to the National Indoor Championships in Sheffield on Feb. 12th. In the other 60’s there were PB’s for Shaquille Fernandez Folkes (7.37 ) and Nkwazi Ndila (7.40 ). Over 200m Luke Moore posted a very respectable 23.24 with Shaquille not far behind on 23.56. Darren Oregbomwanhia now at Brunel university and training with Linford Christie’s group, warmed up with a 24.37 200 but then ran a 52.73 400m which is only just outside his outdoor PB. Fuad Busoir was also just outside his outdoor PB running an indoor best of 54.06.
Under 17 Women
Keziah Olaleye ran PB times in both the 60 hurdles (9.52) and the 300 (42.90) which bodes well for her coach’s ambition for her to run 300 hurdles this summer. Ciara McGinty and Janaii Coote both PB’d in the 60 with 8.41 and 8.35 receptively though both then had a bit of a nightmare running 200 on the tight indoor bends with one getting disqualified for running out of lane and the other falling on the home straight (though still getting up to finish 3rd in her race!). Faith Assah posted a decent 44.29 over 300m and then ran an 8.27 60m. Zafirah Alebiosu ran a 28.25 200
Under 17 Men
Dante Legister maintained his position at the top of the UK U17 Men's’ 60m rankings with a 6.87 60m despite not training for two weeks with an ankle injury. His next race will be in Sheffield at the National Indoor Championships in February. Divine Akinlolu smashed his 60m PB going from 7.33 to 7.23 and then 7.13 in the second round of races, whilst Rahaan Beckford Collier equalled his PB with a 7.35 clocking over 60m.
Jack Adams and David Poungui decided to run indoor instead of doing the South of England XC Championships and were amply rewarded with four and six second PB’s over 800 (2.15.92/2.19.83).
Under 15 Women
Emily Cadman shone again despite being at the bottom of the age group. She should join Dante, Dejaune, Faith and Nuriah Orhurhu at the National Indoor Championships and looked especially strong over 200m recording 26.42, ranking her 7th in the UK. Gabby Noyce had her first outing over 60 hurdles breaking 10 seconds with a 9.90 and then adding a PB 200m of 27.82. Lily Gayle was fractionally outside her best with a 8.60 60m.
Under 15 Boys
Felix Tynan showed no ill effects from the previous day’s cross country as he ran an 800m pb of 2.22.11 with Aniket Iyengar also secured a PB of 2.32.15. Elijah Olaleye got pb’s in both the 60Hurdes (9.52) and 200 (27.40) though he remains 0.05 behind big sister Keziah over the hurdles (only a bit of sibling rivalry going on there!) Kema Jr Onyemaechi ran a 60m PB of 7.71 and just missed his 200 PB with25.77.
International news
Two of our best juniors from previous years continue to race overseas. In Houston Texas, Vera Chinedu ran a 7.65 60 and then a 25.14 200 indoors whilst in Gallur Spain Ruth Onyekwe ran a 7.92 60m.