London 2012 Olympics: Adam Gemili confirms he will compete in 100m trials - Daily Telegraph
It is understood the exemption was extended to the whole weekend in Bedford but Gemili has decided to compete against his under-20 age group in the 200m on Sunday.
The decision on whether he doubles up at the senior trials and competes in the 200m on the Sunday will depend on how he recover from Sunday’s exertions.
UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee will be relieved that Gemili has chosen not to follow the path of Mark Lewis-Francis, who opted out of the 2000 Sydney Olympics to concentrate on the World Junior Championships in Chile that year.
After a lacklustre start to the season for British sprinting, Gemili’s breakthrough has been a welcome breath of fresh air. He heads the UK 100m rankings by a full 10th of a second from his nearest challenger, James Dasoulu, and the pair are the only athletes who have achieved the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard of 10.18sec this summer.
Gemili’s presence at the Olympic trials will heap further pressure on Dwain Chambers, who had been considered a shoo-in for selection in the individual 100m after he was cleared to compete at London 2012.
But, having led the UK rankings since 2008, Chambers is currently languishing in eighth place on this year’s UK list with a best time of 10.28sec.
Under UK Athletics rules, the first two athletes across the finish line will be guaranteed Olympic selection as long as they have run the ‘A’ standard since April 1 this year. A third place is available at the discretion of selectors.
After his stunning progress over 100m, all eyes will be on whether Gemili can reproduce the same kind of form over 200m today.
Earlier this season he set a lifetime best of 22.70sec in Florida but needs to find some extra speed if he is to reach the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 20.55sec.
0 Responses to "London 2012 Olympics: Adam Gemili confirms he will compete in 100m trials - Daily Telegraph"
Post a Comment