Johanna repeats sub-58 second 400m at Allianz Park

Impressive times at London Inter Club Challenge

Two of Chengelo's Elite Athletics Squad traveled to Hendon to compete at Allianz Park in the London Inter-Club Challenge on Saturday 29th August. Maria stayed in Southampton due to injury, leaving Chigo and Johanna to represent the Squad at the last competition of the UK trip. They were met at the stadium by Miss Mary Hanson, former Chengelo staff member and, as it turns out, athletics expert!

The standard was high and as Chigo warmed up for his 800m race, the 5000m competitors ran some good times before the 400m hurdlers showed their excellent technique over the barriers.

Chigo lined up for the 800m race with the aim of running close to his personal best of 2 minutes 5.01 seconds. He certainly started well, running a 400m split of 1 minute 2 seconds. However, despite overtaking a competitor towards the end of the second lap, Chigo tired up and finished in a respectable time of 2 minutes 7.85 seconds. He ran very well and now knows where he needs to improve to run the 800m in under 2 minutes 5 seconds.

After the 100m sprints had finished, Johanna was ready for her 400m race. She was placed in the fourth heat and in lane four. Using starting blocks for the first time in 400m, she got out well and ran a sensible first 200m, taking a slight lead. She was then passed on the bend by the athlete in lane two before showing her endurance on the home straight and passing her to win the race. The time was agonisingly close to her personal best, 57.98 seconds. This time was 0.04 seconds slower than the 57.94 seconds she ran 10 days ago in Eltham.

It was a good day of competition for the athletes and a great way to cap off an exciting trip! Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement you have offered to the squad this August!

 

More personal bests for Chengelo Squad!

Chigo and Johanna record PBs at Watford Open Meeting

The Chengelo Elite Athletics Squad traveled to Watford on Wednesday knowing that this could be the busiest open meeting of the UK trip. Hundreds of athletes gathered at the Woodside Stadium with the same aim as the Squad - to run as fast a time as possible!

 Maria and Johanna were competing in the 200m for the second time in 4 days and have been enjoying using starting blocks and new knowledge learned at some of their Thursday night training sessions. In this meet, they were put in the same heat with a strong field. Johanna was in lane 2 and Maria in lane 7, with a variety of athletes in the lanes between and around them. Johanna's time puts her 20th in the UK for u15 girls in 200m, which is not even her best event!

Johanna was passed on the bend by the Loughborough University athlete on the lane inside hers before coming back at her on the straight and passing her with ten metres left. Maria had a similar race, finishing fast on the final 100 metres and showing the speed endurance she possesses. Johanna finished in a personal best time of 25.82 seconds, although hand-timing the video shows closer to 25.6 seconds. Maria was just over a second back in 27.12, half a second off her personal best.

After watching some extremely fast and competitive 800m races, featuring British athlete Guy Learmonth who ran 1 minute 47 seconds (fast enough to qualify for the World Championship 800m final), Chigo was ready for his 1500m race. He achieved a new personal best in Southampton of 4 minutes 30.27 seconds and was targeting a second PB in 4 days. Chigo slowly moved up through the field on the first lap before keeping a fast pace and finishing fast in typical Chigo style. His efforts were rewarded with an incredible new personal best of 4 minutes 26.88 seconds, almost three and a half seconds faster than his previous best!

The athletes may now travel to Allianz Park, Copthall on Saturday for a final chance to turn heads and record some personal bests.

Chigo posts 1500m personal best and girls secure 200m victories at Hampshire Grand Prix

Athletes shine at Saucony Grand Prix

The Chengelo Elite Squad enjoyed a relatively shorter journey to their meet on Sunday afternoon as the Southampton Sports Centre was the venue for the Saucony Hampshire Athletics Grand Prix. The weather forecast was for rain, but it held off and the only tricky weather the athletes had to tackle was a slightly gusty wind. To counteract that negative force was some excellent support offered by Graham and Anna Osmond, former Chengelo staff members.

Chigo was the first athlete to take to the track as he targeted a personal best in the 1500m. Aiming for a 72-second first lap and a 4 minute 30 seconds 1500m, "Cruise Control" clocked some excellent splits, passing athletes throughout the race as he so often does and finishing second in 4 minutes 30.27 seconds. This was over three seconds faster than his personal best and a superb achievement for Chigo.

The Bangala sisters were running in their age groups in the 200m and Johanna was up first in the under-15 heat. The girls have been practising their sprint starts this week and it showed as Johanna exploded out of the blocks and led from start to finish. The clock showed 26.34 seconds but the time was later rounded down to 26.27 seconds, her second fastest time ever.

Maria was running in the under-17 girls category and knew there was a fast girl in her race. As expected, her rival was faster over the first 50 metres and Maria found herself about five metres back going into the straight. However, she stayed calm on the straight and took the lead in the last 15 metres to win in 26.77 seconds, just 0.27 seconds slower than her personal best.

The squad enjoyed their first daytime UK competition and now look forward to their last meet at the Watford Open Graded Meeting on Wednesday.