Congratulations David!!

All the members of the LSAA Committee would like to congratulate David Bolarinwa on his recent success in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG), held in Singapore. He won a bronze medal in the 100m (in a time of 10.51) and a silver medal in the medley relay. He also had the huge honour of being selected (by the other members of Team GB, from a variety of sports) to be the flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony, an experience he regarded as ‘pretty cool’.

(http://www.ukathletics.org/media/news/august-2010/13-08-10-yog-flag-bearer/?locale=en)

David’s rise to these heights has been pretty swift. He first competed for Cambridge Harriers in August 2007 when he ran 100m in 12.0. The following year he improved his PB to 11.11 when winning a silver medal in the Junior Boys 100m at the English Schools championships (his only defeat that season). In 2009 he won the Intermediate Boys 100m at English Schools, Home Schools International, UK School Games and improved his PB to 10.71. He had his first taste of international success when he won a silver medal at the World School Games, being beaten by Jordan Arthur who is a year older.

This year David has had a phenomenal season. He was selected (along with fellow London Schools athlete, Katie Snowden) to represent Great Britain in the European Youth Olympic Trials in Moscow in May. He won the 100m (in 10.68) and came 2nd in the 200m (in 21.49), thereby gaining selection for the team to represent Europe at the YOG. (Katie ran extremely well to reach the final of the 1000m where she came 6th, just missing out on selection for the Europe team).

David defended his Intermediate Boys titles at the English Schools and Home Schools International and also won the 100m in the England U20 championships. He came closer to his aim of being the fastest ever U17 in the UK when he ran 10.39 in an open meeting at Lee Valley in early August which meant he arrived in Singapore as the fastest U18 100m sprinter in the world this year. Although his poor start lost him the gold medal in Singapore he is still the fastest U18 in the world in 2010.

We hope he retains his UK School Games title this week and wish him luck in bettering that elusive 10.31 (set by Mark Lewis-Francis in August 1999).

David is an inspiration to his fellow London Schools athletes. We are very proud of his achievements so far and wish him all the best for his athletics career, in particular his aims of competing in the World Junior championships in 2012 and the Olympic Games in 2016.