Happy Birthday from Thursday 8 August to Wednesday 14 August – Yamile Aldama, Jamie Bath, Lily Beckford, Lucia Casalenuovo, Erin Clift, Jai Daryanani, Thomas Fisher, Rafael Gayer, David Greenstein, Amy Gullen, Obinna Nwokeji, Laddie Shaw and Eve Wright

OLYMPIC GAMES – SCOTT LINCOLN (HCA) SHOT PUT – Friday 2 August – This being SCOTT’S 2nd Olympics, was drawn in Pool B in the qualification round, and from the onset was struggling to find his best form, and his best put was (19.69m) finishing in 12th place.

OLYMPIC GAMES – ZHARNEL HUGHES 100M – Saturday 3 August – ZHARNEL came to the games feeling in reasonable shape, following his hamstring injury earlier this year. ZHARNEL was drawn in Heat 8 in round 1, and following a steady start, his transition was smooth to eventually crossed the line in 3rd place (10.03 w0.2), qualifying for Sunday’s semi-final.
Sunday 4 August – ZHARNEL was drawn in Heat 3 of the semi-final, and it was clear from the race that ZHARNEL was struggling and finished in 6th place (10.01 w0.5). Post-race ZHARNEL said “It’s not the easiest thing to come back from, especially what I had. I had a grade two [tear] on the outside of the hamstring, so obviously not getting me enough races to get me in race shape was my issue.”

On Monday ZHARNEL announced he has withdrawn from the 200m event with a hamstring injury.

OLYMPIC GAMES – CHARLIE DOBSON (HCA) 400M – Sunday 4 August – CHARLIE came to the games after running a personal best (44.23) in London recently. CHARLIE was drawn in Heat 6 in round 1, and ran a quality race, looking very strong in the final 100m, winning in a time of (44.96). Now on to the semi-final on Tuesday.
Tuesday 6 August – CHARLIE was drawn in Semi-Final 1, which was possibly the toughest of the 3 Semi-Finals. Starting from Lane 8, CHARLIE ran a strong 200m, and coming into the home straight was lying in 4th place, although he maintained his speed to the line he finished 4th (44. 48) just failing to qualify for the Final.

OLYMPIC GAMES – LINA NEILSEN 400M HURDLES – Sunday 4 August – LINA came to first games following her personal best (54.43) in the recent European final. LINA was drawn in Heat 4 in round 1, and ran a well-controlled race, and finished 2nd in a time of (54.65), qualifying 8th fastest for Tuesday’s semi-final.
Tuesday 6 August – LINA was drawn in Semi-Final 1. Starting from Lane 6, LINA after hurdling quite well, she reached the 200m in 4th place, coming in to the home straight LINA was contesting 3rd place. Coming up to the final hurdle LINA seemed to misjudge her stride pattern, and caught the top of the hurdle which sent her crashing to the ground and unfortunately out of the race.

OLYMPIC GAMES – LIZZIE BIRD 3000M STEEPLECHASE – Sunday 4 August – LIZZIE was drawn in Heat 2 in round 1. From the bell the pace was steady, they passed 1000m in (3.10.93) with LIZZIE in 7th place, 2000m was reached in (6:17.0) with LIZZIE 5th. The pace started to increase and entering into the home straight LIZZIE was in 6th place, and with 30m to go LIZZIE saw a gap on the inside and managed to slip through to finish in 4th place (9:16.46) qualifying for Tuesday’s Final.
Tuesday 6 August – LIZZIE finished 9th in the Tokyo Olympics, and has looked in good form to better that result in today’s Final. From the start seven of the favourites blasting out over the opening few laps, almost at world record pace, LIZZIE was amongst a group of athletes some 20m adrift. On the final lap LIZZIE looked strong and in the home straight, charged through to finish in a superb 7th place (9:04.35) setting a new National Record, UK No.1 on the UK all-time list and of course a new Club Record.

OLYMPIC GAMES – NICK PERCY DISCUS – Monday 5 August – NICK came to the games after throw a personal best (67.73m) earlier this year. NICK in his 1st Olympics, was drawn in Pool A in the qualification round, and was slightly below par throwing (61.81m) finishing in 12th place.

THE PORTER’S IN PARIS – AIMEE PORTER and her family MARGARET and SEAN went to watch KEELY HODGKINSON in Paris and sat with some of KEELY’S family who then shared the experience with TEAM KEELY.

OLYMPIC GAMES ATHLETICS TIMETABLE – This is the link to the athletics timetable – https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule/athletics

OLYMPIC GAMES ON TV – The games will be shown on BBC1, BBC2 and BBC iplayer, with some 250 hours of live coverage. Also wall-to-wall coverage will be shown on Eurosport1 and Eurosport2. Streaming services will be available on Discovery+ (charge of £3.99 a month), showing 3,800 hours of live action.

OLYMPIC GAMES – The closing ceremony takes place on Sunday 11 August.

SHAFTESBURY WIN PROMOTION TO THE NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP – Congratulations to our team, officials and team managers who last Saturday at Bedford, secured promotion back to the Premiership. The team followed up their 3 league wins at Chelmsford, StoneX Stadium and Stevenage, by winning the promotion match at Bedford with 593.5 points to Sheffield’s 539 points.

Shaftesbury and Sheffield will now contest the 2025 season, against Birchfield, Harrow, Glasgow, Thames Valley Harriers, Windsor and Woodford. I am certain with the many of the talented young athletes we have, our future looks bright.

NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place on Saturday 14 September at Western Park, Telford, Shropshire
Start Times 12.00am 57th U17 Women (5000m), 12.25am 21st U15 Boys (4000m), 12.45pm 54th U13 Girls (3000m), 13.05pm 78th U17 Men (6000m), 13.30pm 20th U13 Boys (3000m), 13.45pm 58th U15 Girls (4000m), 14.05am 32nd U20 Women (6000m), 14.35pm 91st Senior Women (8000m), 15.20pm 76th U20 Men (10000m), 16.00pm 136th Senior Men (12000m)
This is the link to the National website, giving information, travel and site map etc – https://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/the-national-cross-country-championships/entry-procedure/
Entries Close Friday 16 August
Note: You will have to be pre-entered by your Team Manager

MIDDLESEX 10K ROAD RACE – Takes place on Sunday 29 September, from Victoria Park Harriers clubhouse (Satnav E9 5EG). Age-group U17 and above.
Link for information and to enter – https://englandathletics.sport80.com/public/wizard/e/28217/home
Entries Closing Date Thursday 26 September

STATUS ON OPEN MEETINGS – These are the fixtures which are now open for you to enter yourself, which are as follows.
BFTA Series – 26 August Closing Date 19 August (Entries on Opentrack)
Watford – 21 August Open To Enter Closing Date 19 August (Entries on Roster Athletics)
Please remember there is a possibility that the limits may be taken up before the closing date.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS SUBSCRIPTIONS – Our new Club year started on 1 October 2023. The current SBH annual subscription is £80 and the current England Athletics annual registration from 1 April 2024 is £19. The current total is £99 and should be paid NOW to; ACCOUNT NAME: SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS, BANK: HSBC, ACCOUNT NUMBER: 41308378, SORT CODE: 400426 – Please advise GEOFF MORPHITIS by email (geoffrey.morphitis@capeandd.com) when payment has been made.

RESULTS
Just to clarify, that the results I publish can be different to those that are shown on the Power of 10. The differences relate to seasons and personal best performances. For example in the recent EYAL results, an athlete in the 200m ran (24.1), and on his profile his season’s best was shown as (23.88) indoors. As the 200m indoors and outdoors are totally different type of events, I had shown the (24.1) as a season’s best.
The Power of 10 publishes separate UK rankings for indoor and outdoor performances.

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE – CHAMPIONSHIP PROMOTIONAL MATCH – Took place Bedford on 3 August

Match Result – 1st SBH (593.5 points), 2nd Sheffield (539), 3rd Tonbridge (506), 4th Swansea (485), 5th Cardiff (425.5), 6th Trafford (381), 7th Belgrave (378), 8th Havering (281)

100m – SM A KRISHAWN AIKEN 4th (10.45 w3.2), B MALACHI AMADI U20 4th (11.12 w2.8)
100m – SW A EVE WRIGHT 2nd (11.73 w1.6), B TAMI GEORGE U17 4th (12.37 w3.2)
200m – SM A PHOENIX LYON 3rd (21.46 w2.9), B KRISHAWN AIKEN 1st (21.28 w3.1)
200m – SW A TAMI GEORGE U17 7th (25.21 w2.0), B HAYLEY MCLEAN 4th (25.14 w1.9)
400m – SM A BEN ROCHFORD 5th (48.52), B JOSHUA NAIMECH-OYEBOLA 5th (50.05)
400m – SW A LILY BECKFORD 7th (56.71), B VANESSA ANSUAA U23 5th (60.61)
800m – SM A SAM WIGGINS 4th (SB 1:54.24) taking .18 of a second off his 22 June time, B LUCA STUBBS U23 2nd (1:59.47)
800m – SW A ZULEIKHA COLLINS U20 7th (PB 2:26.74) taking 1.75 seconds off her 23 June time, B AKHAILA COLLINS U20 5th (PB 2:31.27) taking 1.94 seconds off her 23 June time
1500m – SM A PHILLIP CROUT 2nd (3:58.08), B RAFAEL GAYER U20 2nd (4:04.22)
1500m – SW A ZOE LEVIN 5th (4:46.26), B HAYLEY MCLEAN 4th (PB 5:03.81) taking 32.39 seconds off her 2012 time
3000m – SM A MARK PEARCE 1st (SB 8:14.74), B THOMAS BUTLER 1st (8:21.82)
100m Hurdles – SW A ALINA COFIE U20 3rd (14.53 w1.7), B NIA FORBES-AGYEPONG U20 2nd (14.56 w1.4)
110m Hurdles – SM A STEVEN GARRETT V35 4th (SB 15.91 w2.0) taking .32 of a second off his 1 June time, B JUBRIL ADENIJI U23 2nd (PB 15.93 w2.2) taking .61 of a second off his 2021 time
400m Hurdles – SM A STEVEN GARRETT V35 3rd (54.17), B JUBRIL ADENIJI U23 1st (55.13)
400m Hurdles – SW A HAYLEY MCLEAN 1st (58.48), B AZARIA NWANKWO U20 1st (66.19)
2000m Steeplechase – SW A ZOE LEVIN 3rd (7:27.54)
3000m Steeplechase – SM A MARK PEARCE 1st (9:14.05), B GLEN WATTS V35 1st (SB 9:59.94)
High Jump – SM A AKIN COWARD 1st (2.08m), B KIMANI JACK U23 1st (2.03m)
High Jump – SW A EVELYNE FONTEYNE U23 5th (1.73m), B REBECCA WHEELER-HENRY U20 2nd (1.63m)
Long Jump – SM A BEN MCGUIRE 1st (7.11 w1.9), B PAUL OGUN (HCA) 1st (6.95m w1.4)
Long Jump – SW A ZULEIKHA COLLINS U20 6th (PB 4.88m w1.3) adding 1cm to her 23 June jump, B LYDIA ROGERS 6th (4.38m w1.5)
Triple Jump – SM A KENAN STEPHENS U23 2nd (PB 14.59m nwr) adding 17cm to his 22 June jump, B DANIEL LEWIS 1st (14.23m nwr)
Triple Jump – SW A ALINA COFIE U20 5th (10.11 nwr), B LYDIA ROGERS 4th (8.92m nwr)
Discus 1kg – SW A ALEXANDRA BALTAZAR-HALL U23 2nd (46.21m), B STACEY GONZALES V50 5th (26.29m)
Discus 2kg – SM A GREGORY THOMPSON 1st (56.22m), B REUBEN VAUGHAN 1st (46.29m)
Shot 7.26kg – SM A GREGORY THOMPSON 2nd (14.99m), B EVAN CAMPBELL 2nd (13.50m)
Shot 4kg – SW A ALEXANDRA BALTAZAR-HALL U23 2nd (11.47m), B STACEY GONZALES V50 7th (6.76m)
Hammer 7.26kg – SM A JAMES HAMBLIN 1st (52.24m), B GREGORY THOMPSON 1st (49.95m)
Hammer 6kg – SW A AMY CLEMENS 2nd (49.95m), B STACEY GONZALES V50 4th (PB 19.09m) adding 2.45m to her 14 July Throw
Javelin 800g – SM A DANIEL BAINBRIDGE 1st (63.40m), B MILAN TRAJKOVIC 1st (SB 53.10m) adding 78cm to his 30 March throw
Javelin 600g – SW A ZULEIKHA COLLINS U2 8th (24.60m), B AKHAILA COLLINGS U20 5th (23.75m)
4x100m Relay – SM 2nd (42.26) KRISHAWN AIKEN, KENAN STEPHENS, MALACHI AMADI U20, PHOENIX LYON, SW 5th (49.77) AZARIA NWANKWO, NIA FORBES-AGYEPONG, ALINA COFIE, HAYLEY MCLEAN
4x400m Relay – SM 4th (3:20.87) BEN ROCHFORD (50.6), JOSHUA NAIMECH-OYEBOLA (52.2) COLUMBA BLANGO T20 (50.0) KRISHAWN AIKEN (48.1), SW 6th (4:12.61) MIA HIGSON (64.0) NIA FORBES-AGYEPONG (64.8) AZARIA NWANKWO (63.7) VANESSA ANSUAA (60.3)

OLYMPIC GAMES – Took place at Paris, France on 1-11 August
100m – SM H8 ZHARNEL HUGHES 3rd (10.03 w0.2) in Semi-Final 3 ZHARNEL finished 6th (10.01 w0.5)
400m – SM H6 CHARLIE DOBSON (HCA) 1st (44.96) in Semi-Final 1 CHARLIE finished 4th (44.48)
400m Hurdles – SW H4 LINA NIELSEN 1st (54.65) in the Final LINA (DNF)
3000m Steeplechase – SW H2 LIZZIE BIRD 4th (9:16.46) in the Final LIZZIE finished 7th (PB 9:04.35) taking 4.72 seconds off her 7 July time, and is ranked UK No.1 in 2024, also a New National Record
Shot 7.26kg – SM QB SCOTT LINCOLN (HCA) 12th (19.69m)
Discus 2kg – SM QA NICK PERCY 12th (61.81m)

DEREK CROOKES U13 INTERCOUNTIES – Took place at Walton on 4 August
100m – U13B B2 LUCAS DAVIS U13 (Hertfordshire) 5th (PB 13.38 w2.1) taking .02 of a second off his 2 June time
200m – U13B B2 LUCAS DAVIS U13 (Hertfordshire) 3rd (PB 27.1 w1.6) taking .37 of a second off his 12 May time
75m Hurdles – U13B B2 LUCAS DAVIS U13 (Hertfordshire) 1st (12.88 w1.0)

YORK 10K – Took place at York on 4 August
ROBERT RIGBY V60 148th (SB 39.11 1st V60) taking 10 seconds off his 1 January time

GUILDFORD AND GODALMING AC CENTENARAY MILE NIGHT – Took place at Guildford on 31 July
Mile – SX 9 DYLAN EVANS 2nd (4:10.65)

BE FIT TODAY OUTDOOR SERIES – Took place at Lee Valley on 28 July
High Jump – SX REBECCA WHEELER-HENRY U20 1st (1.65m)

PARKRUN – Can you make sure that you are registered as ‘Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers’, as the link I use to select all results only shows SBH athletes. If anyone is also officiating can you please contact me and advise me where and when.

PARKRUNS MILESTONE VESTS – You can purchase these from 50 to 500, this is the link – https://shop.parkrun.com/collections/milestone-run-walk-vests

PARKRUNS IN THE UK – Last Saturday at parkruns in the UK, there were…
1,217 events – 228,976 walkers, joggers, runners and volunteers – 11,710 first timers – 25,930 PBs

COMPLETELY USELESS RANDOM FACT – Did you know there are parkruns with the Olympic ring colours in their names? – Two with ‘blue’, five with ‘black’, 25 with ‘green’, and 13 with ‘red’

UPCOMING TRACK AND FIELD FIXTURES FOR THE NEXT 5 WEEKS, WHICH COVERS THE PERIOD THURSDAY 8 AUGUST UNTIL WEDNESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER – The SBH 2024 Summer Fixture Card can be found on the SBH website, in which you can Access/Print a copy for future reference. Also the majority of fixtures Information can be found on the SBH Website under the ‘Fixtures and Results’ section.

SUMMER OPEN MEETINGS 2024 – The link will open the document that has the dates for all fixture dates for BFTA and Watford fixtures and updated up to the 8 August – All Summer Open Meetings 2024 Updated 8 August 2024
The Information including how to enter for each fixture, will be published below as and when known. 

OLYMPIC GAMES – The Athletics takes place from Thursday 1 August to Sunday 11 August in Paris, France.
Link to the athletics timetable – https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule/athletics

SOUTHERN U13, U15 AND U17 CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place on Saturday 10 August and Sunday 11 August at the Chelmsford Athletic Centre, Salemo Way, Chelmsford (Satnav CM1 2EH).
Entries Closed

BFTTA OUTDOOR SERIES – Takes place on Sunday 11 August at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR)
Age-Groups Under U13 and above Men/Women.
Entries Closed

LONDON INTER CLUB CHALLENGE – The fourth of five fixtures on Saturday 17 August has been Cancelled.

ENGLAND AGE-GROUP COMBINED EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND U20 INTERNATIONAL – Takes place on Saturday 17 August and Sunday 18 August at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre, Pococks Lane, Eton (Satnav SL4 6HN).
Entries Closed

WATFORD OPEN MEETING  – Takes place on Wednesday 21 August at the Woodside Stadium, Horseshoe Lane, Watford (Satnav WD25 7HH).
Age-Groups Under U13 and above Men/Women.
Link to entries on roster athletics – https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/about?id=25655
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee. There are no entries on the day, and there is a possibility that the limits will be taken up well before the race day.
Entries Closing Date Monday 19 August

MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL – Takes place on Saturday 24 August at the Manchester Regional Arena, Rowsley Street, Manchester (Satnav M11 3FF)
Link to Information – https://www.englandathletics.org/team-england/manchester-international/

BFTTA OUTDOOR SERIES – Takes place on Monday 26 August at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR)
Age-Groups Under U13 and above Men/Women.
Entry now open to enter on Open Track – https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2024/GBR/bft111117/
Entries Closing Date Monday 19 August
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee. There are no entries on the day, and there is a possibility that the limits will be taken up well before the race day.

WORLD UNDER 20 CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place from Tuesday 27 August to Saturday 31 August in Lima, Peru.
Please Note: You will selected for these Championships

PARALYMPIC GAMES OVERALL TIMETABLE 2024 – Take place in Paris,France from the Friday 30 August to Sunday 8 September.
Link to the overall timetable for all sports – https://medias.paris2024.org/uploads/2024/01/Competition-Schedule-by-session-Events-V4.pdf
Detailed athletics timetable to be issued in due course.

LONDON INTER CLUB CHALLENGE – The fifth of five fixtures takes place on Sunday 1 September at the StoneX Stadium, Greenlands Lane, Hendon (Satnav NW4 1RL).
Entry fee is £12 per event for all age-groups, SBH Members qualify for a 50% discount.
Link to the timetable –
Link to enter on opentrack –
Entries Closing Date ????, No Entries On The Day

WATFORD OPEN MEETING  – Takes place on Wednesday 4 September at the Woodside Stadium, Horseshoe Lane, Watford (Satnav WD25 7HH).
Age-Groups Under U13 and above Men/Women.
Timetable – TBC
Link to entries on roster athletics, although entries not open as yet –
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee. There are no entries on the day, and there is a possibility that the limits will be taken up well before the race day.

SOUTHERN U20 AND SENIOR INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place on Saturday 7 September at the Horspath Athletics And Sports Ground, Horspath Road, Oxford (Satnav OX4 2RR).
Please Note: You will selected by your County Team Manager

EASTERN YOUNG ATHLETES LEAGUE TOP 6 FINAL  – Takes place on Sunday 8 September at the StoneX Stadium, Greenlands Lane, Hendon (Satnav NW4 1RL)
Age-Groups Under U13, U15 & U17 Men/Women.
Note: You will have to be selected by your Team Manager

SOUTHERN U15 AND U17 INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place on Sunday 8 September at the Horspath Athletics And Sports Ground, Horspath Road, Oxford (Satnav OX4 2RR).
Please Note: You will selected by your County Team Manager

UPDATE ON 2024-2025 WINTER SEASON – With the Olympics coming to an end this Sunday, it will only be 4 weeks before the track and field season comes to an end,

Currently the SBH 2024-2025 Winter Fixture Card is almost complete, except the Metropolitan and North West London League dates/venues, which should be published towards the end of this month.

Please remember that many of the Cross Country and Road Relay fixtures, require our Team Managers to enter athlete names, and in most cases entries have to be submitted between 3 to 6 weeks before the fixture date. Therefore please keep your respective Team Manager up to date on your availability.

Regarding Indoor Fixtures, you are required to enter a fixture yourself, and pay the appropriate fee.

Link to details of SBH of Cross Country Team Managers – https://sbharriers.co.uk/athletics/cross-country/team-managers/
Link to details of SBH of Road Relay Team Managers – https://sbharriers.co.uk/athletics/road-running/team-managers/

These are the current fixture dates/venues;
Cross Country
National Championships – Sep 14 National, Shropshire (cancelled from February), Nov 2 Relays, Mansfield, Fen 22 National, Parliament Hill.
Regional Championships – Oct 19 Southern Relays, Wormwood Scrubs, Jan 25 Southern Championships, Beckenham
Other Fixtures – Oct 26 North London Championships, TBC, Nov 2 Liddiard Trophy, Kingsbury, Nov 16 London Championships and Youth Games, Parliament Hill, Nov 23 Fraternity/Sorority Cups, Trent Park, Nov 23 UK Cross Challenge Inc European Trials, Liverpool, Dec 7 SEAA Masters and Inter Counties, TBC, Dec 8 European Championships, Turkey, Jan Hertfordshire/Middlesex Championships, TBC, Feb 1 British Universities Championships, TBC, Mar 8 CAU Inter Counties Championships, TBC, Mar 15 English Schools Championships, Suffolk

Road Relays
Sep 21 Southern 6 and 4 Stage, Aldershot, Oct 5 National 6 and 4 Stage, Sutton Park, Mar 30 Southern 12 and 6 Stage, Milton Keynes, April 12 National 12 and 6 Stage, Sutton Park

London Marathon
Apr 26 Mini London Marathon, Embankment, Apr 27 London Marathon, Greenwich

Indoor Major Fixtures
Jan 18-19 England U20/Senior Combined Events Championships, Sheffield, Jan 26 British Masters Pentathlon and 3000m Championships, Sheffield, Feb 8-9 England U15/U17/U20/ Championships, Sheffield, Feb 15-16 British Universities Championships, Sheffield, Feb 22-23 UK Championships, Birmingham, Mar 6-9 European Senior Championships, Netherlands, Mar 8-9 England U15/U17/U20 Combined Events Championships, Sheffield, Mar 15-21 World Masters Championships, Florida, Mar 21-23 World Senior Championships, China

Lee Valley Indoor Fixtures
Dec 1 Open Meeting, Dec 14-15 Southern U15/U17/U20 and Senior Combined Events Championships, Jan 1 Open Meeting, Jan 11-12 Southern U13/U15/U17 Championships, Jan 18-19 London U20/Senior Games, Jan 25-26 London U13/U15/U17 Games, Feb 1-2 Southern U20/Senior Championships, Feb 12 Ayo Falola Dream Mile, Feb 19 Middle Distance Open Meeting, Mar 22-23 British Masters Championships

The following Lee Valley fixture dates are still to be published – Be Fit Today Open Meetings, VAC and EMAC Championships, England Inter Area Championships, Essex and Eastern Championships, Middlesex, Herts and Kent Championships

MEET THE COACH: HELENA DUPLANTIS – The following article was published on the Athletics Weekly website recently.

We speak to the Swede who stepped in to help her son, MONDO, at high school and has been a key component in his rise to success on the global stage in the pole vault. HELENA DUPLANTIS grew up with athletics. Her father was the head of her local club in Sweden and competed in pole vault until the age of 80. There are pictures of her as a three-year-old playing in the long jump pit. After competing in her first track meeting at the age of six, she developed into an all-round talent, representing her country in the hepathlon. A scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU) took her to the USA in 1985, where she met her husband GREG, also a pole vaulter. They have four children who were all encouraged to be involved in sport but it is their son, MONDO, who has risen to global prominence, seemingly making it his mission to create pole vault history at every turn. The serial world record-breaker, also the reigning Olympic, world and European champion, is coached by his parents, who also work with Belgian former European under-23 champion BEN BROEDERS. GREG looks after pole vault specific elements while HELENA focuses on strength and conditioning. It is a recipe that certainly works.

Who were your first coaching influences? – I started running track when I was really young. My dad was my coach and then I moved because he felt like he didn’t have the experience to coach me to the next level. I got a coach in a different town and one more after that before I went to LSU. When I got there, I worked with the coaches that were on staff there – people like Loren Seagrave and DAN PFAFF.

How did your own coaching journey start? – I really didn’t think a lot about track as far as being part of coaching, I was just busy with being a soccer mom, a baseball mom and then it wasn’t until MONDO started high school that I felt like there was a need for something, if that’s what he wanted to do. I felt he needed some more guidance from his coaches. The system in the United States is so different. Everything is school-based. I was used to the track clubs in Sweden, where you pretty much have the freedom to search for the best coach to fit you, but here you are still confined to what they have available at school. After his first international meet, when he won the World Youth Championships in Cali 2015, I really felt that MONDO was extremely talented. That was when he started high school, at 15. He quit all the other sports because his older brother had already tried combining baseball and track and field and that was pretty much impossible. I started getting involved in the high school track and field, but with the girls. Our neighbour was the head coach for the women and he was like: ‘Since you did the heptathlon, you could be a great help for the track’. When he offered me the chance to start helping out I thought it would be a good idea, to see what MONDO was actually doing at high school. MONDO’S PE coach really didn’t care about track at all and then he said: “I don’t know anything about pole vault, so your dad can take care of that part.” The first two years in high school, MONDO pretty much showed up to track PE and he used to be told: “Go and do this in the weight room”. Nothing was planned, it was just whatever he felt like doing. They did a little running on their own, too, and there was a little group of three pole vaulters who would come twice a week to our back yard to work on more pole vault specific things. After two years, the coach left and then the new coach said: “I don’t know anything about pole vault, you can do whatever you want.” That’s when I started writing MONDO’S workout plan.

What did you start to enjoy about the process? – I’ve always loved track and I felt like there was a need for it [specific coaching for MONDO]. The first thing I did was a personal training class and then after that I took a series of USA Track and Field coaching certificates but it was just fun to be able to go to school and be part of your kids’ sports.

Could you sum up your philosophy and how you developed it? – I went back and looked at who coached me, what I liked about their styles and what worked for me. And then of course you have to look at the athlete you have. We coach as a team. I have a relaxed philosophy, but I think that comes from MONDO because he is a very “feely” person. His training, his jumping, his technique – it’s a lot about feel. Sometimes I think I’m maybe too relaxed but it’s very much like: “What do you feel like? How do you feel today?” I’m more flexible. When I grew up and I had a workout, it didn’t matter what had gone on that day or how I felt – if it was written on the paper, I had to do it and I think in some ways that was detrimental to my development. I just went back to see how I felt, what worked, what didn’t work, and think about what I could do differently as a coach. I think MONDO has an advantage because both myself and GREG could do that and make sure he didn’t make the same mistakes we did. I’m not an authoritarian coach, for sure.

I think a lot of athletes would relate or react better to that kind of coaching – Some people say things like: ‘Oh my God, can you imagine how much better Mondo would have been if he was more regimented, more on the schedule, more organised and planned? But that kind of environment doesn’t fit him. He freaks out if there’s too much planning and things are too rigid. It doesn’t work for him. I’m not saying our approach would work for everybody, but it works for him.

Does being aware of how talented he is create an extra pressure for you and Greg as coaches? – Of course, yes. My approach is that I write the workout plan for MONDO to get better and I listen to the feedback he gives me. In Sweden the whole focus is always to do things [with the aim] of not getting hurt. That’s always at the back of my mind too but [the aim is] always to get better. MONDO is very level-headed and easy to deal with, too. I know a lot of pole vaulters who like to do very dangerous things [away from the track], but he’s not the kind of person who likes to jump out of planes or race fast cars. He’s more at home on the golf course. It’s always in the back of my mind to do the right thing but I don’t think we walk around and worry about it all, because I think that would also make MONDO worried. The focus is always on staying healthy and getting better. If I’m stressed it makes him stressed. I’m always trying to just take a deep breath and he’s so confident and he’s so good in what he’s doing that I just trust in him.

People forget how young MONDO still is. Have you changed his workouts much as he has developed physically? – It’s pretty much the same cycle that we still do and we’re not planning on making any huge changes. But he’s interesting in that if there’s something specific I want him to work on and I nag too much he’ll say: “Stop that. That’s boring or it’s too much detail. Just let me run and jump”. But then if he sees someone else doing something – for example, during the World Indoor Championships he watched MARCELL JACOBS doing a warm-up/block start before running the 60m – he absorbs that and copies it. That’s the way he learned. He’s not a drills person. GREG isn’t either and he always says: “Who cares if you’re good at drills? It’s the result that matters.” He started so very young and he just started because he wanted to jump just like his older brothers. GREG compares the pole vault to playing golf. There are all sorts of drills you can do but it doesn’t teach you the actual event because you have to jump the full jump. With golf, are you just going to stop half swing? Is that the drill? When I look back, MONDO has done a lot of jumps in his life.

 What piece of advice would you pass on to someone who is interested in being a coach? – Track is so diverse. Pole vault coaching is so different from long distance coaching to sprint coaching. I feel that, if you have the experience, if you have the passion then you have a lot to offer. We definitely need a lot more track coaches.

What do you think are the characteristics of a good coach? – To always know what you don’t know. Some people have one way of coaching and that’s it. But there’s so much to discuss and so many different approaches to coaching an athlete that it feels like you never stop learning. It’s not like: “I’ve taken this class so now I am a coach.” You’re always going to have such different athletes in different situations that it feels like it’s just an ongoing process. There’s always stuff you can learn. I love to see what other coaches do and don’t do. Everybody’s working towards the same goals but everybody has such a different approach.

Where do you find those little moments of satisfaction? – As far as the strength and conditioning goes, if the athletes run well and faster in our little time trials then that makes me really happy. When they improve their running, I think that’s the most satisfaction I get. That’s when you can transfer into bigger poles and get faster on the runway.

ENGLAND ATHLETICS THROWS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER – Just received the July issue from NICK RIDGEON of England Athletics – EA Throws Newsletter July 2024

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS ON INSTAGRAM – Since the account was setup, there has been an amazing amount of Videos and Photographs contributed with many comments. There are no posts this week.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS NEW INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT– Many thanks to SEAN SUTHERLAND who undertook a review on the best way forward, following this a decision was made to set up a new account, and SEAN has now set that account up.

THE FOLLOWING IS CLUB INFORMATION ON VARIOUS TOPICS

SBH 2024-2025 WINTER FIXTURE CARD – The SBH 2024-2025 Winter Fixture Card is currently being produced by myself. The majority of the major fixtures have now been confirmed, and I anticipate the Metropolitan and North West London League dates/venues to be published later this month. I intend issuing the SBH Winter Fixture Card in early September, with the Indoor Fixtures being confirmed in October/Early November.

The remaining 2024 Summer Fixture information can be found on the upcoming fixtures in the SBH Weekly Newsletter on the SBH website, this is the link to the current SBH Weekly Newsletter – https://sbharriers.co.uk/news/

STONEX STADIUM MEMBERSHIP – To use the StoneX Stadium facilities for training, SBH members are required to pay a fee. You can register as a member (which is free) which then entitles you to a discount. This is the link to the form to apply for membership – SBH StoneX Membership 2024-2025  The entrance fee on the membership form, cover the period 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025.

JAMIE BATH MEMBERS MASSAGE SERVICE – Since joining SBH he has been working closely with TY HOLDEN in his quest for Athlete and Athletics Development. To help support the club members he has (with the club’s support) set up a Members Massage Service available on club nights at a small charge of £15 (as compared to outside masseurs who charge £60) to simply cover materials and insurance.
Please contact JAMIE at jamiebath@live.co.uk or text him on 07902 592561. You can also see him on training nights for availability.

GEORGE HARRISON MBE MEMORIAL DOCUMENT – The document has been put together with contributors from LISA WEBB, MARTIN ROCHFORD, NADEEM SHAIKH, RACHEL FELTON, LIAM and JAMIE DEE, JAMES LOVELL, EMILIA ECONOMU, ALAN WELLER,  KAREN HARRISON,  TIM UNDERHILL, GLEN WATTS, JOANNA WINFIELD, SHAUN CLIFFORD and EUAN MACKENZIE – Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Memorial To George Harrison From Friends And Members 20 April 2023
If you wish to contribute your own memories and/or photographs of GEORGE, please email them to me, either within the email or as a separate attached word document.

CODES OF CONDUCT – SBH have now adopted the UK Athletics (UKA) and the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAF) Codes of Conduct which set out national standards of conduct for all clubs, coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes in the sport.  The purpose of the codes are to clarify what behaviours are acceptable and unacceptable, the standards of practice expected and the basis for challenging and improving practice.  The Codes are similar to our previous Codes of Conduct which were part of the previous ClubMark scheme.  All club member and anyone undertaking a relevant role must agree to abide by the codes of conduct. The Codes of Conduct have now been put onto our Website, please read these to understand the commitments you are making by being a member of SBH.
Link to the Code of Conduct document – Codes Of Conduct Booklet 2021 (1)

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION OF INTEREST CAN BE FOUND ON THE SBH WEBSITE BY USING THIS LINK – http://sbharriers.co.uk/
Section ‘About Us’, includes Annual Reports, Best Performance Trophy Awards, Individual And Relay Best Performances By Year, Club Records and SBH All-Time Top 10 T&F Performances.
Section ‘Team Managers And Competitions’, shows details of Track & Field, Cross Country and Road Relays Team Managers.
Section ‘Future Information/Results’, includes Information On Each Fixture, Summer & Winter Fixture Cards, Winter X/C Points Tables and Winter Club Championships Winners.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS NEW CLUB KIT – They are now available to purchase from our club kit supplier, Supreme Sports – click on the link for the full range – https://www.supreme-sports.co.uk/webshop/schools-and-clubs/shaftesbury-barnet-harriers/
By opening the link, you will be on the front page, which displays the men’s items. Click on SBH LADIES for the women’s items, or click on SBH KIDS for the young athletes’ items.

CLUB HOODIES– With well over eight hundred hoodies already in circulation, this is your opportunity to join the club. The bright red hoody is made to order and has your name embroidered on the front along with the club badge and has the Club name on the back. We now have 2 styles, the original pull over style at £37 + P&P or the new one with a full zip at £40 + P&P.
Here is the link to the Supreme Sports website which if you click on it, will take YOU to the new Club Hoody and allow you to then view the full range of Club kit online – https://www.supreme-sports.co.uk/webshop/schools-and-clubs/shaftesbury-barnet-harriers/

ACCESS TO SBH CLUBHOUSE – The new Keyholders to the outside door are TY HOLDEN, CLYDE GORDON, NEVILLE THOMPSON, GREG THOMPSON, COLIN GODFREY and YAMILLE ALDAMA who all use the Clubhouse outside of normal stadium opening hours. GEOFF MORPHITIS and DAVE BEDFORD will also have a key. All other key fob holders can continue to gain access to the clubhouse via the (New) West Stand Entrance and the Trackside Door to the Clubhouse.
Link to note and details for further information – SBH Club House Door 20-01-23

PHOTOGRAPH’S – From time to time we have photographs of our members taken at meetings or presentations which we would like to use both on the website or incorporated within our report to our local newspaper. Can you please let me know if you do NOT want your photograph to be published. Also, I would appreciate if you could send me any photographs, which I can then publish on the website and newsletter.

FACEBOOK – Photographs can be found on the SBH page.

CAN YOU HELP PLEASE – I would welcome any contributions From Yourselves, any impending marriages, or additions to the family, any running or competing incidents, also past warm weather training/holidays (No Club 24 please). Currently the response has been excellent, but if you have anything that could make it into next week’s Newsletter – please email me.

CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF SHAFTESBURY INFORMATION – Currently I notify members (by email) using “MailChimp”. The reason I changed, was in November 2017 “Gmail” put a limit of 100 addresses that users could send to in a 24-hour period, and currently I send to approximately 850 members each issue.

On seeking technical advice “MailChimp” was recommended as the best way for SBH to go forward. There is one thing you should be aware off is that when you receive an email from me, the footer at the bottom has 4 options, of which one is “Unsubscribe Me From List”. Could I ask you not to select this as if you do you will be automatically removed from my distribution list.

SBH MIDWEEK POLE VAULT CLUB AT STONEX STADIUM – The current arrangements until further notice are that Pole Vault training is on Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 18.30pm to 21.00pm. Please contact the session administrator CLYDE GORDON at clydeg67@hotmail.co.uk in advance and let him know if you are planning to attend.

SBH HIGH JUMPS GROUP AT STONEX STADIUM – High Jump training takes place on Monday’s from 19.00pm to 21.00pm. These sessions will be run by our High Jump Coach GRANT BROWN. There will be a charge of £10 per session.
Please contact the session administrator CLYDE GORDON at clydeg67@hotmail.co.uk in advance and let him know if you are planning to attend

SBH TRAINING AND COACHING – Please see the 2024 Summer Fixture Card, which gives full details of Training and Coaching – A SBH Summer 2024 Fixture Card Front Sheet Re-Issued 10-03-24

POLE VAULTERS REQUIRED FOR 2024 – To all athletes young & old – are you aware of the SBH Pole Vault sessions held at StoneX Stadium on Monday & Wednesday evenings from 18.30pm. We have room to coach more of you, why not come along and watch a session and the get involved – give it a try NOW.
Please contact the session administrator CLYDE GORDON at clydeg67@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

STEEPLECHASE TRAINING AT STONEX STADIUM – Check with your Coach for details of training times.

SBH PRIVACY STATEMENT – In becoming a member, SBH will collect certain information about you. Can you please read the attached ‘Privacy Statement’ which contains Information on General Data Protection Regulations – SBH Privacy Statement Final April 2018

STONEX STADIUM – Main Switchboard telephone number is 020 3675 7250.

STONEX STADIUM AWARDED TRACKMARK STANDARD – Congratulations on achieving the UK Athletics Quality Assurance Standards for StoneX Stadium. This is the letter from UK Athletics and certificate showing all area that achieved compliance – StoneX Stadium Award Letter 09.11.21StoneX Stadium Certificate

ALAN WELLER – SBH NEWSLETTER EDITOR AND WEBSITE MANAGER