British international Craig Pickering is a likely starter for the first of this year’s Fortis Golden Series meetings. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0444236)
THE Fortis Golden Series is returning to Guernsey this summer with an international feel. Last year saw three highly successful athletics events that attracted some of the top athletes in the country.
And on Wednesday 14 May, Foote’s Lane will host the first of this summer’s series. Wales and Scotland have confirmed they will be sending men’s relay squads as part of their preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
‘We’re definitely looking forward to it,’ said the competition manager for Welsh Athletics, Peter Stafford. ‘It’s a nice opportunity to get the boys in a good competitive race. It’s going to be a first of season run out for some of them and with the Loughborough International a few days later, it will be good for them.’
Wales are sending their official 4×400m men’s relay team.
The side has yet to be picked but Stafford said that the likes of the UK’s number one 400m hurdler David Greene, Debo Ademuyewo, Bruce Tasker and Gareth Warburton, who was the 2007 UK 400m indoor champion, will be in contention.
Greene and Warburton were also part of the Great Britain’s team for last year’s European Indoor Championships.
The Welsh will also be bringing an ‘unofficial’ 4 x 100m team.
Scotland on the other hand are coming with their official 4 x 100m relay team as well as their best available 4 x 400 squad.
Piotr Haczek, Scottish Athletics’ national sprint manager, considers the Guernsey trip ‘as a big project for the relay squad’.
‘It is an opportunity to see where we are as a group. All the athletes are looking forward to this competition.
‘We are looking to field our strongest team – that’s a priority.
‘For us, this is a good opportunity,’ added Haczek, who has a sub 40sec. target for his sprint relay men this year, which may be good enough to win a place on the start line for the relay planend at the Crystal Palace grand prix in July.
Given that the Guernsey and all-comers’ record stands at 42sec., the Scots are likely to give an unofficial England quartet a run for their money.
Organisers hope that the English relay squad will comprise the likes of Craig Pickering, who set a new island all-comers’ best of 10.4sec. last year, and fellow Bath sprinter Ryan Scott, a 10.28 man.
A Guernsey team that is certain to feature Dale Garland and Tom Druce will also take part in the 4 x 400m race.
‘We’ve got a strong enough team to enter the 4 x 400m,’ said Lee Merrien, the island’s development officer.
‘People who came down last year were treated to some good athletics and I hope it’s a similar standard this year if not better. I hope it showcases athletics in a good light.’
Pickering and Scott both reached the 60m final at the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March last year. The two University of Bath students also represented Great Britain team in the European Under-23 Championships in Hungary.
Other top national performers are being targeted by the organisers.
‘This year’s line-up is incredible,’ said Rick Denton, head of marketing and business development at Fortis Guernsey.
‘To have secured such top class talent is fantastic and just goes to show the regard in which the event is held. Last year’s Golden Series was very well supported and the atmosphere in the Garenne Stand electric.
‘The addition of some of the UK’s top up-and-coming athletes, as well as our very own stars, should make this year’s event even more spectacular.’
The series is also being backed by Sport Guernsey.
‘We supported the event last year and it went so well we agreed to support it again this year,’ said Sport Guernsey chairman Roy Martel.
‘It’s quite an expensive thing to bring high quality athletes to Guernsey.
‘It’s an event that’s well supported by the local community as shown by last year’s crowd and we hope it will be again this year.’
Article posted on 26th March, 2008 - 2.30pm
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