contents

action

14 Return to action for Lewis-Francis 18 Top performances at BMC Grand Prix

performance

31 Liz Yelling’s training tips 32 New coaching certificate explained 33 The latest products reviewed 34 Does ‘fat adaptation’ work? 36 Stretching the quads and hamstrings

features

20 On the run with Phil Wicks 24 Twenty20 chief on athletics’ plight 28 ‘Heroes’ scheme launched

news

6 Super8 gets support from BAL 7 Bolt could spark 2012 timetable switch 8 Hexham meeting aims high 9 Crawley seeks return from the doldrums 10 Eilidh Child continues improvement

events

22 Super8 preview 39 Results round-up 68 What’s On

regulars

Right: Liz Yelling

– page 31

12 Rising Stars 26 Comment 30 Letters 78 Official Line

Cover: Jessica Ennis continues her Berlin preparation in Bedford (Mark Shearman)

28Meet the ‘Heroes’ of the 2009 season

20Will Cockerell (right) speaks to Phil Wicks

18BMC Grand Prix report from SportCity

Harry Sh akesh af t

ED I T OR ’ S LET TER

Former teen prodigy deserves break

THE latest chapter in the rollercoaster career of Mark Lewis-Francis began last weekend when he marked his return from an Achilles operation at the Bedford Games. His time of 10.60 was modest, especially compared to Dwain Chambers’ 10.06 on the same weekend in Greece. But it was great to see the 26-year-old Birchfield athlete back in action.

I first met Lewis-Francis in 1998 when I visited Alexander Stadium in Birmingham and was persuaded by Tom McCook, an AW contributor and Birchfield Harriers stalwart, to have a quick chat with a teenage sprinter who was doing some work at the stadium during his holidays. “He’s a pretty talented young man,” said McCook.

Out of curiosity, I agreed, and over the next couple of years we all realised just how talented he was.

Spectacularly, Lewis-Francis ran faster in the ‘B’

100m at the Crystal Palace grand prix in 2000 than the seniors managed in the ‘A’ race. Controversially, he opted to miss the Sydney Olympics to focus on the World Junior Championships in Chile, where he won the 100m title with ease. At the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, he ran a world junior record of 9.97 in his quarter-final, but was denied by a broken wind gauge.

A sign of his future fragility came, however, when he pulled a hamstring in the English Schools 100m final in Bury St Edmunds in 1999. He failed to finish the race, although his problem was minor compared to other injuries that day –

the championships made national headlines when an official was speared in the arm with a javelin.

Since 2001 Lewis-Francis has struggled to fulfil his potential. As with many teenage phenomenons, we assumed there would be greater days to come. But it doesn’t always follow.

Saying that, Lewis-Francis was part of the

successful Olympic relay team from Athens in

2004. He also still has the hope that he can

round off his colourful career with something special in London 2012, too.

Lewis-Francis is one of the nice guys of the sport. When it comes to injuries, it is about time he had a bit of luck, too.

Jason Henderson, Editor

4 athleticsweekly.com