contents news

6 Ennis gears up for World Indoors 7 Bolt yet to make Delhi decision 8 Baulch leads cry for global golds 9 Countdown to Brighton Marathon 11 Snow affects fixture list action

14 Bupa Great Edinburgh International features

20 Ricky Stevenson speaks to AW 22 Top 10 GB juniors to watch for 2010 24 Bedford boss Tony Forrest interviewed 32 Classic image – Christian Olsson performance

36 Conditioning for runners 39 How much mileage? 40 Muscular fatigue explained 42 The danger of taking painkillers 44 Cold weather training advice events

45 Results 52 What’s On – fixture listings regulars

12 Rising Stars – James Wilkinson 26 Comment – are we weather wimps? 28 Your Say – two pages of views 62 Official Line

Cover: Ricky Stevenson wins the short-course race at the Bupa Edinburgh International Cross Country (Mark Shearman)

Mark Shearman

Great action in Edinburgh: page 14

Mark Shearman

Beating the weather – advice for athletes keen to train through the snow and cold temperatures 44

Christian Olsson – classic image of triple jump legend 32

ED I T OR ’ S LET TER

British miler on right path for success

NOTHING sends a shiver down the spine more than the prospect of a new British male middledistance star. So the depressing image of Mo Farah treading water at the Bupa Edinburgh International on Saturday was tempered by the sight of Ricky Stevenson storming to victory over a field that also included Andy Baddeley and Tom Lancashire.

From finishing down in the 60s and 70s at the English Schools’ Cross Country Championships, Stevenson has slowly risen through the ranks under the careful guidance of coach Steve Shaw.

Now, such is his ability, he was disappointed to finish eighth in the Euro Cross under-23 race last month. Then, during the closing stages in Edinburgh, Shaw, who was watching on television back home in Teesside, could see no other winner.

when Stevenson was 16 that would see his athlete eventually break the world 1500m or mile record (see p.20). Do not be fooled by this bravado, though. For Shaw uses the theory that if you aim for the stars, you will at least hit your head on the ceiling. Also, they are grounded in reality when they talk about the 1500m qualifier of 3:36.2 for the European Championships this summer being just about within reach.

Ricky Stevenson

The ghosts of former greats haunt the footsteps of current milers such as Stevenson, of course. But the 21-year-old has watched all the DVDs. He knows what a tough act they are to follow.

Brendan Foster, left his commentary position after the race to meet and shake hands with Stevenson and wish him luck. Such is our desire for a new British middledistance hero, we all probably would have wanted to have done the same.

So far, the Stevenson and Shaw master plan is clearly working. Given this, my message to the duo would be to stand firm in the face of the inevitable offers to race indoors in the coming months. Because we all want him sitting on the shoulder of the leaders in the Olympic 1500m final in 2012, sitting and waiting to unleash his kick. As opposed to racing himself silly everywhere from Doha to Delhi in 2010.

Remarkably, Shaw says he created a 10-year plan

On Saturday, one of Britain’s endurance legends,

Jason Henderson, Editor

4 athleticsweekly.com