Olympics: Going For Gold

Chris Wood, Wednesday 20 July 2011

Few boroughs in the country can boast a similar number of international athletes with the potential to win Olympic gold, to match Sutton’s.

The list of athletes with Sutton connections is an impressive one and one that inspired the concept of Team Sutton, an umbrella name for the squad. A quick visit to www.teamsutton.co.uk reveals profiles on no less than TEN athletes with Sutton associations with hopes of Olympic medals in London, next year. The council is supporting them with the website, which is ‘inspiring young people to take part in sport… and encouraging everyone to support local young sports people in the lead up to the London 2012 Games and beyond’.

The athletes on the site have, of course, been rising stars for some time now. Cyclist Joanna Rowsell, for example, first hit the headlines in 2008, when she won a gold medal along with her two colleagues, Rebecca Romero and Wendy Houvenaghel in the Women’s Team Pursuit event at the World Championships, at Manchester. Since then she has added another gold and a silver to her World Championships collection and now she’s working hard, aiming to be in contention for the three-girl team selected to race for Great Britain in the London games.

Not bad for a girl who confessed to being ‘a complete novice’ at cycling when her school, Nonsuch High for Girls, invited British Cycling’s Talent Team to pay a visit. ‘I didn’t even cycle to school,’ Jo recalls. ‘But when I heard that the Talent Team was coming to the school I jumped at the chance to take part, especially as it meant I could get out of a double maths lesson!’

What the Talent Team found stunned them. Using static bike trials they realized that Jo was the best prospect they had ever found. From then on the only way was up for this raw, natural talent. ‘I joined Sutton Cycling Club, which really nurtured me and taught me the basics and I was a national champion within a year,’ she said. Now with the Horizon Fitness Team, the 22 year-old Joanna reckons she devotes around 25 to 30 hours a week to road race training, plus gym work as well. Just occasionally she treats herself to a visit to the cinema and a rare ‘sit down’.

‘I’m based in Manchester during the winter,’ she explains, locating herself close to the velodrome there, ‘but I like to return to my avourite roads, around Box Hill, when I can. There are nine girls currently contesting the three final places in the team. Soon we will be reduced to a smaller team, then reduced again until only four (a team of three plus a reserve) remain for the London games.’ One of the other eight girls is another local success story, the incredible Rebecca Romero, the first British woman to win Olympic medals in two sports – rowing and then cycling. ‘Rebecca and I were born at the same hospital – St Helier,’ Jo explains. ‘She was someone I always looked up to. She’s a great individual pursuiter. It’s a shame that event has been dropped as an Olympic race.’

A Sutton resident who is at the top of his sport at the moment is hurdler Andy Turner. He recently won the 110 metres hurdles at the Spar European Team Championships in Stockholm, and came away in bullish mood: ‘I went there expecting to win, so I am happy to have delivered,’ he said. ‘I’m now looking forward to the World Championships in South Korea at the end of August.’

The London games? ‘I’m just looking to make the final. Then anything can happen. My flat speed is good, but I still spend too much time in the air. I’m not the tallest of guys, so I have to make the least mistakes.’ A typical week’s training for Andy comprises three gym sessions, three hurdling and sprint training sessions and two sessions at Sutton Arena. Sundays are rest days and precious time to spend with his three daughters.

Another winner at the Spar European Team Championships was sprinter and former Greenshaw High School student, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey. Harry and the other three Aviva GB & NI men - Christian Malcolm, Craig Pickering and James Ellington - strode home in 38.60 seconds, with half an eye on World Championships qualification. Despite a number of injuries over his short career, 21-year-old Harry has very focused ideas on what he wants to achieve: ‘To be the best 100 metres runner ever! And to go to the London 2012 Olympics and win a Gold Medal!’

In the Olympic tennis, to be played at Wimbledon, look out for 22-year old Anna Smith, a member of Sutton Tennis Academy and a serious contender for honours in the London games. Anna, who lives in Sanderstead, has been coached at the academy since she took up tennis at the relatively late age of 11. She represented England at last year’s Commonwealth Games, in Delhi, partnering Ross Hutchins in the mixed doubles.

Injury has given Anna time to reassess her goals. The 2012 Olympics is a clear priority. ‘I’ve got a clear year to get as high in the rankings as possible. I haven’t reached my full potential yet, in either singles or doubles,’ she says.

Completing Team Sutton

Joanna Rowsell’s younger brother, Erick, 20, will be looking to add to Great Britain’s medal tally in London. Erick is based in Italy and won a Bronze medal at the Cycling World Cup in January. Two judo stars, Kerry Ford and Katie Dean are eyeing Olympic stardom. Katie is taking a year out of University to train full time at the British Performance Institute in Dartford; Kerry, 19, is an ex-Carshalton High School for Girls pupil and a current member of the England squad.

Shooting star Kenny Parr, 22, who attended Wallington County Grammar School, was inspired to take up shooting by his Dad who won a Bronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Kenny surpassed that achievement winning Silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. England Water Polo goalkeeper Matthew Holland and last, but by no means least, Wallington’s Paralympian multi-medal winner, David Weir, complete Team Sutton’s line-up of hopefuls.

www.teamsutton.co.uk

Olympics: Going For Gold

Completing Team Sutton

Related Links