EYOF 2011: Britain find their Knight in shining armour in the pool

European Youth Olympic Festival 2011Rising Stars

By Ben Baker, in Trabzon

WHILE BRITAIN’S senior swimmers toil away in Shanghai, Team GB’s younger generation at the European Youth Olympic Festival are showing them how it’s done after claiming another four golds on day four in Turkey.

WHAT A KNIGHT: Teenage simming sensation Joel KNight set a new personal best in claiming the 1500m freestlye title in Turkey

This time it was Joel Knight’s time to shine as he took to Trabzon’s Mehmet Akif Swimming Complex for his sole event, the 1500m freestyle.

And after a long wait to show the rest of Europe what he is all about, the 15-year-old clearly had itchy feet as he romped to gold with a massive new personal best of 15:28.86 minutes, nearly ten seconds ahead of his nearest challenger in Turkey.

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Knight insists he fully expected to climb the top step of the podium but admitted to shocking even himself in just how quickly he got there.

“I am a bit surprised with the result really, not with the gold but with a new personal best,” Knight said, who benefits from being on the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes Scheme.

“I was going for the win but the time was a surprise even to me, as was the gap to second because I had no idea I was going to go that fast.

“But I am pleased with the gold and it is what I came here for so it is job done in a massive way after that.

“It was a bit of a test of my mental power too because I since arriving in Trabzon I had to wait quite a long time until I could get out there and I was getting itchy feet.

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“But I just tried to keep calm after the first day and get my head into gear that I was going to have to race and race well and I managed to do that and I am so pleased.”

Joining in on the gold rush in the pool were Matthew Johnson, winning his fifth medal of the competition with victory in the 200m butterfly, with a new personal best of 2:00.46 minutes to go along with it.

And the girls got in on the act too, Ellena Jones taking 400m medley gold, again with a new personal best, while Harriet Cooper picked up the 100m backstroke title after finishing fifth in the 50m freestlye just moments earlier.

But the gold medals weren’t just restricted to the pool as Courtney Tulloch reigned supreme in the gymnastics all-round boy’s event, taking the crown ahead of Romanian Daniel Petrica Vasile Radeanu.

And after overcoming his nerves in a big way, the 15-year-old was able to toast a job well done after having it pencilled in on his calendar for most of the year.

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“It went really well, I’m so pleased and proud with winning the title,” said the Lloyds TSB Local Hero, who watched fellow Brit Frank Baines finish eighth.
“I was quite nervous about this event because it was the biggest one of the year and I really wanted to do well.

“But competing in the team event beforehand settled me down a bit and although I qualified in first place it made me a bit more nervous, but I was hoping to win and I’m really happy I did.”

The final medal on Thursday came from Jacob Paul on the track as he collected 400m hurdles silver, missing out on gold to Ireland’s Ben Kiely by just 0.11 seconds.

Elsewhere at Trabzon’s Sogutlu Athletics Stadium, Michael Painter finished sixth in the hammer final while Dina Asher-Smith and Huw Bevan qualified for their 200m and javelin finals respectively, Team GB’s boys 4x100m relay team following suit.

However, it was a difficult day for the cyclists, Jacob Scott the highest finishing Brit in the road race in 21st, while the judokas found the going tough with all four in action failing to contest for the medals.

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Lloyds TSB, in partnership with SportsAid, is providing awards of £1,000 to 344 emerging athletes on their journey to London 2012 and beyond. Follow your Lloyds TSB Local Hero at: www.facebook.com/lloydstsblocalheroes  

(c) 2011