James Dasaolu
Encyclopedia
James Dasaolu is a British
sprint
athlete who specialises in the 100 metres
.
He began his career in competitive athletics relatively late, first competing in 2006. However, Croydon Harrier
Dasaolu made steady and significant improvements in his first few years; his 100 m personal best in 2006 was 10.75 seconds, then 10.33 seconds in 2007, and 10.26 seconds in 2008.
The 2008 season saw Dasaolu rise up the national rankings and introduced to the UK Athletics
warm weather training camp. Under the tutelage of coach Michael Khmel at Loughborough University
and training with 2006 World Junior Champion
Harry Aikines Aryeetey and former European Junior Champion Leon Baptiste
, Dasaolu won the 2008 England under-23 championships and reached the semi-finals at the British Olympic Trials.
The beginning of the 2009 season showed further improvement for Dasaolu. At the seventh Graziano Della Valle meet in Italy, he recorded a new personal best of 10.15 seconds and finished in second place overall behind Aikines Aryeetey. Two weeks later he finished with 10.25 seconds at the Papaflessia
meet in Greece, second only to European season leader Dwain Chambers
. A 100 m win at the European Athletics permit meet in Geneva
in June placed him among the top European sprinters for the first time. His new personal best time of 10.09 seconds made him joint second, with Simeon Williamson
, in the season's 100 m European rankings and improved his chances for a place on the British relay team at the Berlin World Championships
.
The 2010 season saw Dasoulu make his senior GB debut when he represented GB at the European Championships in Barcelona after finishing second only to Dwain Chambers in the UK trials with a time of 10.23. However he disappointed at the Championships where he stumbled through his heat with a time of 10.40 and then crashed out in the semi finals with at time of 10.31
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
athlete who specialises in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
.
He began his career in competitive athletics relatively late, first competing in 2006. However, Croydon Harrier
Croydon Harriers
Croydon Harriers is an athletics club based in Croydon, England. It was founded in 1920 and is located at Croydon Sports Arena....
Dasaolu made steady and significant improvements in his first few years; his 100 m personal best in 2006 was 10.75 seconds, then 10.33 seconds in 2007, and 10.26 seconds in 2008.
The 2008 season saw Dasaolu rise up the national rankings and introduced to the UK Athletics
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
warm weather training camp. Under the tutelage of coach Michael Khmel at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
and training with 2006 World Junior Champion
2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....
Harry Aikines Aryeetey and former European Junior Champion Leon Baptiste
Leon Baptiste
Leon Baptiste is an English sprint runner who specialises in the 100 metres and 200 metres events. He became the 100 m European junior champion in 2004 and won his first major title six years later by taking the 200 m gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi...
, Dasaolu won the 2008 England under-23 championships and reached the semi-finals at the British Olympic Trials.
The beginning of the 2009 season showed further improvement for Dasaolu. At the seventh Graziano Della Valle meet in Italy, he recorded a new personal best of 10.15 seconds and finished in second place overall behind Aikines Aryeetey. Two weeks later he finished with 10.25 seconds at the Papaflessia
Papaflessia
Papaflessia is an annual international athletics meeting that is held in Kalamata, Greece. The meeting falls within the European Athletic Association's calendar of meeting...
meet in Greece, second only to European season leader Dwain Chambers
Dwain Chambers
Dwain Anthony Chambers is an English sprinter of Afro-Caribbean descent. He has won medals on the international stage numerous times and is one of the fastest European sprinters in the history of recorded athletics. His primary event is the 100 metres sprint, in which he has the second...
. A 100 m win at the European Athletics permit meet in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
in June placed him among the top European sprinters for the first time. His new personal best time of 10.09 seconds made him joint second, with Simeon Williamson
Simeon Williamson
Simeon Oscar Williamson is an English sprinter of Jamaican descent who specializes in the 100 metres. Williamson, a London native, is the second cousin of British high jumper Germaine Mason. His athletics club is Highgate Harriers...
, in the season's 100 m European rankings and improved his chances for a place on the British relay team at the Berlin World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
.
The 2010 season saw Dasoulu make his senior GB debut when he represented GB at the European Championships in Barcelona after finishing second only to Dwain Chambers in the UK trials with a time of 10.23. However he disappointed at the Championships where he stumbled through his heat with a time of 10.40 and then crashed out in the semi finals with at time of 10.31
Personal bests
| Event | Best | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
6.70 s | Bratislava Bratislava Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava... , Slovakia |
5 February 2009 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.09 s | Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... , Switzerland |
6 June 2009 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.