Dina Asher Smith and Adam Gemili have both been selected to represent Great Britain in the 200 metres at the European Championships in Zurich, Switzerland from the 12th to the 17th of August. Adam is currently the second fastest athlete in Europe with 20.20 behind France’s Christophe Lemaitre (20.11). He has also been selected for the 4x100 metres relay.
Although still a junior, Dina is the sixth fastest in Europe with 22.74. She is actually fourth ranked in the 100 metres with 11.14 but as she is already doubling up at World Junior Championships in Eugene which begin on the 22nd of July, it is prudent she compete in just one event .

Joining Dina in the United States are the Hylton sisters Cheriece and Shannon and before they travelled they were part of another successful English Schools Championships for the athletes of Blackheath & Bromley as the Club brought home five gold medals, one silver and four bronze, from this years meeting at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.
Both girls won gold medals in the Senior Girls age group. Cheriece took the 400 metre title in 54.53 while Shannon struck gold in the 200 metres in 23.80.
In the field Kerri Davidson won the triple jump title with a leap of 12.40, just eight centimetres outside her personal best .
In the Senior boys there was a one - two for Club members in the discus with Matt Blandford winning with a throw of 52.60 and Louis Mascarenhas second with 51.86. Stefan Amokwandoh was third in the triple jump with a leap of 14.59.
The Club’s newest member produced the most stunning performance of the Championships. James Whiteaker only joined B&B during the week. He set a new UK record of 77.12 when he won the Intermediate Boys javelin. This is over three and a half metres further than anyone has ever thrown before as an under 17 and astonishingly this is only his first year in the age group  His reward for his efforts is automatic selection for the England team for this weekends Home Countries Schools International match at Cardiff.
The remaining medals all came in the Junior Girls throws. Victoria Wiltshire set a new best and Club Record of 50.21 to finish third in the Hammer. Her distance puts her 11th on the UK all time list. 
Eloise Locke took third in the javelin with a new best and Club Record of 39.42. With another year left in the age group this Record could be up for a series of revisions over the next year.
Eve Keith also set a personal best as she was third in the discus with a throw of 31.97. This is the sixth furthest in the country this year.
Just to get selected to compete in these Championships is an achievement in itself and many of the Club’s athletes came close to medals or set personal bests. Vivien Olatunji was 4th in the Senior Girls 100 metres in a time of 12.08, having equalled her best of 12.04 in her heat. Helena Coleman was 12th in the pole vault with a clearance of 3 metres.
In the Senior Boys 110 hurdles Kertis Beswick ran a new best of 14.16 to finish in 5th place while Reece Young timed 14.75 in the heats. Will Fuller was 8th in the 3000 metres in 8.45.15 and Richard Webb closed in 9th in the 2000 metres steeplechase in 6.27.51. Matthew Chant clocked 22.15 in the heats of the 200 while in the field Robert Sutherland was 8th in the triple jump with 13.48.
Isabella Hilditch was another to narrowly miss a medal. She set a new best of 44.18 in the heats of the 300 metre hurdles and was then just one hundredth of  a second slower in the final where she was 4th.
Jessica Keene was 5th in the 3000 metres in 10.02.49 ; Parris Johnson 7th in the 100 (12.45) Toyin Orelaja 8th in the triple jump with 11.05; Kelsey Fuss 12th in the 1500 metres in 4.55.92 and Jamilya Robinson Pascal 12th in the long jump with 5.04. Leah Everson ran a useful 2.16.00 in the heats of the 800.
Bailey Stickings  ran a new best of 55.45 in the heats of the Intermediate Boys 400 hurdles and was 4th in the final in 55.57 which was quicker than he had run prior to the Championships.
James Lancaster was 7th in the Junior Boys hammer with a throw of 40.63. 
For the girls Magda Cienciala was 5th in the 100 metres in a new best of 12.29 but there was disappointment for Katy Ann McDonald who was disqualified in the 1500 metres final after winning her heat in 4.38.78.

The same fate befell Kieran Daly whose outstanding season was recognised with an invitation to compete in the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix at Hampden Park. He was adjudged to have made a false start in the 100 metres and was disqualified.
This is where the Commonwealth Games will take place later this month and Serita Solomon, one of the seven Club members who have been selected, warmed up for the event with a win in the 100 metre hurdles at the Cork City Sports meeting in Ireland. She timed 13.28. Alex Bruce Littlewood was 4th in the 3000 metres in 8.06.18 and days later set a new best of 3.45.84 for 1500 metres at the British Milers Club Grand Prix at Stretford.
Another Commonwealth selection Chioma Matthews was in action in Spain at the Gran Premio Ciudad de Avila meeting. She set a seasons best of 13.44, just six centimetres off her lifetime best, to finish fourth in the triple jump.

Montell Douglas won a gold medal in the 4x100 metres at the last Commonwealths in Delhi in 2010. Sadly she has not made it to Glasgow this year but she did show her quality at the Southern Inter Counties match at Mile End where she dominated the 100 metres timing 11.49 with no one else under 12 seconds. Grace Sheppard won the B race in 12.21, a time which would have won the A race had Montell not been competing, with Shayone Simao third in 12.21.
Other A string wins came from Zara Asante in the triple jump with a seasons best of 12.78 and second claimer Caroline Ford who won the 800 in 2.14.14 and was third in the 1500 in 4.44.46.
Krystal Galley was second in the 400 metres in 58.57 as was second claimer Clare Elms in the 3000 metres in 10.14.17.
Duayne Bovell was 6th in the 200 (22.49); Natalie Jones 6th in the 400 hurdles (67.85) while Emily Martin and Samantha Milner won the B string long jump and discus competitions with performances of 5.32 and 42.00. Sonia Woolhouse was  2nd in the B pole vault with a clearance of 2.50 and Peter Hannell was 4th in the B string of the 3000 metres walk in 18.47.07.

With so much going on it was perhaps inevitable that the Club would not be at full strength for the latest Southern Athletics League match of the season at Norwich. However, it was still disappointing that the Club finished last of the four teams and did not score over 100 points.
This means that after being joint top after two matches the Club has now slipped to 12th place, perilously close to the relegation. In fact if the League table were to be based on match points rather than League points they would be joint bottom.
That they struggled in Norfolk can no way be attributed to the athletes that did compete. There were some good performances and a number did extra events.
Danielle Critchley was the only individual winner taking the 400 metres in 58.4 but perhaps the individual performance of the day came from Helen Godsell who broke her own over 60s Club record in the 100 metres with a time of 14.5.
The Club will be looking  for a strong performance in the final match of the season at Norman Park on the 2nd of August.

Regardless of what the result was at Norwich there was a dark cloud over the meeting with the sad news of the death of official Keith Bundock. Keith had only confirmed on the Tuesday that he would be there on Saturday. He died the next day. 
Keith has been officiating at the Clubs matches for over 20 years after his son Matthew took up the throws. Over the years he has travelled all over the country officiating for the Club. He received an England Athletics London Region award for his services to officiating last year. He will be greatly missed at local, County, Area and National level. 

Southern Athletics League team manager Jane Bradshaw enjoyed some success on the roads as she was the first woman to finish in the Dartford Half Marathon. She was 27th overall in 94.00.

Her son Charlie Short is the latest recipient of a Jack Petchey Foundation award. Charlie is becoming a very important member of the Club’s under 15s squad. He has been improving steadily in the throws through hard work and has also competed in the 2000 metres walk scoring important points for the team.

Highlight of the latest Parkruns was a win in the Bromley event for Marco Arcuri in a time of 17.18. Carole Penlington was first woman to finish in the Crystal Palace event in 19.38.