Archery GB have confirmed the five-time Olympic veteran will be one of three women to represent the nation, alongside Kidderminster-based Naomi Folkard and Rotherham’s Amy Oliver. The announcement was made at Lord’s, where the archery competition will take place this summer.

It brings to an end a nervous wait for Williamson, who finished third in the final selection shoot at Lilleshall National Sports Centre last month.

Williamson, who won a bronze medal at the Athens games in 2004, said: “I’m so thrilled and proud to have made it to my sixth Olympics.

“It makes all the sacrifices and all the hard work over many years worthwhile.

“Now I can start to look forward to the enormous honour of representing my country at a home Olympic Games. It just doesn’t get any better.

“I feel extremely privileged to be going to a sixth Olympics. I have enjoyed the experience at every one in equal measure, though forgive me for having a soft spot for Athens in 2004.

“But it tells you how special it is to appear at the Olympics that it means as much – probably more, given that it’s in London – to me now as it did when I qualified for the Barcelona games 20 years ago.

“This is the ultimate event that every athlete aspires to. To be there six times is just amazing.”

Williamson, a member of Long Mynd Archers in Church Stretton, also paid tribute to her family and friends for their support.

“They have been so supportive over many years. They have been the people who have celebrated with me when I’ve enjoyed success and picked me up when I’ve had a bad day at the office,” she said.

Williamson was also keen to talk up the team’s chances of winning medals at the competition.

“I am confident Amy, Naomi and myself will be competitive in both the individual tournament and team event,” said the 40-year old.

Iwan Thomas – The One Show 

To check out he full article of Linford in the Financial Times follow the link below:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7affe712-7876-11e1-b237-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1qryYgTW1

The National Lottery Olympic Park Run will take place on Saturday 31 March 2012. 5,000 people were randomly chosen through an online ballot to take their place on the start line and run five miles around the Olympic Park, passing iconic London 2012 venues before reaching the finish line in the Olympic Stadium itself.

In the 2011 indoor season, Dannish won silver at the National Junior Championships in 60m & 200m, and Silver at the National Senior Championships in 200m. In the outdoor season Dannish opened up the 200m with 21.36s into a -3.1 wind that ranked him number 1 in the UK and 1st in Europe in the junior age group. In his next race, he ran 21.25s at the Loughborough International for Great Britain in which he was still ranked 1st in Europe.

Dannish has gained national and international medals at a number of events including silver at the European championships. He has also competed at a Diamond League event against senior teams which included Jamaica and USA.

Dannish has started 2012 in great shape and showed this winning the Aviva UK Indoor Championships 200m title.

Dannish is a Mizuno sponsored Athlete.

‘For me archery is everything,’ said Williamson, whose best Olympic performance so far is a bronze medal at Athens 2004.

‘I have had to give up a lot but if I had done something else, I would have ended up scratching my head and saying to myself: “What am I doing? I could have been at the Olympics”.

‘Now I’m full-time and Lottery-funded, and grateful for that. With some sports, the older you get the more difficult it becomes, but that’s not so with archery. Experience counts for a lot.’

Williamson came agonisingly close to adding another bronze medal in Beijing four years ago, in the team event, only for Great Britain to be edged out by France – but she rates the home team’s chances this year.

‘I’m hoping we can at least get a team medal but the competition will be challenging,’ she said.

‘The sport is more athletic now and the level of professionalism higher.’

One of her possible team-mates – and rivals in the individual competition – is 17-year-old, Amy Oliver, who would be making her Olympic debut if selected.

And just in case Williamson is not feeling her age, Oliver points it out in the most unwitting and well meaning of ways.

‘Alison is an inspiration to me. I’m her biggest fan. You can’t imagine the respect I have for her. She has so much experience and listening to her stories helps me with my own competitions,’ she said.

‘When she won her Olympic medal I didn’t actually watch because I was five, and too busy with my majorettes and things like that.

‘But being one of her competitors now is just incredible. She is a true legend. I want to be like Alison, and I hope one day someone is going to be looking at me saying: “I want to be like Amy Oliver”.’

ITV Central invited nominations for people who deserved a place in the run. Among the twenty chosen are an 82 year old runner, a woman who has been battling cancer for seven years and is still smiling, and many others who have dedicated their time to helping others.

Some of the runners have been getting some hints and tips from former sprinter and Olympic medallist Katharine Merry. She met up with them at her former training ground, the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, to put them through their paces.

She told the runners they will be setting the way for the likes of Usain Bolt, when the eyes of the world are on the Olympic Stadium in four months time.

To check out footage from the day please visit http://www.itv.com/news/central/2012-03-22/runners-prepare-for-olympic-stadium-run/

The episode sees Linford training Jennifer Saunders alter ego Eddy Monsoon alongside Spice Girl Emma Bunton. Joanna explained: ‘It’s not every day we get to see Eddy and Patsy in close proximity to a treadmill, so make the most of it. Some real superstars have been hauled in to appear with us in this sketch so we’re hugely grateful.’

Leading television presenter, Holly Willoughby and elite 400m sprinter, Iwan Thomas have today been announced as co-presenters of The National Lottery Olympic Park Run which takes place on 31^st March. They will be the first celebrities to host a live public event in the Olympic Stadium and will entertain up to 12,000 invited spectators who have gathered to watch their loved ones run.

Reporting on the running action as it takes place, the duo will be interviewing some of the 5,000 people who won their place in the event in an online ballot and their supporters, and will catch up with athletes and celebrities taking part as well as introducing a diverse array of acts performing on stage.

Holly said: “It is such an honour to host the first event in the Olympic Stadium and to announce the name of the very first person to cross the Stadium finish line!

“This event, which is to celebrate The National Lottery’s contribution to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, its athletes and the lasting legacy the Games will leave behind, is a day I know I will always remember and I am delighted to be a part of it.”

Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medal-winning athlete Iwan Thomas said: “As an athlete, I can’t believe I am going to be co-hosting an event which will see people cross the Olympic finish line for the first time. I know the difference Lottery funding can make to fulfil your dreams and I’m sure lots of people’s dreams will come true on 31^st March!”

The National Lottery Olympic Park Run will take place on Saturday 31 March 2012. 5,000 people were randomly chosen through an online ballot to take their place on the start line and run five miles around the Olympic Park, passing iconic London 2012 venues before reaching the finish line in the Olympic Stadium itself.

With an impressive 2011 season, especially at the U23 European Championships, how do you feel 2012 panning out for you?

Right now training is going really well. My indoor season has been up and down but the plan is to sort that out this weekend at the World trials. I am really looking forward to the summer, we have a great squad and I we all have high hopes for the coming season.

You’ve recently moved down to London to train with Linford Christie, how are you finding the transition from Midlands to the capital?

I don’t really like being in London. I miss my family and friends, but I suppose it will be worth it in the end! At least I hope so, life down here is so much faster and is a lot different but it just makes Birmingham better, because every time I go back it’s like a mini holiday.

In regards to your training with Linford how do you feel it’s improving your all round performance?

The times speak for themselves training with the legend that is Mr Christie is amazing and it the best decision I ever made. The way he inspires me is amazing and the training is the perfect balance between speed and endurance! He has turned me into a new athlete from speed to power everything has been improved or changed for the better.

I’d read in a separate interview with your partners Asda that Linford was in fact your idol, do you feel as though you’re his guidance will give you an edge on your competition on the track?

Linford being my coach definitely provides me with an advantage when you step into the warm up area with the former Olympic champion, you can see the fear in your opponent’s eyes and that makes me even more confident.

You’re currently training with the likes of Nigel Levine, who also had a fantastic 2011 season, what is the relationship like between the pair of you? Are the big names that Christie also coaches pushing you further?

We have a very good squad with me, Conrad, Nigel and Richard we all push each other! Every session could easily turn into a race, so we just have to be sensible but when it’s time to hit the fast stuff, I don’t think there’s a group in the country with as many 400m runners at this high level and so close so it’s real good.

Do you have your own roles within the camp? Such as the ’joker’ of the group and so forth?

Of course I call the shots ha-ha. But no I’m really laid back I take it all in my stride. When the banter starts I’m there and as for joker, Linford is the biggest joker so if you’re not ready to take and give the banter you wouldn’t last a minute in our squad.

What would be a typical training week for you?

That would be telling ha-ha! We train 6 days a week with Saturday as our rest day 3 weights session the rest will be running.

A good diet and nutritional knowledge is key in athletics, what are your top tips for a balanced diet for the 400m?

I wouldn’t be the best person to take tips from as my diet needs some work, but avoiding the fast food places is a good start.

You’ve come up through the BUCS ranks having had a scholarship to Wolverhampton University and now Middlesex, what are your fondest memories from BUCs?

My best memory has to be winning the indoor 200m as a 400m runner. It’s always good to get one over the short sprinters and since I was down coming off the bend it was a great way to take the title in the last 10 meters.

Did you find the student/athlete conflict difficult to handle?

Yes, as my university was in north London and training in west 30 miles apart and classes being at the same time as training it was almost impossible, but being on the Scholarship program they allowed me to miss some classes. That worked ok for 2011 but I had to give 2012 my all so I’ve taken a year out just to get the track right.

What is your advice for any young athletes starting out at University and college?

Make sure your set up is perfect, so neither your studies nor training has to suffer. Get a coach that is flexible and a uni that has a decent reputation for sports and I’m sure the rest will take care of itself don’t give up on anything because you will regret it.

You must be asked this a lot, as 2012 has been tipped as the ’golden year’ for British Sport, but what are your aims for this Olympic year?

Well seeing 44.94 medal at last year World Champs and 45.30 making the final! The final has to be the minimum aim being Olympic year, but I believe I’m in the best place I can possibly be right now and if I improve by as much as I did last year then 2012 IS GOING TO BE A GOOD YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

To see how Luke is preparing and gets on throughout the 2012 season, follow him on Twitter; @Lukey400m.

Making Malcolm’s fourth place all the more impressive is the fact that he was battling illness in the build-up to the competition, but as the Welshman suggests, he is getting better at managing his creaking body with age.

“I’ve been sick for the last three days so to come out and run I’m happy with that,” he said.

“I’ve not been training for the indoor season so it’s just something I need to work on for the outdoor season really.

“When you get to my age you have to start being smarter with the way you train. You get to a pattern where you can deal with it after a period of time and then you have to change it.

“That’s where I’m at right now just changing it and trying to get used to running and training a certain way. I’m trying to go back to the basics. You start off with the basics and then you do all the hard graft and then you come back and mix the training with the hard graft. At the moment it’s going well.”

Up until the European Championships in 2010, Malcolm had never realised the potential that saw him claim 100m and 200m gold at the World Junior Championships in 1998, but then bagged silver in Barcelona, 12 years later.

33 come Games time, Malcolm is being ruled out by most as a medal contender at the London 2012 Olympics, but the Welsh ace is convinced he can be in the mix-up – provided he gets there first.

“Everyone’s planning for 2012 so I just have to qualify and make the team. That’s the first thing and then just go from there,” he added.

“I always think you have got to get there first, and then anything is possible. I honestly believe that on my day I’m one of the best sprinters in the world. As long as I can get into good shape I will always be aiming high.”

On the Sunday, Nigel Levine put in a season’s best performance to comfotably take the 400m title in what was a very tough field. Luke Lennon-Ford put up a great battle but was always going be tough running from what was very cruel lane draw in lane 1. Next up on track was Gianni Frankis, trained by Tony Jarrett, who came through to take 2nd place in the 60m Hurdles.

The final races of the day saw Laura Turner and Mark Lewis-Francis compete in the final of the 60m. Laura got off to a great start and was only pipped on the line to 3rd place in an impressive 7.31s.

In 2010 he continued his fine form and was part of the bronze medal GB 4x400m team at the World Indoor Championships inDoha. On the back of this success, Nigel was determined to go in to 2011 and pick up his first international individual Gold Medal. Going into the European U23 Championships full of confidence, Nigel managed to defeat a tough field and become European U23 Champion. In what was an action packed season, Nigel also claimed Silver in the 4x400m at the European Indoor Championships and was a key member of the 4x400m relay team at the World Championships in Daegu.

Nigel has started 2012 extremely strongly and looking like one to watch come the summer. Firstly, Winning the 200m at the Birmingham Games, Nigel then went on to reclaim his 400m Aviva UK Indoor Championships title in a season’s best time of 46.58s. Competing for the final time before the World Indoors in Instanbul, Nigel put on another World Class display to finish first at the Aviva Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix breaking his PB in a very impressive time of 45.71s.

Not only talented in Athletics, Nigel used to play Basketball and Cricket to a high standard. He also has a huge passion for cars and bikes and is a qualified car technician.

Nigel is a Mizuno sponsored Athlete.

2008 was a significant year for Richard. He won the UK junior 200m title and was selected as captain of the World Junior team during their campaign in Poland; he also holds every North-east record from the age of 15 upwards over 100m and 200m.

Kilty has achieved 3 Olympic qualifying standard times and is one of Great Britain’s Top sprint prospects for the London 2012 Olympic Games where he will be contesting the 200m, which is his favored event. His personal best time of 20.53 seconds has secured the A standard for selection of the Olympic Games in July.

Richard is now training with Linford Christie In London and believes 2012 will be a big year with big improvements. With the benefit of Linford’s coaching and his new training partners, Richard is aiming to make the Olympic Final and be Britain’s number 1 ranked 200m sprinter.

Outside of athletics, Richard is a big Arsenal FC supporter and his favourite player is Thierry Henry. Not only Football and Athletics, Richard is also a huge Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing Fan. He says his father is his biggest inspiration and supporter in his athletics career, and the person who got him into sprinting. His father was also a professional body builder.

His sporting role models are, Linford Christie, Maurice Greene, Muhammad Ali & Floyd Mayweather.

Richard is a Mizuno sponsored athlete.

Luke-Lennon-Ford – 200m – 21.68s

Rion Pierre – 60m – 6.66s PB

Nigel Levine – 60m – 6.74s -

Laura Turner – 60m – 7.33s SB

Margaret Adeoye – 60m – 7.43s PB

Lucy Onyeforo – 60m – 7.51s PB

Presented by Darren McMullen, the third of six episodes saw magical duo, and reigning champions of the series so far, Barry and Stuart paired with former heavyweight Champion Boxer, David Haye.

For their pre-recorded trick David lit up an unplugged light bulb using the power of magic, before helping Barry and Stuart light up the London sky-line and magically reuniting two old friends.

For their live grand illusion the trio brought the va-va-voom back to magic when Barry and Stuart shed their trade mark suits to bare all, showing just how sexy magicians can be. In their close up magic on the night they turned water into wine.

The 29-year-old missed last summer’s World Championships after rupturing ankle ligaments in a freak training accident in Italy.

But Douglas, who is now back to 70 per cent fitness, believes he can recapture the form that saw him win a European silver medal in 2006.

“Competing in London 2012 has to be my absolute aim,” he said.

“Each year, you always look to get to the major championships.

“At the same time, I don’t just want to compete, I want to be challenging for medals.

“That is how I look at it. I just need to get this ankle right.”

He added: “Last year before my injury, I couldn’t wait for the Olympics and now I am recovering, I am just as positive.

“I’m pushing my team as hard as I am pushing myself.”

Douglas is back doing weights in the gym, but not yet running and jumping at full pelt.

“My strength in the gym is back to normal, which is really positive,” he said.

“The ankle doesn’t look like it is going to be ready for the indoor season, so I will skip that.

“I will look to compete outdoors in May. I need to start my season early as I have not competed since the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

“I want to get out there in May and blow away the cobwebs.

“Rehab is weird because it is one of those things where you take two steps forwards and then one back.”

Having seen other British athletes, including Oxford City clubmate Hannah England, rise to prominence in the last couple of years, Douglas is happy to be now be coming under the radar.

But he will have to hit the ground running in 2012,a with the Olympic trials taking place in June, the week before the European Championships in Helsinki.

He added: “I am probably a bit of a dark horse for the Olympics and that is fine. I don’t mind that.

“There is more pressure on other people, but I am putting so much pressure on myself to make it back again.

“I am really looking forward to it. I have been able to make major championships in the past when I am half-fit, so I can take confidence from that.”