10 to Watch in 2014

2013 was another vintage year for British athletics. Established stars Mo Farah and Christine Ohuruogu led the way in Moscow, and James Dasalou became the second-fastest ever British male sprinter. But it was also the year the younger athletes broke through.

Adam Gemili announced himself on the world stage, with the ladies bronze medal winning 4x100m team and 18-year-old 800m star Jessica Judd joining him, too.

Other young stars on the team included former World Youth and Junior champion Jodie Williams, and Katrina Johnson-Thompson continued her progress in the Heptathlon.

So as 2014 approaches, who will be the track and field stars making the leap from junior to senior international status? We look at the athletes hoping to catch the eye at the European Championships, Commonwealth Games and throughout the summer.

1) Jamie Bowie: 400m.

The Scottish sprinter made a breakthrough of sorts at the British Championships last year finishing sixth in the final. His run earned him a relay slot in Moscow and his storming 44.64 split was the highlight of his career. Unfortunately, it didn’t give him a run in the final but Bowie is looking forward to getting another chance to wear the GB vest in the European Championships and represent Scotland at the Commonwealths.

2) Chris Clarke: 200m.

Best known as a 400m specialist, the Marshall and Milton Keynes athlete decided to concentrate solely on the shorter distance last year, and it’s proved to be a great decision. An end of season 20.22 gave Chris his first Diamond League race in two years. Had he not been disqualified in his heat at the British trails, he may have made the plane to Moscow, too. 2014 could see an epic battle with Gemili as both vie to become number one, and the two men will no doubt be looking for championship medals in the summer.

3) Jazmin Sawyers: Long Jump.

Although still only an U20, Sawyers is set for big things next year as she finished fourth in the senior ladies long jump rakings in 2013, and took the silver medal in the British trials. Sawyers also competed in the U23 European Juniors, winning a silver, and has regularly medalled at junior level. Her good form has seen the bubbly 19-year old rewarded with a place on the potential Olympic podium programme. 

4) Zak Seddon: 3,000m Steeplechase.

  Another U20, Seddon has been described in some quarters as the best British athlete to emerge in the last ten years. He is second on the U20 3,000m steeplechase all-time rankings, and won the European Junior title last summer. Even more impressively, Seddon was ranked third in the overall men’s rankings for the steeplechase and achieved the B standard back in April. He’s now studying at Florida State University in the USA and puts much of his success down to this. 

5) Zane Duquemin: Shot Put.

Duquemin finished top of the Power of 10 rankings for his event in 2013, and twelfth on the all-time listings. He’s also a pretty mean discus thrower too, ending the year at number two. 2014 will be his first year as a senior athlete and his transition looks to be assured, and the Commonwealths and the European Champs must be a realistic target for the Jersey-born thrower. Interestingly, Duquemin started his fledging athletics career as a sprinter before an injury forced him to switch. 

6) Isobel Pooley: High Jump.

The Aldershot, Farnham and District athlete shot to the peak of the ladies’ rankings with a 1.91m jump at the British Athletics Jumps and Throws Fest in August. This topped off a great year for her, where she finished fourth in Tampere at the European Athletics U23 Championships and was a part of the GB Team in Gateshead. Back in 2012, Pooley finished second at the Olympics Trials and her inclusion in next year’s international competitions should be a certainty. She is only 4cm’s off the British record, and breaking it in the next few years must be in her thoughts. 

7) Seb Roger: 400m Hurdles.

The only British hurdlers faster than Roger in 2013 were Dia Greene and Rhys Williams. He showed he deserved to belong in such company when he clocked a superb 49.19secs when picking up a silver medal at the European U23 Championships in Finland. His time was fast enough to qualify for the World Championships in Moscow too, where Seb finished fifth in his heat. The future looks bright and 2014 could see him as a serious threat to his more experienced rivals, and a medal could be on the cards. 

8) Sophie McKinna: Shot Put.

McKinna has packed masses of international experience into her career despite still being an U20. She competed at the European Junior Championships in Italy and at the Olympic Park for the Anniversary Games in July. Coached by the great Geoff Capes, McKinna was the number one female shot putter in the country and has steadily improved since bursting on the scene a few years ago. Her experience and performance levels in 2013 have set her up for the coming year, and 2014 promises great things. 

9) Emelia Gorecka: 1500 – 5,000m.

Gorecka has finished her junior career in style, with victory in the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade. On the track, she will be aiming to repeat that success. This year, she has competed in every distance from 1500m – 5,000m, with her most successful being the 3,000m where she won gold at the European Athletics Junior Championships. She achieved the B standard in the 5,000m too, so must be in with a chance of qualifying for the senior teams for the Commonwealth Games or the Europeans in one or more of the distances.

10) Ashley Bryant: Decathlon.

 
Talented multi-eventer Bryant will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Dean Macey and Daley Thompson by winning medals. He placed fourth at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Finland and his PB of 8,070 points put him fifth on the all-time list. Coming out of his U23 career in 2014, Bryant has time to challenge the scores of the men above him and must be in with a shout of placing well at a major competition in the new season.

These 10 are just a sample of the many great athletic talents on offer, and we know there are many more junior athletes performing at a very high-level week in week out.

We’d love to know who your ones to watch in 2014 are. Please let us know by commenting on this article. Perhaps your choice will make the list next year.