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Speedy UEL student is a champion in the making

Tuesday 28 July 2009

Jeffrey Lawal Balogun

A University of East London (UEL) student is racing towards future success at World Championships and the London 2012 Games after setting a European record in Switzerland earlier this year in the 200 metres race with an amazing time of 20.38 seconds.

Jeffrey Lawal Balogun, 22, from Mottingham, South London, is back at UEL for his final year in Marketing in September and narrowly missed the Athletics World Championships in Berlin in August this year despite coming first in the 200 metres race at the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on Friday 24 July.

South of England under-23 sprint champion Jeffrey, was spotted three years ago by a member of Kent Athletics Club as he sprinted through Bromley town Centre when he was late for a Business Studies seminar at UEL’s Docklands Campus.

Within a year, Jeffrey was already competing in the European Under-23 Championships and now has his sights firmly set on the World Championships and afterwards on running for team GB at the London 2012 Olympics. He has already knocked half a second off his personal best this year
He said: "At the moment I’m no 1 in the UK and Europe and every time I pass the Olympic stadium in Stratford to go to training, I keep telling myself that’s where I want to be. I’m also busy balancing my studying with practicing six days a week.

"Even though I live in south London, I train in Newham and I’d like to think I’m a role model for young people around the country. Some youngsters don’t have direction and I hope I can inspire them to join a club or realise that their talent can be spotted like mine was."

Neville Punchard, Dean of the School of Health and Bioscience at UEL said: "Jeffrey’s story is the stuff of fairy tales and an amazing one. We are delighted that he has achieved so much in such little time and is continuing to inspire everyone around him. We wish him every success in completing his degree, running at World Championships and setting out for team GB at the Olympics in the future."

UEL is already providing a range of professional health and sports science programmes and is investing in major new sports facilities. David Cosford, Director of Sport at UEL is launching a new sports achievement scholarship award this summer, offering money and other support to qualifying students.

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Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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