Sports News
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UEL student to represent Great Britain at the European Athletics Championships
UEL business student Jeffrey Lawal Balogun is one step closer to the London Olympic Games after being named in Great Britain team for the European Athletics Championships held in Barcelona later this month.
Jeffrey will compete in the 200m and 4x100m relay events at the Championships. He is on track for success after equalling his personal best times at track meets earlier this year. He also ran the fastest 200m time recorded in Europe during 2009.
Jeffrey says, “Qualifying for the European Championships has been my goal for 2010 and I am so thrilled to have made the team.”
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 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 the London 2012 Olympics.
“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,” he says.
“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.”
UEL Director of Sport, David Cosford says, “I am absolutely thrilled for Jeffrey. This selection has been well and truly earned through hard work, determination, focus and huge amounts of natural talent. Gaining selection to the championships was his sole aim this year, and I hope he can now be very competitive and hopefully achieve personal best performances. This year is one big step towards his Olympic dream, and competing against the best in Europe will give him tremendous confidence to make this a reality in 2012’.
UEL offers a range of professional health and sports science programmes and is investing in a new sports centre at the Docklands campus. UEL is also launching a new sports achievement scholarship award this summer, offering financial and academic support to qualifying students.
Sports Programmes
- BSc Sport and Exercise Science
- BSc Sports Coaching
- BSc Sports Development
- BSc Fitness and Health
- PGCert Sports Rehabilitation
- MSc Exercise Science and Health
- MSc Sports Management
- MA Sports Media
- MSc Sports Media
