Christopher Clarke of Great Britain wins the 400m final (© Getty Images)
Pianoplaying British sprint maestro Chris Clarke hopes to call the tune in the 200m at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland and make his mark in the half-lap event.
The versatile Clarke was an impressive winner of the World Youth 400m title in 46.74 last year but an untimely injury and freakishly windy conditions at the England Athletics Under-20 Championships looked like blowing his hopes for the season off course.
Nonetheless, after achieving the required standard over 200m – courtesy of a 20.98 victory at the UK Indoor Championships in February- the 18-year-old has been given an opportunity by selectors to show his stripes in the shorter event and he is bubbling with enthusiasm at the prospect.
“I’ve never had a real good shot at a 200m because I’ve never ran it (the 200m) at a major championships,” he explained. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Clarke views his chief opposition as Jamaica’s World Youth 200m champion Ramone McKenzie but it is a minor miracle the Brit is fit to compete, especially as his World Junior Championship hopes looked in tatters in late April.
He ruptured his plantaris – near the Achilles – during a training session and he faced five weeks on the sidelines.
His return to competition came at the England Under-20s in Bedford last month (June) but gale force winds made attaining the tough qualification standard set by UK Athletics tantalisingly beyond him as he recorded 47.02 in his semi-final before winning the final in 47.08.
Selectors, however, opted to back his ability in the 200m – for which he has a personal best of 20.87 - and although he was initially disappointed to miss out on the 400m he’s optimistic of a positive showing in Poland and believes his fitness will not prove an issue.
“I think I’ve regained it all (my fitness) now,” said Clarke. “I don’t think the injury will affect my performance.”
From a family dripping in athletic talent it was almost inevitable Clarke would excel at sport. His twin brother, Ben, is a semi-professional footballer and was a 51.1 400m sprinter as a schoolboy and his cousins include Arsenal footballer Justin Hoyte and 2001 World Youth triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Moore.
Surprisingly, Clarke started life as a cross country runner but quickly graduated to the track where he has featured as a 200m and 400m sprinter.
Developed under the astute coaching of Jim McKenna at Marshall Milton Keynes AC – the same club as European Indoor 60m silver medallist Craig Pickering and European long jump silver medallist Greg Rutherford - since the age of 11 Clarke struck 400m gold to win first English Schools’ title in 2004. The following year he won National Under-17 200m gold and he has continued to excel at both disciplines.
McKenna explained Clarke has ‘the genes’ to be a top athlete but said of the reason his protege is so good is his ‘commitment and total focus.’
But does the World Youth 400m gold medallist have a preference – the 200m or the 400m?
“I enjoy both of them equally,” said Clarke. “The 400m is not all about speed, it is about tactics. The 200m is not as hard as the 400m,” he added with a laugh. “The 400m is more demanding but I like the 200s as well.”
Running both the 200m and 400m brings to mind immediate thoughts of Michael Johnson, the US track legend and World record holder for both distances. However, although Clarke respects the accomplishments of the Texan he admitted his idol was British sprinter Christian Malcolm, a former World Indoor 200m silver medallist.
“I’ve always liked Christian as a runner,” he said. “He has a good style. He’s not the biggest of athletes and I’m also not the biggest (Clarke is rake thin and 5ft 10ins).”
For the well-rounded Clarke, however, athletics is not his sole focus. He has a passion for music and is self-taught pianist and describes himself as an ‘over average’ pianist.
“I like playing pop music,” he added with a laugh. “Stuff like One Republic and Coldplay.”
Whether he can reach the Speed of Sound just like Coldplay remains to be seen, however, but like any young British athlete the long term aim is simple.
“London 2012 will be the championship to compete in,” he remarked, “but I know I’ve got to train hard for that.”
Steve Landells for the IAAF
