Two Newcastle University students, Tim Davies and Rebecca Rigby, were given the rare opportunity to take part in an 8K run in London with Olympic gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie. The event, organized by adidas, saw the students warm up with Gebrselassie in St. James' Park before completing a casual run around various London parks with the legendary runner. Gebrselassie shared running tips and advice during the run and gave an inspiring speech afterwards about the benefits of running. Davies described the experience of running with an athletics icon as "surreal" and "inspirational".

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GRASSRO TS SPORT
THE CHRONICLE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21,201
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Running
duo get
gift of
the Geb!
ATTUIETICS
TWO Newcastle Universi
ty students enjoyed a rare
opportunity to take part in
an 8K run with Olympic
gold medallist and former
world record holder Haile
Gebrselassie.
The adidas-organised
event took place in Lon
don.
It saw Tim Davies, cap
tain of Newcastle Univer
shy’s Athletics and Cross
Country Club, and post
graduate biomedical sci
ences student Rebecca
Rigby join the Olympic
legend for an afternoon
running session.
After warm-up drills in
St. James’ Park, the group
headed for a casual run
around some of the other
parks in London.
Davies said: “It was a
great atmosphere.
“Everyone was very
friendly and just as excited
as us to meet Haile.
“He was a great guy and
very funny too.
“He was very chatty and
looked happy and excited
to run with us.
“We were lucky enough
to run with him most of
the way and seeing peo
ple’s reactions to this leg
end running around lon
don was amazing.
“We completed the run
in just under 40 minutes:’
The 1O,000m gold med
allist shared tips on his
running technique,
answered questions about
upcoming goals, signed
the participants’ ldts and
posed for photos with the
guest runners.
At the end of the run,
Gebrselassie warmed
down with the runners
and gave an inspiring
speech about the benefits
of running.
Davies said: “The whole
experience was surreal.
“Running around the
centre Qf London with a
legend of the athletics
world who has achieved
so much was so inspira
tional7
A NEW Gateshead College pro
gramme will enable young
rugby players to benefit from a
recognised qualification while
gaining the skills to improve as
club players.
The college is launching the
initiative in association with
Darlington Arena next month
and is looking to recruit talent
ed rugby students to study for a
BTEC Level Three in Sport.
Those who join up will be
able to take advantage of exper
tise and guidance from top
NEWCASTLE University student
Finbar Ryley is a real shooting
star - and hopes to fire his wayto
senior GB honours in future.
The 19-year-old struck gold as
part of the four-man Great Brit
ain junior squad contesting the
annual InterShoot competition
in Holland.
He achieved a personal best
during the tournament’s final
day with a score of 613.5 — cov
ering the British Minimum Con
sideration Score (MQS).
That makes Ryley eligible for
selection with British Shooting,
the top echelon in the sport.
He now hopes tobe equally on
target when he competes in next
week’s British Championships
and then the Scottish Champi
onships from March 8.
InterShoot is an international
shooting match for air pistol
and air rifle competitors and has
been held in The Hague for the
past seven years.
First-year marine biology stu
dent Ryley and his team-mates
triumphed following a top-notch
performance.
Ryley achieved his personal-
best score on the tournament’s
final day.
On the second day he had
fired a score of 608.4 - the high
est in his team and enough for
the GB junior squad to claim top
honours. ...—
He said: “This was by far my
biggest competition with teams
from 21 countries competing.
“There were a large number of
Olympic athletes and a handful
of Olympic medallists involved
- including Abhinav Bindra, the
first person to win a gold medal
for India in the 2008 Olympics.
“Before the competition I had
set goals! wanted to achieve.
“These were to not drop below
100.0 in my 10 shot strings, reach
RUGBY
coaches while training and
studying at either Gateshead
College’s Academy for Sport or
the Arena.
They will be able to benefit
from some ofthebest- equipped
playing, training and classroom
facilities in the region.
A key feature of the pro
gramme will see students ben
efiting from dose links with
local universities and other pro
fessional UK sports organisa
the final each day and score
more than 580 on the integer old
method of scoring.
“Where I did not reach one
goal one day, I excelled in an
other aspect and shooting that
British MQS could open doors
for my shooting.”
Ryley added: “My shooting on
the last day was incredible.
“1 shot 613.5, not only a per
sonal but also a British MQS.
“This means I am now eligible
for selection with British Shoot
ing, the top squad.
“1 had made the final in fourth
place but! could not control my
tions as well as local businesses
for input and advice on job
opportunities.
They will also be able to con
tinue playing for their own dubs
at weekends.
The BTEC Level Three in
Sport offers progression to
either higher education or into
employment within the sports
industry, health and fitness sec
tor, sports development or
sports coaching fields.
Studies include practical ses
sions, workshops, seminars,
heart rate and finished eighth.
“This is something I am now
reilly pushing with the coaches
as this one aspect ofmy shooting
is holding me back.
“Once it is sorted I am really
confident I can medal at inter
national level If my shooting is
anything like my matches.
“The British Championships
and the Scottish Championships
are lower-profile competitions
and hopefully I will be able to
control the adrenalin better.
“If everything goes well there
hopefully I can bring back a
medal.”
team work, independent study,
guest speakers and trips and
visits.
11am Gumbrifi, rugby coach
at Gateshead College’s Acade
my for Sport, is overseeing the
programme’s development.
He said: “We want to help stu
dents to fulfil their potential and
perhaps go on to forge a career
in the sports industry or as a
professional player.”
For more details, e-mail ham.
gumbrill@gateshead.ac.uk or
ring0l9l 4902447.
lnterShoot consists of three
days and three matches with
seniors and juniors competing
separately.
A match consists of 60 shots,
each shot worth a maximum
10.9 points - giving a total pos
sible score of 654.
The current world record is
633.5 averaging a 10.5 every
shot.
The 2014 edition of InterShoot
featured 186 shooters from 21
countries.
Ryley, from Witney, Oxford-
shire, has been involved in
shooting since he was 12.
IN BRIEF
Walkerjoin~
the countyse
TYNEMET rugby starl
Cameron Walker has be
selected for the Northur
berland under-17 coun
squad.
The youngster, wI
plays for Morpeth RFC
well as the college, w
selected after a trial
Druid Park.
He will now underj
strength and conditionii
work at Northumbria Ut
versity’s Sports Centi
before a final squad will
selected for the count’
first game against Cur
bria in March.
Providing a
shuttle servic
TYNEMET College
offering badminton s
sions for the over-50s
conjunction with
North Tyneside Badmi
ton Partnership.
Sessions take place da
in the sports hall at Que
Alexandra Sixth Form C’
lege on Hawkeys La
(10.00).
A qualified coach is
hand and the cost is £3j
session.
Anyone interest
should turn up to a si
sion.
Developirn
relationship5
TYNEMET College’s B.
ketball Development Ct
tre hosted an open eveni
for prospective membei
Head coach Marc SU
tel said: “We had an exc
lent turnout and I v
proud of the learners a
how they acted as amb
sadors for the college.
“1 hope the recn
found the session infor
ative and that we will
seeing them in Tynel~
colours next season7
College plan hopes to be a qualified success
Rugby coach Liam Gumbrill
Golden boy Finbarfires his way to top ofsport
City’sshooting star is
enjoying life ofRyley
‘3
€1 S
Student Firibar Ryley Is targeting International honours with Great Britain after his latest shooting success
Gebrselassie with Tim
Davies and Rebecca Rlgby
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