Daniel Awde
Encyclopedia
Daniel Awde is a British decathlete
who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China.
In 2002 Awde, who competes for the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletics club
, won the bronze medal in the under-15 event at the South of England Indoor Pentathlon competition. In 2007 he finished first in the junior event at the inaugural England Combined Events Championships.
He was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
after his training partner, former World Championship silver medallist Dean Macey
, failed to achieve the qualifying standard. Macey subsequently retired from competition. Awde had achieved the decathlon 'B' qualifying standard of 7700 twice, first at the England Championships in Birmingham, where he improved his personal best by 416 points to 7704, then at the European Cup in Finland. Before going to Beijing he had what he described as an "inspirational" conversation with two-times Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson
who is friends with Awde's coach Greg Richards.
At the Games the decathlon competition was staged over two days, the first day saw the 100 metres, long jump
, shot put
, high jump
and 400 metres being contested with 110 metres hurdles
, discus
, pole vault
, javelin
and the 1500 metres
taking place on the second day. Awde finished 21st in the overall standings, the gold medal was won by American Bryan Clay
. Awde set a new personal best in the pole vault discipline at 4.90 m, the seventh best result for any athlete in the event. He had the fastest time of any athlete in the 400 metres, his time of 47.16 seconds earning him 950 points. Awde finished with 7516 points, 1275 behind Clay's winning total of 8791.
Awde missed the 2010 Commonwealth Games
due to injury.
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China.
In 2002 Awde, who competes for the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletics club
Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
Woodford Green with Essex Ladies is one of the leading British athletics clubs and is based in Woodford, London. The club topped Division 1 of the British Athletics League for the first time in 2005.-Notable current athletes:* Tiffany Porter* Joice Maduaka...
, won the bronze medal in the under-15 event at the South of England Indoor Pentathlon competition. In 2007 he finished first in the junior event at the inaugural England Combined Events Championships.
He was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association , and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1896...
after his training partner, former World Championship silver medallist Dean Macey
Dean Macey
Dean Macey is an English athlete from Canvey Island. He is best known for competing in the decathlon, which he did from 1995 to 2008, winning World Championship and Commonwealth Games medals, as well as twice finishing fourth in the Olympic Games...
, failed to achieve the qualifying standard. Macey subsequently retired from competition. Awde had achieved the decathlon 'B' qualifying standard of 7700 twice, first at the England Championships in Birmingham, where he improved his personal best by 416 points to 7704, then at the European Cup in Finland. Before going to Beijing he had what he described as an "inspirational" conversation with two-times Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson
Daley Thompson
Francis Morgan Ayodélé "Daley" Thompson CBE , is a former decathlete from England. He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times....
who is friends with Awde's coach Greg Richards.
At the Games the decathlon competition was staged over two days, the first day saw the 100 metres, long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
and 400 metres being contested with 110 metres hurdles
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
, discus
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
, javelin
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
and the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
taking place on the second day. Awde finished 21st in the overall standings, the gold medal was won by American Bryan Clay
Bryan Clay
Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay is an American decathlete. He is the reigning Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005.-Biography:...
. Awde set a new personal best in the pole vault discipline at 4.90 m, the seventh best result for any athlete in the event. He had the fastest time of any athlete in the 400 metres, his time of 47.16 seconds earning him 950 points. Awde finished with 7516 points, 1275 behind Clay's winning total of 8791.
Awde missed the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
due to injury.