Sam Ellis (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Sam Ellis is a British 800 metres
runner from Barnsley
. He won a bronze medal in the 800m at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. He is coached by Alan Hastey and is on the World Class Podium funding programme.
Sam attended Penistone Grammar School
and is a graduate from Sheffield Hallam University
in Architecture.
in 2007 and was formerly a 400m international, achieving a bronze medal at this distance in the 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games
held in Edinburgh
. In 2004 he was a surprise winner of the 800m at the AAA National Championships, claiming his first senior AAA gold. Despite the win at the AAAs, which were also used as the Olympic trials, Ellis was not picked for the Olympics that year as he had not achieved the qualifying standard. Two years later, in 2006, Ellis had another successful run at the AAAs, this time winning the silver medal. Earlier in the season Ellis had set a new personal best at 800m of 1:45.67 which was within the qualifying mark for the European Championships
held that year. The new personal best and the silver at the AAAs secured Ellis a place at the Europeans in Gothenburg
: his first time representing Great Britain at a senior major championships.
At the Europeans, after initially having a poor run in the first round of the competition, only scraping through as a fastest loser in a time 1:47.72 Ellis was more impressive in his semifinal qualifying by right for the final in third place. A tactically well run race in the final and a strong finish lead him to third place and his first major senior medal.
Following on from his performance at the 2006 European Championships, Ellis was picked to represent the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in the 800m at the Norwich Union International Great Britain v U.S.
v Russia
v China
meeting in Birmingham, held on the 19 and 20 of August 2006. In the race Ellis finished third for Great Britain, behind an American and a Russian runner, with a time of 1:47.98.
Ellis' highest IAAF world ranking for the 800m is 44, achieved 26 March 2007.
. His second fastest time ever over the distance is 1:46.64, set in the European Championship final in Gothenburg on 13 August 2006.
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
runner from Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
. He won a bronze medal in the 800m at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. He is coached by Alan Hastey and is on the World Class Podium funding programme.
Sam attended Penistone Grammar School
Penistone Grammar School
Penistone Grammar School is a comprehensive school and former grammar school in Penistone, in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1392 and its most notable alumnus is Nicholas Saunderson, the probable inventor of Bayes theorem, in the eighteenth...
and is a graduate from Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
in Architecture.
National and International career
Ellis was a member of Barnsley Athletics Club before joining City of Sheffield Athletic ClubCity of Sheffield Athletic Club
The City of Sheffield Athletic Club is one of the North of England's premier clubs, with a senior men's team which is in the Premiership of the British Athletics League. They have a mix of athletes from varied cultural backgrounds from ages 8 year olds to seniors and veterans...
in 2007 and was formerly a 400m international, achieving a bronze medal at this distance in the 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games
Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games are a small-scale version of the Commonwealth Games, designed for the youth of the 71 Commonwealth countries.-History:...
held in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. In 2004 he was a surprise winner of the 800m at the AAA National Championships, claiming his first senior AAA gold. Despite the win at the AAAs, which were also used as the Olympic trials, Ellis was not picked for the Olympics that year as he had not achieved the qualifying standard. Two years later, in 2006, Ellis had another successful run at the AAAs, this time winning the silver medal. Earlier in the season Ellis had set a new personal best at 800m of 1:45.67 which was within the qualifying mark for the European Championships
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
held that year. The new personal best and the silver at the AAAs secured Ellis a place at the Europeans in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
: his first time representing Great Britain at a senior major championships.
At the Europeans, after initially having a poor run in the first round of the competition, only scraping through as a fastest loser in a time 1:47.72 Ellis was more impressive in his semifinal qualifying by right for the final in third place. A tactically well run race in the final and a strong finish lead him to third place and his first major senior medal.
Following on from his performance at the 2006 European Championships, Ellis was picked to represent the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in the 800m at the Norwich Union International Great Britain v U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
v Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
v China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
meeting in Birmingham, held on the 19 and 20 of August 2006. In the race Ellis finished third for Great Britain, behind an American and a Russian runner, with a time of 1:47.98.
Ellis' highest IAAF world ranking for the 800m is 44, achieved 26 March 2007.
Personal bests
Ellis set his 800m personal best on 10 June 2006 at WatfordWatford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
. His second fastest time ever over the distance is 1:46.64, set in the European Championship final in Gothenburg on 13 August 2006.
Outdoor
- 200m200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
- 22.20 (13 May 2000, Cudworth) - 400m400 metresThe 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
- 47.61 (6 May 2002, Bedford) - 800m800 metresThe 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
- 1:45.67 (10 Jun 2006, Watford) - JavelinJavelin throwThe 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...
- 55.41 (31 Jul 2004, Cudworth) - High JumpHigh jumpThe 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....
- 1.93 (27 Sep 1998, Grimsby)
Indoor
- 400m - 48.48 (29 Jan 2006, Sheffield)
- 600m - 1:18.48 (26 Nov 2005, Sheffield)
- 800m - 1:49.33 (19 Feb 2005, Sheffield)
External links
- BBC Sport: European athletics: day 4, Men's 800m - 10 August 2006
- BBC Sport: British duo through to 800m final - 11 August 2006
- BBC Sport:Relay men lead GB medal rush - 13 August 2006
- UK Athletics: GB team for the Norwich Union International on 19 and 20 August 2006
- Sam Ellis' profile at Power of 10
- UK Athletics Profile
- City of Sheffield Athletic Club