Former London Youth Games competitor Samson Oni will face judgment day in his bid to reach the Olympic high jump competition on 24 June at the Aviva Trials in Birmingham.Writes Chris Finch
Only two automatic qualifying spots are available for this summer’s Olympics, and the 30-year-old who represented Lambeth’s basketball team in his youth faces stiff competition from his rivals including Martyn Bernard, Robbie Grabarz and Tom Parsons to reach London 2012.
Samson equalled his career-highest jump of 2.31m earlier this year indoors, and that mark is also the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard that, if achieved along with a top two finish at the trials will guarantee him a spot at his first Olympic Games.
He said: “There is more than one athlete capable of jumping high at this year’s Trials and many want that first position badly. I believe winning will take more than just personal desire, and possibly the athlete who is most prepared to perform well outside their comfort zone will be victorious.”
It has been a tough couple of years for Oni, who just missed out on a medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and has been beset by injuries since then-firstly his knee and then with torn lower back muscles, but he is still striving to fulfil his Olympic dream.
“The outdoor season is a blank canvas for me,” Oni said. “I see it as an opportunity to re-establish myself once again after injuries in 2010 and 2011. I anticipate a strong charge from my opponents and my goal is to put the indoor season to sleep and focus on sharpening my tools for the busy summer ahead.
“My main hopes for the summer obviously tie in with the London Olympics, but generally, I hope to have a successful season that not only will make my family, friends, and fans proud but also one that will overwrite all of my past failures and defeats.”
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