Martyn Rooney Smashing His Personal Best

The 21-year-old Great Britain 400m runner Martyn Rooney powered down the home straight to claim victory ahead of Ricardo Chambers and Leslie Djhone at the Monaco Grand Prix in 44.72 seconds. This run is for the preparation for 2008 Beijing Olympic.

Rooney's success came after he broke the 45-second barrier for the first time at last week's London Grand Prix.

The men's 400m heats in Beijing begin on 18 August.

Rooney's victory in Monaco lifted him back to the top of the European standings and to ninth in the world rankings.

The Croydon runner said after his landmark performance at Crystal Palace last weekend: "If I don't make the final at the Olympics now it'll be a bad championships.

"Then if I get a good lane in the final, who knows?"

American defending champion Jeremy Wariner is favourite to retain his Olympic title in China as he leads the world rankings with a time of 43.86 secs.

Compatriot Lashawn Merritt is also expected to get amongst the medals.

Rooney and Andrew Steele represent Team GB in the individual 400m while Rooney's PB will boost hopes of a strong performance in the 4x400m relay.

Who Is Martyn Rooney
Martyn Rooney was born on April 3, 1987, Rooney is an English sprinter. Rooney was born and raised in Thornton Heath, London, UK, Rooney started running for Croydon Harriers just before starting his secondary school, The John Fisher School in Purley. He also attended St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath. Initially training and competing at the Middle distances; 800 m and 1500 m and doing cross country throughout the Winter, his talent for the one lap sprint was discovered by coincidence when he stood in to make up points at a London fixture a little over two years ago.

Rooney was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2005 European Juniors, held in Lithuania in July of that year. He achieved the Silver Medal in the individuals and gold with the relay team and on his return home was then asked to make up the senior’s 4x400 m Men's Relay team at the IAAF World Championships, held that year in Helsinki, Finland. Martyn was originally running only in the heat, but impressing the GB coaches with a time of 44.9 seconds, he was selected to also run in the final. Despite completing his leg in 44.8 seconds, Martyn and team mates Timothy Benjamin, Robert Tobin and Malachi Davis came in fourth, with a sub three minute time.

Rooney represented England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia. Despite impressing everyone throughout the heats, he came fifth in the final with a time of 45.51 seconds and set a new British Junior Record, previous held by Roger Black for 20 years. The English 4x400 m Men's relay team came in fourth at the Games, with the Women coming in First but being disqualified.

At the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing he finished third in 45.87 seconds. The British relay team too finished third, earning him a second bronze medal of the Championships.

Rooney is currently studying at Loughborough College, while training with Coach Nick Dakin of Loughborough, and Mike Fleet of Croydon Harriers.

He has a PB of 44.72, clocked at the Super Grand Prix in Monaco on 29th July 2008.

FYI - Behind Sports