YOG 2010: Bolarinwa bags relay silver but Skeen takes gold again

From Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat, in Singapore

 SPRINTER David Bolarinwa locked horns with Odane Skeen for a second time at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore - and while the Brit upgraded his bronze to silver, he was still in the shadow of his Jamaican rival.

HEAD TO HEAD: David Bolarinwa matched rival Odane Skeen competed against each other in the medley relay but the Americas ended up trumping Europe in Singapore (Singapore Press Holdings)

Bolarinwa arrived in the Far East, having clocked a personal best of 10.39 seconds earlier this month, as the fastest under-18 in the world this year and the red-hot favourite for 100m gold.

But Jamaican sprinters can be written off at your peril and 15-year-old Skeen blitzed his way to 100m gold at the inaugural Youth Olympics in 10.42 - leaving the slow-starting Bolarinwa trailing in his wake.

To rub salt into Bolarinwa's wounds, the 16-year-old Londoner missed out on silver, even though he was awarded the same time as silver medallist Masaki Nashimoto of Japan.

And making his defeat all the more difficult to stomach was the fact that brash Jamaican [sound familiar?] Skeen had been taunting Bolarinwa in the build-up to the race - stoking the rivalry further.

Bolarinwa got his chance at revenge in the medley relay as he led out Europe while Skeen went second for the Americas in a race that featured a leg over 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m.

There was little to choose between the duo after leg one but it was the Americas, anchored by the Dominican Republic's Luguelin Santos, who took victory in 1:51.38 minutes.

Russia's Nikita Uglov ran the 400m leg for Europe and ensured he, Bolarinwa and co gained silver - but the British sprinter insists he will depart the Far East a happy young man despite missing out on gold.

"It feels great to have got the silver medal and to go home with two is absolutely great," he said. 

"I am really pleased with the way I ran because I didn't start well in the 100m final at all but I got out really well in the relay.

"I wanted to put the 100m final behind me by getting a good start and running a good leg and I did it which is great.  The whole of the team ran really well and to have two medals is amazing."

Meanwhile, there were more reasons to cheer in the British camp as Great Britain's sprinter Annie Tagoe, fourth in the 100m, gave Europe an excellent start in the girl's medley relay to get her hands on bronze. 

"I wasn't going to go home without a medal," said Tagoe. "I had seen David's [Bolarinwa] and Charlie's [Grice] and I really wanted one so I am delighted."

Once more gold went to the Americas while Africa clinched silver, largely thanks to the efforts of Nigerian 100m and 200m runners Josephine Omaka and Nkiruka F Nwakwe, who both topped the podium in their respective individual events.

  Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. Visit LloydsTSB.com/London2012