Michael Baker
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Sport: Athletics, 400m hurdles Born: April 1990 Club: Medway and Maidstone Athletic Club (AC) Personal best: 52.38 seconds Key achievements:
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Sporting ambition:
To break into the senior England squad at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Great Britain squad for London 2012 and the 2016 Games
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Michael lives in Lordswood and represents Medway and Maidstone AC. The 400m hurdles is his main event but he also competes in the 400m and 110m hurdles. He studies and trains at Loughborough University (www.lboro.ac.uk/), and is the current British University Champion. Michael took up athletics at the age of 10 and has since won 15 individual county championship titles, including a treble in 2006 and has five south of England titles to his name. |
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He enjoyed a world ranking of eight at under-18 level and in 2007 was runner up in the England under-20 Championships, competing against athletes up to two years older than him.
He went on to run a personal best time of 51.98 seconds - the third fastest time ever by an under-18 British athlete - and was also chosen to captain the GB team.
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In 2008 Michael was selected for Loughborough University and its elite training sqaud. He had a quiet 2009 season because of injury but did break in to the top 15 in European U20 rankings. |
His long-term aim is to break in to the senior England squad at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and then obtain a position in the Great Britain squad ready to compete at London 2012 and more importantly, in his eyes, the 2016 Games when he ought to be hitting his peak.
Michael thanks his family, his school, Chatham Grammar School for Boys, Loughborough University and his sponsors Rubik's (www.rubiks.com) for all their support to date and hopes this will continue until 2012 and beyond.