Ruben Stovell: Teenage Yorkshire decathlete and Daley Thompson fan with big ambitions

Sixteen-year-old Ruben Stovell of Sheffield won the national Under-17s 400m title at his home track at the English Institute of Sport at the weekend, the biggest prize of his career to date.

But encouragingly for what could lay ahead, Stovell is actually a decathlete, so strong in no less than 10 events. Hence the interest in the great Thompson, the Olympic decathlon champion of 1980 and 1984 a powerhouse of British athletics.

“I look at all Daley Thompson’s clips,” says Stovell. “He’s a good athlete to watch, not as smooth as some others, but just raw power.”

Stovell himself has been a powerful runner since he was five years old, so his father Andy Stovell says.

“I went to his school sports day when he was five and a half, he was the shyest boy you could ever imagine,” begins Stovell senior.

“I was up on the top level at the EIS and as I looked down on the runners, you could see by his face there was a moment he realised ‘I’m out in front, I can do this’, and his face just changed and he went for it.

“He’s not looked back since.

“Ruben has obviously got natural talent, but it’s his dedication and discipline that is so admirable. Every day he is just on it.”

That talent is being nurtured at Sheffield and Dearne Athletics Club under the tutelage of a team of coaches, including former international decathlete John Lane.

“John’s a great coach,” says Ruben “telling me when to stop, when to pick it up - he cares about the longevity of an athlete and understands.”

Saturday’s national title was a special moment.

“It was unexpected, but at the same time I knew I had it in me,” says Ruben.

“I knew I had to commit to the race and the hard work would have paid off, and that was the case.

“I don’t usually show my emotions like I did at the end, I’m usually keeping it together, but right then, with the pressure and all the relief, I just got carried away.”

Education is important to him. This year he sits his GCSE’s at Bethany Christian School.

He also competes in only his second full decathlon later this Spring.

At some stage he will have to choose between decathlon and the 400m, which he is clearly competitive at.

But for now, Ruben Stovell is keeping his options open.

“I’m only young, anything can happen, I could break my leg next year and never race again, so I’m taking it day by day,” he says, pragmatically.

“Decathlon is the main focus, I do like the challenge of juggling all the events. It’s like one big puzzle.

“The next two years will tell me what the options are, things can change quickly.

“My dream would be to go to university and do athletics alongside studying for a degree - maybe America, maybe England.”

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