Athletic Inspiration

The World Championship Athletics in Berlin was one of the best I can remember.

Tainted by drug scandals and performed in front of increasingly sparse crowds, athletics has needed a shot in the arm for some time and hopefully this excellent championships can go some way to providing it.

Usain Bolt is nothing short of a phenomenon, and his sensational double world record cements his status as the most famous sportsman on the planet. Outrageously talented and effortlessly charismatic, he could fill any stadium anywhere in the world. He is the best thing to happen to athletics in a long time.

There were other great moments too. One of the most dramatic was when German high jumper Ariane Friedrich ran up in a completely silent stadium, before sailing over the bar and being greeted by a sudden eruption of noise.

As a Sheffield based company, though, we have to give the biggest mention to Jessica Ennis, who led from the front to become the new heptathlon World Champion. She took up athletics after attending a summer athletics week at the city's Don Valley Stadium. It just goes to show what the possibilites are if youngsters can be encouraged to give sport a go.

With superstars like Bolt and role models like Ennis, now is the perfect time to get more young people involved in athletics. The London 2012 Olympics represent a once in a generation opportunity to inspire young people to take up athletics and leave a legacy of a more healthy and successful nation. And if they're half as good as Berlin, we're in for a treat.