Croydon finished the European athletics championships in Zurich last night in sixth place in the medals table with three golds – just behind Russia, but reassuringly ahead of Poland – after Martyn Rooney brought home the relay team in first place, to add to his individual 400m and the 100m title won by his fellow Croydon Harrier James Dasaolu earlier in the week.

Alright, maybe Rooney had a bit of help from outside Croydon to deliver the third gold medal in the relay, but his and Dasaolu’s successes were nonetheless a vital component of Great Britain’s most successful ever Europeans, with a total of 12 golds.

As noted previously, Rooney’s individual success comes after six years of hard toil and frustrated promise, but it also adds well-deserved lustre to a career which has been outstanding in its consistency, as these stats, courtesy of David Cocksedge, demonstrate, with 90 races run under 46.20sec:

400 metres

44.60 sf Martyn Rooney (Croydon) Beijing, CHN 19 Aug 2008
(44.71 Zurich, SUI 15 Aug 2014)
(44.72 Monaco, FRA 29 Jul 2008)
(44.83 Crystal Palace 26 Jul 2008)
(44.92 Walnut, USA 21 Apr 2012)
(44.97 Hengelo, NED 27 May 2012)
(44.99 Geneva, SUI 17 Jun 2010)
(44.99 Birmingham 27 Jun 2010)
(44.99 Doha, QAT 11 May 2012)
(45.00 ht Beijing, CHN 18 Aug 2008) 10

(45.00 Barcelona, ESP 28 Jul 2010)
(45.03 Ostrava, CZE 17 Jun 2014)
(45.05 Brussels, BEL 6 Sep 2013)
(45.12 Beijing, CHN 21 Aug 2008)
(45.15 Glasgow (HP) 30 Jul 2014)
(45.17 Madrid, ESP 7 Jul 2012)
(45.17 Glasgow (HP) 12 Jul 2014)
(45.19 Geneva, SUI 31 May 2008)
(45.22 sf Glasgow (HP) 29 Jul 2014)
(45.29 Zagreb, CRO 3 Sep 2013) 20

(45.30 ht Daegu, SKO 28 Aug 2011)
(45.31 Birmingham 13 Jul 2008)
(45.31 Crystal Palace 14 Jul 2012)
(45.31 sf Stratford 5 Aug 2012)
(45.32 Ostrava, CZE 12 Jun 2008)
(45.32 Montreuil, FRA 7 Jul 2014)
(45.33 Annecy, FRA 21 Jun 2008)
(45.34 Brussels, BEL 5 Sep 2008)
(45.35 Melbourne, AUS 21 Mar 2006)
(45.35 Gateshead 31 Aug 2008) 30

(45.35 La Chaux-de-Fonds, SUI 28 Jun 2009)
(45.36 ht Stratford 4 Aug 2012)
(45.40 sf Zurich 13 Aug 2014)
(45.42 Linz, AUT 26 Aug 2013)
(45.44 Milan, ITA 2 Jul 2008)
(45.44 Gateshead 10 Jul 2010)
(45.44 Birmingham 31 Jul 2011)
(45.45 ht Berlin 18 Aug 2009)
(45.45 Rabat, MOR 6 Jun 2010)
(45.46 Loughborough 18 May 2008) 40

(45.47 ht Osaka, JPN 28 Aug 2007)
(45.47 Gateshead 31 Aug 2009)
(45.48 ht Zurich 12 Aug 2014)
(45.51 Melbourne, AUS 22 Mar 2006)
(45.52 Rieti, ITA 7 Sep 2008)
(45.52 Monaco, MON 20 Jul 2012)
(45.52 Lausanne, SUI 23 Aug 2012)
(45.56 Brussels, BEL 7 Sep)
(45.56 Gainesville, USA 19 Apr 2014)
(45.57 Glasgow (HP) 26 Jul 2014) 50

(45.63 Crystal Palace 28 Jul 2009)
(45.63 Lucerne, SUI 21 Jul 2011)
(45.63 Zurich, SUI 8 Sep 2011)
(45.64 ht Birmingham 30 Jul 2011)
(45.67 Crystal Palace 28 Jul 2006)
(45.67 Bergen, NOR 19 Jun 2010)
(45.68 Hengelo, NED 8 Jun 2014)
(45.69 ht Melbourne, AUS 20 Mar 2006)
(45.71 Rieti, ITA 6 Sep 2009)
(45.72 ht Barcelona 27 Jul 2010) 60

(45.75 Clermont Ferrand, USA 26 Apr 2014)
(45.78 Zagreb, CRO 4 Sep 2012)
(45.78 Birmingham 29 Jun 2014)
(45.82 Stuttgart, GER 13 Sep 2008)
(45.83 Brussels, BEL 4 Sep 2009)
(45.85 Walnut, USA 17 Apr 2010)
(45.87 Beijing, CHN 17 Aug 2006)
(45.87 Crystal Palace 5 Jun 2011)
(45.88 Walnut, USA 20 Apr 2008)
(45.89 Crystal Palace 14 Aug 2010) 70

(45.90 ht Birmingham 26 Jun 2010)
(45.91 Atlanta, USA 16 May 2014)
(45.92 Los Angeles, USA 14 Apr 2012)
(45.92 Luzern, SUI 28 Jun 2007)
(45.92 Baire Mahault, FRA 10 May 2014)
(45.93 Birmingham 24 Jun 2012)
(45.93 Manchester 29 Jul 2007)
(45.98 sf Berlin, GER 19 Aug 2009)
(45.99 Bellville, RSA 17 Feb 2006)
(46.00 Rabat, MOR 9 Jun 2013) 80

(46.01 Melbourne, AUS 9 Mar 2006)
(46.01 Beijing, CHN 16 Aug 2006)
(46.01 Crystal Palace 3 Aug 2007)
(46.02 Geneva, SUI 9 Jun 2007)
(46.03 ht Birmingham 28 Jun 2014)
(46.08 Berlin, GER 22 Aug 2010)
(46.09 sf Daegu, SKO 29 Aug 2011)
(46.11 Oslo 13 Jun 2013)
(46.12 Rome, ITA 20 May 2011)
(46.18 Rehlingen, GER 13 Jun 2011) 90

ht: heat; sf : semi-final; HP : Hampden Park, Glasgow

Of course, none of these include some of the outstanding relay team performances Rooney has turned in over the years, such as the hand-timed 43.9sec relay leg in Zurich yesterday.

• Exclusive readers’ offer: a free glass of wine for diners at Albert’s Table

Coming to Croydon

• Mythical Maze stories, Crystal Palace Maze, Aug 20
• David Lean Cinema: Stop The Pounding Heart, Aug 21
• Mythical Maze stories, Crystal Palace Maze, Aug 27
• David Lean Cinema: Frank, Aug 28
• Upper Norwood Library well-being groups, Aug 30
• David Lean Cinema: The Two Faces of January, Sep 4
• David Lean Cinema: Fading Giglolo, Sep 6
• Thornton Heath Festival, Sep 7
• David Lean Cinema: Camille Claudel, Sep 11
• Warlingham rugby dinner with international Richard Hill, Sep 12
• Norwood Society Talk: War Memorials, Sep 18
• David Lean Cinema: Chef, Sep 18
• Cinema Ruskin film show, Sep 20
• Open House London weekend, Sep 20-21
• David Lean Cinema: A Night At The Cinema in 1914, Sep 22
• David Lean Cinema: Jimmy’s Hall, Sep 25
• Streatham Common 6M race, Sep 27
• Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
• Cinema Ruskin film show, Oct 18
• Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20

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