FORMER world indoor 400 metres record holder Todd Bennett is convinced Hampshire has unearthed a new one-lap star.
Such is his faith in Basingstoke & Mid Hants talent Robert Tobin, that he is tipping the 18-year-old to crack one of the landmark times set by south coast legend Roger Black.
"Robert's got it all there and he has the potential to take Roger's national junior record," said Bennett.
That record dates back 17 years to the 1985 European Junior Championships in Germany when the man destined to become Olympic silver medallist behind the great Michael Johnson underlined his potential with a time of 45.36 seconds.
Tobin (pictured) has a long way to go to reach those heady heights but, having set a new outdoor best of 47.1sec last season, the AAA under-20 champion has already clocked 46.8 indoors this year.
And if there were any doubts that the Alton College has the potential to lower those times this season, they were dispelled at Portsmouth's Mountbatten Centre last weekend when he powered to an impressive under-20 men's 100/200 metres sprint double in the Hampshire AA Track & Field Champion-ships.
While Sunday's blustery winds slowed his 100m time to 11.26 seconds, he had hit imperious form the previous day to set a Championship best of 21.33 in his 200m heat.
Ironically the name he erased from the Hampshire record books was none other than Bennett, who has been coaching the youngster since the turn of the year, complementing Tobin's Basingstoke-based mentor Phil Stanley.
Bennett, who had set the championships' old junior best of 21.7 back in 1980, took it all in good heart, smiling: "It's nice to have someone like Robert to work with.
"He's still very raw because he hasn't done much specialised 400m work, but the fact that he's run two 21.3s for the 200m today suggests he's going to get quicker."
Tobin has the World Junior Cham-pionships in Jamaica in his sights this summer.
FOR FULL LIST OF RESULTS FOR THE HAMPSHIRE AA TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS SEE PAGE 47 OF THE DAILY ECHO ON MAY 16.
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