OLYMPIC sprint sensation Craig Pickering was a special guest at City of Salisbury club’s annual dinner where he spoke candidly about success and failure in sport, writes John Ruskin.

He recounted to a packed audience at the White Hart Hotel, St John Street, how on the anchor leg at the Beijing Olympics in the super-fast 4x100m relay final he flew out of the starting blocks just too soon to receive the baton - and Team GB were disqualified as a result.

His vivid recall of the moment says much about just how that mattered.

But as he maintains, failure in sport is an important part of the learning process and knowing how to deal with it positively is an integral part of every successful athlete.

“Take stock of what you’re doing and where you’re going in your chosen sport,”

Pickering said. “Celebrate your achievements, take defeats and setbacks in your stride, learn from your mistakes and move on.”

In his case, having taken track sprinting to the limit, the 28-year-old transferred his huge talent to bobsleigh competition and quickly climbed through the ranks to reach international level in time for the Winter Olympics at Sochi.

Only, a severe back injury days before the opening ceremony then stood between him and a medal, but it was not to be.

Based at the University of Bath, he is now an athletics coach and mentor.

Craig Pickering presented the following City of Salisbury awards for the 2014 season: most improved lady athlete Faye Parker; best lady athlete Sally Greenslade; men’s league road race team winners Tom Cummings, Stuart Holloway, Ben Brewster and Chris Southern; most improved runner Nick Willetts; best men’s athlete Stuart Holloway; best track lady athlete Alex Mundell, pictured right receiving her award from Craig; best men’s track athlete Darren Clissold; and best club volunteer of the year Karen Mundell.

In the Hampshire cross country league fixture at Reading, Abigail Burn continued her fine form with third place in the under 13s, with Isobel Horsfield 17th, Louise Webb 21st and Rose Warren 33rd.

Maisie Grant was 30th in the under 15s, with Tash Mundell 33rd. Ella-May Hards was 18th in the under 17s. Alex Mundell took 20th in the senior ladies, with new recruit to running Sarah Warren 40th, Emma Clarke 65th and Sue Hazzard 108th.

Josh Shuter was 15th in the under 15s, Jay Domoney 12th in the under 17s while his dad Gary took 173rd and Ed Naish 120th.