29 August 2007

It was a evening to cherish in the Nagai Stadium, Osaka as the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team scored a 1-2 in the women’s 400m through Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders.

It is the first time British athletes have taken gold and silver in the same event at the World Championships since Colin Jackson and Tony Jarrett recorded the feat in Stuttgart in 1993.  Here’s a run-down of the evening’s action from day 5.

Women’s 200m quarter final

Joice Maduaka (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) was eliminated after finishing 7th in the second quarter final in 23.62 (0.7m/s). She said: I am tons better than that and perhaps I tried to hard but I’m bitterly disappointed.”

Women’s 5000m semi final

Four days after her heroic 4th place in the 10,000m final, Jo Pavey was back on track. The Exeter Harrier finished 4th in the second semi final in a season’s best of 15:11.83 to grab automatic qualification for Saturday’s final.

Afterwards, she said: “I’m pleased about the way I’ve recovered from the 10k and it’s the World Championships and I did not want to miss the chance of running again.”

Men’s high jump final

Tom Parsons (Birchfield Harriers) and Martyn Bernard (Wakefield Harriers)) placed 10th and 14th respectively in the men’s high jump final.

Parsons lived dangerously, twice making third time clearances at 2.21m and then 2.26m, but he was eventually undone at 2.30m.  Bernard also took the unconventional route. He cleared 2.21m at the third time of asking, then passed on 2.26m and 2.30m, had one failure at 2.33m, before moving to 2.35m which he failed twice to be eliminated.

Afterwards, Bernard said: “I put myself in a bad situation, third attempt at my opening height 2.21. Warming up I kind of felt my hamstring go a little bit. It was a matter of trying to take as few jumps as possible, jump as high as I could and still maintain with the competition.

Parsons said: “I’m chuffed, it’s still a little bit frustrating not to get 2.30m, because I know it was in the body. The next step for me is to keep being consistent over 2.25 and above and make sure I stay at a world class level and try and qualify for Beijing.”

Men’s 400m semi final

Running from lane 9, Tim Benjamin (Cardiff AAC) was 6th in the third semi final in 46.17.  He will now look to the relay later this week for consolation

Women’s 400m final

A quite incredible race saw Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex) and Nicola Sanders (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) take gold and silver for GB & NI team.

Both had looked highly impressive when winning their semi finals on Monday and brilliantly they upped their game further still for Wednesday’s final, both setting new PBs in the process.

Both ran well measured races, stayed strong on the home straight and though Novlene Williams (Jamaica) held the lead right up until the final 10 metres, the Brits timed their charge to perfection, with Ohuruogu dipping for gold in 49.61, team mate Sanders snatching silver in 49.65, with bronze medallist Williams just a single hundredth back.

Afterwards, Ohuruogu, who only just returned to competition on 6 August after serving a year’s suspension for missing three out-of-competition dope tests said: “It might not have been this year, but I just knew that somewhere down the line something would happen for the better. I know I work hard and when you’ve done nothing wrong and you’re an honest person, God will smile at you and make something work out at the end.

“There were very many moments of despair, but I don’t think I would have ever forgiven myself if I hadn’t stuck it through.  I’m just proud of myself that I kept on working and I did what people thought I never could have done.

“I didn’t run it as I meant to run it. My coach (Lloyd Cowan) had a race plan and I was a bit behind, but I just thought I’ll settle for third. Third’s alright. But then my coach flashed into my head and said: ‘Don’t leave anything. Don’t leave anything on the track, use every little last bit you have.’

That’s when I realised I had a bit more to go. I know it’s a real cliché, but it’s nice to have a happy ending.”

Sanders said: “Couldn’t have asked for any better than first and second, obviously I’d liked it to have been the other way round, but I’m chuffed. I think being injured was a blessing in disguise because I’m feeling really strong at the moment. I’ve got two days off now to get over the shock and build myself up again for the relay.”

Men’s 1500m final

Andy Baddeley (Harrow AC) fully justified his place in the final with a courageous effort, finishing 9th in 3:35.95.  Again, he was strong coming down the home straight as he picked off several big names, in a race won by Bernard Lagat (USA) in 3:34.77.

He said: “It was really difficult to get track position and when it went it , the pace was up and down. Even when it went on the third  Every time I went for something, the Spaniards pushed me back to the inside. But, that’s racing.

“I’m encouraged by being in that race and not being out of place at all. It’s easy to say in hindsight, but I definitely feel at home with those guys.”

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