03 July 2011

National junior indoor record holder Andy Pozzi (coach: Malcolm Arnold) clocked a new UK under-20 outdoor hurdles best, European leading time and Meeting Record of 13.29 (+0.0m/s) for victory on day two of the Bauhaus Junioren Gala in Mannheim, Germany (Sunday 3 July).

Having clocked back-to-back PB marks of 13.44 on day one with victory in his heat and final, Stratford-Upon-Avon’s Pozzi returned to action within 24 hours to make up for his self-confessed mistakes and take advantage of the perfect conditions.

“I hadn’t originally planned to race again this weekend, but I knew I could go quicker and it was such a brilliant opportunity to run a fast time on a fast track,” said the England Under-20 Champion. “I had a good first half yesterday and I was pleased with my times, but I was hitting hurdles towards the end and I just wanted to run a clean race; I could see there was more to come and I was really eager to get back out there.

“I’d only run 13.61 before this weekend and I needed a decent time to put me in the right frame of mind for the European Junior Championships; halfway through today’s race I knew it had the potential to be really quick if I could stay clear of the hurdles, and now that I’ve run that time I’m feeling really good.”

Jodie Williams (coach: Mike McFarlane) also scorched to a new Meeting Record as she completed the sprint double with victory in the women’s 200m in a season’s best time of 23.05 (-0.2m/s) following yesterday’s 100m win.

She led home a quartet of Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland athletes with Jennie Batten (coach: Roger Walters) finishing fourth (24.10), Bianca Williams (coach: Lloyd Cowan) in eighth (24.44) and Katie Kirk (coach: Mark Kirk) clocking a new lifetime best in ninth (24.52).

The women’s 4 x 100m team also returned to action in style following their relay disappointment on day one of the competition, the quartet of Annie Tagoe (coach: Connie Henry), Bianca Williams, Jennie Batten and Marilyn Nwawulor (coach: Harry King) racing to victory in 45.06.

David Bolarinwa (coach: John Powell) was only marginally outside his career best when clocking 21.18 (+0.2m/s) for victory in the men’s 200m, but more importantly it was a European Junior Championships qualifying time.

There was disappointment for Sam Watts (coach: Gladys Bird) however, as he missed out on the required standard by only three one-hundredths of a second when finishing second overall in a season’s best time of 21.28. Dannish Walker-Khan (coach: Linford Christie) finished seventh in 21.56.  

Megan Southwart (coach: Colin Bovell) won the fifth gold medal of the day for the Aviva GB & NI team in the women’s 400mH (59.90), while in the women’s high jump, Emma Nuttall (coach: Laurier Primeau) finished fifth with 1.72m.

Full results from Mannheim are through the following link.

The Aviva GB & NI team for the European Junior Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, will be announced on Tuesday 5 July.