20 July 2014

Sainsbury’s British champion Tiffany Porter (coach: Rana Reider) got the better of a world class line-up as she stormed to victory in the 100m hurdles at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games on Sunday.

The IAAF World Championship bronze medallist pulled away from the field as she powered over the final four hurdles on the specially laid track at the iconic Horse Guard Parade venue, to cross the line in 12.71, just outside her season’s best. This performance saw her push world and Olympic champions Brianna Rollins and Sally Pearson into second and third respectively.

“It was massive! The crowd was amazing and the track is fast and the field was amazing so you really couldn’t ask for anything more than that,” said Porter.

“It was a bit of a sloppy race looking back at the replay, I can tighten some things up heading to the Commonwealth Games so I’m pretty excited to go there and give it my best shot.”

A photo finish had to split the top three in the men’s 110m hurdles, with British champion William Sharman (Jerzy Maciukiewicz) given third place behind US World silver medallist Ryan Wilson and  Shane Brathwaite from Barbados, with the trio all clocking 13.24.

Sharman, who equalled his personal best to win in Glasgow last weekend, said:

“It was amazing. I feel really privileged as well as it’s only the third ever sporting event to take place at Horse Guards Parade. It started in the eighteenth century with jousting and at London 2012 there was women’s volleyball and now it’s athletics. I don’t think there will be many more sporting events here if any, so it’s a real privilege to be here.”

There was another close finish to the 110m hurdles ‘B’ race, but it was Commonwealth and European champion Andy Turner (Lloyd Cowan) who dipped over the line for the win in 13.49, with Alex Al-Ameen (Reider) and Lawrence Clarke (Malcolm Arnold) third and fourth respectively. Victory in the women’s ‘B’ race went to Brianne Theisen-Eaton with a personal best of 13.00.

Mike Rodgers – second at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix a week ago – powered through in the final 50m to win the men’s 100m just as the heavens opened after a day of blazing sunshine. The American clocked a season’s best of 9.91, with 38-year-old Kim Collins setting a new St Kitts & Nevis national record of 9.96 in second. Nesta Carter was third, with Chijindu Ujah (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) fourth in 10.13.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Reider) won the men’s ‘B’ race in 10.26 – a hesitation after the starting gun by World Indoor champion Richard Kilty (Reider) cost him dearly as he finished in 10.60.

There was a star-studded line up in the women’s 100m, with Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce speeding out the blocks and into an early lead, but Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix had other ideas, storming through in the closing stages to steal the win.

Margaret Adeoye (Linford Christie) ran a similar race to Felix, finishing strongly in the 100m ‘B’ race to clinch victory in 11.61 ahead of fellow Briton Sophie Papps (Dan Cossins).

There was a British one-two in the men’s long jump as Chris Tomlinson secured the win with his second jump, leaping to 7.94m, with British champion JJ Jegede (Peter Stanley) managing 7.88m for second place. American world and Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton set a season’s best of 7.87m for third.

Croatia’s former world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic showed she’s back in great form, with first time clearances up to her winning mark of 2.00m really exciting the enthralled crowd. British champion Isobel Pooley (Fuzz Ahmed) cleared 1.87m for fifth.

In the men’s equivalent, it took count-back to declare Derek Drouin the winner over Erik Kynard, with both clearing 2.32m. Chris Baker (Sharon Heveran) was the pick of the Brits with a first time clearance at 2.21m.

Olympic champion and world number one Renaud Lavillenie was the only athlete to clear 5.70m in the men’s pole vault, whilst Luke Cutts (Trevor Fox) finished second with a season’s best 5.60m, and British champion Steve Lewis took third. The women’s pole vault also went to form with world leader Fabiana Murer winning with 4.65m.

Germany scored a double win in the shot put, with world champion David Storl throwing a lifetime best 21.97m to secure his win, and Christina Schwanitz, second in the world this year, throwing 19.92m to seal her victory. British Champion Eden Francis managed a best of 17.00m.

In-form Paralympic silver medallist Stef Reid (Reider) continued her winning ways in the F42/44 long jump with a second jump of 5.39m, just 8cm shy of the new world record mark she set in Glasgow last weekend, and ahead of world silver medallist Marie-Amelie Le Fur who she will line up against at next month’s IPC European Championships in Swansea. There was a personal best too for Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya), the 23-year-old reaching 4.48m.

“I was so distracted when I walked in – the venue is stunning and the crowd was amazing,” said Reid.

 “It’s so different to anything I usually compete in. I could see myself on the big screen which was strange as you don’t usually get to see this.

“It was another win though – my last two have been very close in Glasgow and here, which I’m pleased about as it pushes me harder.”

Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s T38 100m world champion Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell) underlined her intentions ahead of the IPC European Championships as she stormed to victory ahead of Russia’s Paralympic and European champion Margarita Goncharova to win in 13.48, with European bronze medallist Olivia Breen (Tawiah-Dodoo) taking third.

Double world and Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) meanwhile continued her dominance of the women’s T34 sprints, cruising to victory in the 100m ahead of Dutch rival Amy Siemons.

There was a win too for world shot put F42 champion Aled Davies (Anthony Hughes). The 23-year-old led throughout all four rounds of the competition, securing the win with a best of 14.02m, to secure himself the Sainsbury’s Performance of the Day.

“I’m really happy, it’s such a unique venue and the crowd have been phenomenal today. It’s great to see so many people come out and support not only able-bodied athletes but Paralympic athletes too. I came here and wanted to win and I did just that.

“It’s another tough summer – I’ve got two major championships starting with the Commonwealth Games and then back home to Swansea for the Europeans so it’s really exciting for me”.

Rhys Jones (Keith Antoine) scored a convincing win in the men’s 100m T36/37 with a season’s best 11.99, whilst Paralympic bronze medallist Ola Abidogun (Grant Barker) finished second behind Poland’s Michal Derus in the men’s 100m T47, with Kyle Powell (Ryan Freckleton) clocking a season’s best 11.63 in fourth.

America’s T44 100m world record holder Richard Browne secured another victory over his British rival Jonnie Peacock in an entertaining race, with Browne clocking 10.9 (manual timing) ahead of Peacock’s 11.0.

Out on The Mall in the T53/54 wheelchair race, home favourite David Weir gave the crowds plenty to cheer about as he powered home ahead of the Netherland’s Kenny van Weeghel to seal victory on the streets where he clinched marathon gold at the Paralympic Games two years ago.

“It’s nice to finish on probably the smoothest road in London. Winning in such an iconic location is great. I finish here for the London marathon so to get the opportunity to come out and compete out here again is great for me as a Londoner.”

Experienced American and former 1500m and 5,000m World champion Bernard Lagat showed he’s still in winning form as he took victory in the two mile race. With 200m to go an injection of pace saw him sprint clear of early leader Emmanuel Bett of Ethiopia and fellow American Garrett Heath to cross the line in 8:27.00.

In the women’s one mile race, Genzebe Dibaba followed up her win over 5,000m in Monaco on Friday with victory in the British capital. The 23-year-old stretched the field after the half-way point before being chased round the bend past Buckingham Palace by US athlete Morgan Uceny. But the Ethiopian held on to the lead as the pair sprinted up The Mall, winning in 4:28.00; Helen Clitheroe was the first Briton home in 4:36.00.