29 June 2015

On ‘Super Sunday’ 5 July at the Sainsbury’s British Championships there will be an unrelenting timetable of highly competitive finals. And the deluge will offer no let-up in the men’s 400m as a highly talented crop of athletes take to their blocks, each with a strong case for glory.

Jarryd Dunn (coach: Keith Holt) has thrust himself into the limelight this season after a series of personal bests. The Birchfield Harrier has shaved almost a second off his personal best this season, dragging his time down further with a 45.09 clocking and a win in Cheboksary at the European Team Championships. European gold and silver medallists Martyn Rooney (Rana Reider) and Matthew Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley) will be looking to find the form that brought them such success in Zurich last summer and each have proven championship experience and an abundance of talent. Meanwhile Conrad Williams (Linford Christie) will expect to be right in the mix, especially given he tops UK rankings in 2015 after rolling back the years to run a personal best of 45.06.

Martyn Rooney said: “It is fantastic to have so many guys running so well over the 400m. That being said, I’m more determined than ever to take the Sainsbury’s British Championships title and book my place on the plane to Beijing. I had a good run in Oslo (Diamond League), my fastest ever opener of 45.46 and a world championships qualifying time so I feel like there’s more to come.”

Jarryd Dunn said: “I’ve run three races this year and every race has been a personal best. I had a really strong winter and I’m ready to run some more fast times.

“There is a very strong 400m team in the UK, the likes of Martyn Rooney who is European champion and Matthew Hudson-Smith who is European silver medallist, so the Sainsbury’s British Championships are going to be pretty cool.”