17 July 2015

Alicia Barrett (coach: Daniel Duke, club: Chesterfield) set a UK U18 record in the 100m hurdles of 13.40 (+0.6) on her route to the final but had to settle for sixth position in a high quality field on day two of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.

The Chesterfield athlete had earlier broken the national youth record in the heats the day before and had high hopes in the final which was won by Ecuador’s Maribel Vanessa Caicedo in a Championship record of 13.04.

The Briton, who ran 13.52 (+0.1), said afterwards: “I don’t know what happened; I just hit a hurdle. It’s disappointing because I wanted to run a clean race but it just didn’t happen today. Getting the British record earlier was really cool but it was annoying to not do that in the final.”

Hannah Brier (Neal Merry, Swansea Harriers) ended a busy competition with a sixth place finish in a world-class 100m final with American world youth record holder Candace Hill setting a Championship record of 11.08. The Welsh athlete ran 11.66 (0.0) but had earlier in the day achieved a PB of 11.39, which places her joint-third in the 2015 UK 100m senior rankings.

Brier said afterwards: “I had a great start and I was in front, and I was just thinking, ‘wow’. I lost balance a bit but you know what, I made a World final and that is what I came to do. I’ve also got a PB and equalled the Welsh senior record so I was over the moon with the time earlier.”

She added: “It was massive deal – the standards in the event have gone way up this year so I’m just so happy to have reached the final. I have learned that I need to compose myself a bit better in the future. It’s been quite hard with three races because I not usually used to it but I’ll learn from this.”

Room-mates Catherine Reid (Di Shimell, Manx) and Hannah Williams (Colin Gaynor, Herts Phoenix) produced the best performances of their careers to move into tomorrow’s Girls 400m final. Isle of Man’s Reid recorded a PB of 53.20 for second in heat one with Williams, sister of European 200m champion Jodie, slicing four tenths off her best from the heats in 53.52.

Reid commented: “That sets me up well for the final – I’ll get back now and hopefully I’ll recover in time for tomorrow. I was very nervous tonight because I didn’t have the best run in the heat yesterday. Obviously with a PB and a place in the final, I couldn’t ask for more. I wanted to go out hard and work it as if it was a final and then at 50m, see what I needed to do. In the end I could cruise through in the closing stages.”

A delighted Williams said: “I treated it like a final so I knew I had to push it to reach the final. I probably pushed too much over the last 10 metres but I wasn’t sure if I was in the top two. I’m so happy for us both – we are rooming together. We will be so excited for tomorrow.

“I’m so happy – I think it is the lucky socks! Last time I wore them at the Nationals (England U20 Championships) I got a PB, I did the same yesterday and now I’ve done the same again.”

Sam Talbot (Eldon Lake, Exeter) showed tremendous character on day two of the decathlon competition after been disqualified in the 400m last night, thus scoring no points for the event which gave him a disadvantage. He returned today to set three PBs out of five events. He started the day with a 13.79 (+0.2) personal best in his favoured 110m hurdles; threw 35.93m in the discus and produced a significant lifetime best of 4.00m in the pole vault, a 25cm improvement.

He rounded it off this evening with another career best in the javelin, launching out to 53.64m before completing the tough 1500m in 5:13.64 to end the competition in 21st on 6215 points.

Emma Hamplett (David Parker, Birchfield Harriers) finished in a credible ninth position in her first global javelin final. Her first round effort of 47.56m was her furthest distance but was followed by two fouls. This meant she could not take three more throws to improve her leading mark.

Ben Greenwood (Catriona Helen Tavendale, Perth Strathtay) didn’t make it through in the Boys 800m semi-finals. After becoming attached from the main pack before the bell, it was a long run home for the Scot as he finished eighth in 1:59.06. Hope Sarti (Glyn Peckham, Guildford & Godalming) was seventh in the first Girls 100m hurdles semi-final but 13.70 (-0.4) was not enough to progress to the final.

Earlier in the day, Sabrina Sinha (Mark Newell/Peter Mullervy, Cambridge Harriers) and Harriet Knowles-Jones (Paul Roden, Warrington) advanced to the final of the Girls 1500m with Alex Yee (Kenneth Pike, Kent) likewise qualifying for the Boys 3000m final on Sunday. Carys McAulay (Philip Hicken, Warrington) safely moved into the semi-finals of the Girls 800m with Jake Norris (Paul Dickenson, Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow) successfully reaching the Boys Hammer final.

Full results can be found here: http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-youth-championships/9th-iaaf-world-youth-championships-2015-5408/timetable/byday

Highlights of day two can be found on British Eurosport 2 on Friday 17 July – check TV listings for broadcast timings. 

Medallists and Top 8 performers

Rechmial Miller – Boys 100m bronze

Oliver Bromby – Boys 100m fourth place

Hannah Brier – Girls 100m sixth place

Alicia Barrett – Girls 100m Hurdles sixth place