23 May 2016

Loughborough International, Loughborough, 22^nd May

Jessica Ennis-Hill (coach: Toni Minichiello) kicked off her Olympic title defence by throwing the javelin at Loughborough University for the second year in a row, her first competition since winning the World Championships in Beijing last August. Ennis-Hill finished eighth with a best of 41.69m, demonstrating further progress in her bid for .

Andrew Pozzi (Malcolm Arnold) ran his first outdoor 110m hurdles race in Great Britain for four years, setting a new personal best to win easily in 13.32 (+1.5m/s), a mark comfortably fastest by a Briton this season as he went inside the 13.47 Olympic qualifying mark.

The GB & NI men’s 4x100m relay team, fielded a quality quartet of James, Dasaolu (Steve Fudge), Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist) Richard Kilty (Blomkvist) and Chijindu Ujah (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)  – they looked slick as they posted a winning time of 38.64 putting  them in the top 10 in the world.

Earlier in the day, Harry Aikines Aryeetey took a welcome home victory for Loughborough in the men’s match 100m, stopping the clock in 10.29 (+1.4). The A guest race went quicker though, Chijindu Ujah beating teammate James Dasaolu in a quick 10.06 (+0.5) to Dasaolu’s 10.14.

Double World Champion Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell) won the ambulant 100m in 12.66 (+0.9m/s) just six hundredths outside her personal best, which is also the T38 world record. In third was Olivia Breen (Tawiah-Dodoo), clocking a new lifetime best of 13.37, whilst Georgina Hermitage (Paul MacGregor) broke the T37 100m world record with a 13.39 performance.

The star performer in the field was Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson), who improved his lifetime best to win the shot put with 19.45m.

FBK Games, Hengelo, The Netherlands, 22^nd May

Andrew Butchart (Derek Easton) continued the Scottish distance running revival as he smashed the 36 year old Scottish record to run his second 5000m Olympic qualifying time. Finishing ninth in a world class field, Butchart crossed the line in 13.13.30, making him second European home.

The qualifying standards nor the Scottish success didn’t end there, with Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan-Nuttall) also nailing her second 5000m standard this year, running 15.16.51 for sixth place.

Jodie Williams (Ryan Freckleton) had a great performance, finishing second in the 200m in 23.06, marginally outside her season’s best. That was the race of the night in Hengelo, as local girl Dafne Schippers ran a world lead of 22.02, much to the delight of the crowd.

Asha Phillip (Fudge) won the 100m in 11.27 (+0.7), with Daryll Nieta and Bianca Williams (both Tawiah-Dodoo) running season’s bests of 11.43 and 11.45 in third and fourth. There were further season’s bests in the 110mh; Lawrence Clarke (Samba-Koundy Giscard) clocking 13.50 for second, with William Sharman (Blomkvist) 13.71 for seventh.

Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider) took victory in the 400m in 52.20, whilst Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya) was second in the IPC 100m in 13.71. Guy Learmonth (Rob Denmark) continued his solid start to 2016 with a 1:47.23 run for sixth in a very close 800m whilst Alison Leonard (Bud Baldaro) got her reward for five weeks altitude training in Font Romeu, running a 1500m personal best of 4.09.59. That performance saw her come home just ahead of training partner Hannah England (Baldaro) and Steph Twell (Mick Woods) who clocked 4.09.98 and 4.10.90 respectively.

Hallesche Werfertage, Halle, Germany, 21^st May

In the junior javelin, Harry Hughes (Michael McNeill) produced the third best throw ever by a British junior, launching the 800g implement out to 75.46m. That throw saw him take victory, and surpass the World Junior qualifying mark by more than four metres.

Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson) was the pick of the Brits in the senior events, throwing 71.63 for third in the women’s hammer. In the second pool, Sarah Holt (John Pearson) improved her season’s best with a 67.13m effort.

Rachel Wallader produced a personal best throw of 17.47m for sixth in the shot, whilst Jade Lally (Andrew Neal) was eighth in the discus with a best of 60.97m.

HOKA ONE ONE Middle Distance Classic, California, 20^th May

Rob Mullett (David Leach) ran the fastest 3000m steeplechase time by a British athlete for 22 years as he finished fifth in 8.22.42 to run an Olympic qualifying time. In the women’s event, Lennie Waite (Steve Sisson) was agonisingly close to achieving the same feat as she ran a season’s best of 9.46.88 to miss the standard by just less than two seconds.

Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg) opened his season with a personal best performance over 800m as he won the second section with ease in 1.46.95. There was also a personal best for his training partner Robbie Fitzgibbon (Bigg), the 20 year old running 3.41.51 to win the 1500m. In the 5000m, Tom Farrell (Mark Rowland) ran a season’s best 13.27.77 for fourth.