03 June 2012

On a busy domestic weekend, With the English Closed Championships incorporating the Midlands and North of England Championships plus separate Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Championships, there were some top British performances abroad.

Geneva, June 2

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Eilidh Child (Coach: Malcolm Arnold) had a breakthrough PB with an Olympic A standard and Scottish record of 54.96 to go top of the McCain Power of Ten rankings and run her first time inside 55 seconds.

After, she said:

“I’m just completely over the moon. It’s absolutely brilliant. I went out there and just tried to win it. When I crossed the line I was absolutely over the moon.

“My coach and I have been thinking that the A standard is there and we can get it but unless you actually do it in a race you never know.

“Now that I’ve got the qualifying time I can relax a bit. I’ve got two more races before Trials and I can go out there and enjoy them, then focus on performing at my best at Trials.”

Conrad Williams (Linford Christie) also smashed his PB, set an Olympic A standard (45.30) when he won the 400m in 45.08 to go second in the UK Power of Ten rankings. Luke Lennon Ford (Christie) also rewrote his PB with an Olympic qualifying 45.23 in second to go third in the rankings.

Richard Buck (Kevin Tyler) ran a PB of 45.61 in fourth for a B qualifying mark (45.90).

In Race 2, Rob Tobin (Dan Pfaff) set a season’s best to win in 45.47. And just missing out on getting an Olympic B standard was Louis Persent (Stephen Garnham), who set a PB by almost a second in 45.77 in second.

Williams had earlier ran a 100m PB of 10.40/1.4.

In the women’s 400m, Kelly Massey (Stephen Ball) just missed her PB with 52.46 and Olympic B standard of 52.35 and Emily Diamond ran a PB 52.58 to go fifth in the UK rankings.

James Ellington (John Powell) ran 20.55/0.3 for 200m for second in race one to equal the Olympic A standard to go fourth in the rankings.

Lawrence Clarke (Malcolm Arnold) produced another top class 110m hurdles to finish second in 13.33/0.8, again well inside the Olympic A standard.

Ben Sumner (Stephen Ball) just missed his PB of 49.57 and go close to the Olympic A standard of 49.50 with his third place in 49.64 in the 400m hurdles.

Results: http://www.atleticageneve.ch/pdf/resultats_2012.pdf

Eugene, June 1/2

Mo Farah (Coach: Alberto Salazar) won his big clash in the 5000m against a top field including double Olympic champion Kenisa Bekele, Farah’s time was a world leading 12:56.99. In a top class competition, Shara Proctor won the  long jump in a top class 6.84m/1.6m and she also had jumps of 6.75m and 6.76m. She beat world champion Brittney Reese.

Proctor said:

“This is only my second meet of the season so I’m really happy with that performance.

“The Eugene crowd was amazing and it’s always great to get such a loud clap from the crowd behind you. There was a great atmosphere and today was a really fun experience.

“Jumping like that against such a stacked field with World Champion Brittney Reese and Olympic Champion Maurren Higa Maggi makes it even more satisfying.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot more to come though. Again, with that only being my second meet, I’m looking to go further this summer.

“I’m flying to Oslo next and looking forward to a great Trials back in the UK in a few weeks’ time.”

Barbara Parker (Sean Burris) broke the British record in the steeplechase with 9:24.24, finishing fourth behind three top Africans. It was a personal best by around 10 seconds and of course, like Farah and Proctor puts her top of the McCain Power of Ten rankings.

A delighted Parker said:

“I am very happy with my performance today. My training has indicated a sub 9:25 performance for some now,  I  just needed to put myself in the race from the beginning.

“I am honoured to have regained the British record from Helen Clitheroe. She is one of my heroes so and I know she is happy to see it go. I am not surprised by the time. I should have run sub 9:30 last year, so I am just skipping that time period and going for the teens!

“I have great confidence in my fitness and truly believe in the training my coach sets 100%. So to put it all together in a race is a great feeling. I can move forward now, knowing that running near the front is much better for me. I have good speed so there is no reason to hold back at the beginning. “

I am looking forward to a great competition at the trials, and glad it is close now! 2012 has been a long wait.

Philips Idowu (Coach: Aston Moore) was third in the triple jump with 17.05/1.2 while Holly Bleasdale (Julien Raffalli-Ebezant)finished seventh in the pole vault with 4.28m.

Andy Turner (Lloyd Cowan) was 8th in a top class 110m hurdles in 13.46w/2.4

Results: http://www.diamondleague-eugene.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/

Regensburg, June 2

Eighteeen year-old Adam Gemili (Coach: Michael Afilaka) caused a huge surprise in the 100m totally rewriting his PB of 10.08/0.8mps and go well inside the Olympic A standard of 10.18 and go top of the McCain Power of Ten senior  rankings. The European junior silver medallist’s time of 10.08 puts him second in the UK all time junior lists. His previous PB was 10.23 and he first ran 10.11/1.2 in the heat.

Gemili said: "When I crossed the line in 10.08 it was the most amazing feeling in the world!
"When I ran my heat and saw I’d ran 10.11 I jumped into the air whilst I was still slowing down, the physios told me to calm it down else I’d end up injuring myself. So I was a bit calmer after the .08 but it was still the best feeling ever."

"Training with Michael (Afilaka) and his group I’ve learned so much from him and the whole group are brilliant. Jeanette Kwakye is brilliant as a training partner but also as a role model, having been to an olympic final and having a world medal. Its just been such an eye opener.

"It feels really good to have run the A standard, but moreso to be a junior and have done the time. I hope it shows other juniors what can be done and not just to think only seniors can do that, they can compete at that level too."

European silver medallist Christian Malcolm (Dan Pfaff) won the 200m race in a season’s best of 20.46/1.2 to beat the Olympic A standard of 20.50 and go second in the UK rankings.

Another junior in great form was European junior champion David Bolarinwa (John Powell). He won the third 200m race in a PB 20.69 which puts him in the all time top ten and moves him one hundredth of a second ahead of Gemili at the top of the UK junior rankings. It just missed the Olympic B standard of 20.65 but was well inside the world junior championships standard of 21.10.

Richard Yates (Stephen Ball) who already has the Olympic A standard (49.50) won his race in the 400m hurdles in 49.92.

Anyika Onoura ran an Olympic qualifying A standard (23.10) 22.93/0.6 to win her race and go second in the UK rankings, It equalled her PB set in the heats of the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.

Onuora also set a season’s best in finishing third in the 100m in 11.31/1.1 and that puts her third in the UK rankings and her time is inside the Olympic B standard of 11.38 and close to the A standard of 11.29.

Results http://live.seltec.at/SparkassenGala2011/day1.htm

English closed Championships, Birmingham June 2/3

Highlight of the first day of the Championships was Sarah Holt’s (Bob Weir) championship best and PB of 68.50m in the hammer. She just missed the Olympic B standard  of 69.00m

results: http://england.athletics-uk.org/

European Athletics Festival – Bydgoszcz, June 3

Laura Weightman’s (Steve Cram) excellent form continued with a win in the 1500m, clocking 4:05.88 to finish nearly a second clear – her second Olympic ‘A’ standard this season. Jessica Sparke (Ayo Falola) ran 4:19.01 in 10th.

The only other British winner was Marilyn Okoro (Ayo Falola), who was 0.15 inside the London ‘A’ mark with 1:59.75 in the 800m.She was followed by Lynsey Sharp (David Sutherland), who was third in 2:01.79.

UK hammer record-holder Sophie Hitchon (Derek Evely) threw 66.44m for fourth in her competition.

Lee McConnell (Rodger Harkins) and Nicola Sanders (Tony Lester) ducked inside the Olympic ‘B’ standard in the 400m. McConnell was second with 52.31, just ahead of Sanders with 52.35. Gemma Nicol (Piotr Haczek) was fifth with 53.40.

Gareth Warburton (Darrell Maynard) , though, missed the equivalent mark in the 800m as he finished second behind European champion Marcin Lewandoswki with 1:46.31 but this was a PB.

In the 400m hurdles, Rhys Williams (Dan Pfaff) finished strongly ahead of Nathan Woodward (Nick Dakin) as they clocked 49.58 and 49.98 respectively. Williams already has the Olympic ‘A’ of 49.50 this year.

William Sharman (Malcolm Arnold) , fourth in the 2009 World Championships, continued his return back with 13.85 for sixth in the 110m hurdles.

Luke Gunn’s (Bud Baldaro) was 13th in the steeplechase with 8:41.58.

Results http://www.forsport.info/

Hyundai Grand Prix, Floro, Norway, June 2

Alex Smith (Shane Peacock) was over 70 metres for the ninth time this season with 71.22m for sixth place.

Music City Distance Carnival, Nashville, June 2

Former GB senior international Anthony Whiteman succeeded in his attempt to become the first over-40 to run a sub-four-minute-mile outdoors. The 40-year-old clocked 3:58.79 for victory.

English Closed Championships, Birmingham June 2/3

On day two, World Championships representative Adbul Buhari (Mark Wiseman) found 53.09m enough to win the discus.

In a high-quality triple jump competition, Nadia Williams (Peter Stanley) beat Laura Samuel (Glenys Morton) into second – 13.71m to 13.63m.
results: http://england.athletics-uk.org/

Scottish Championships, Glasgow June 2/3

Mark Dry’s great form continued with a Scottish record 74.46m in the hammer.
Results:http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=64769

Welsh Championships, Cardiff, June 2-3

Top marks in the Welsh capital included Caryl Jones’ 15:44.84 in the 5000m
Results:http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=62483