12 July 2010

Away from the glitz of the Aviva British Grand prix there was action a-plenty as the Aviva English schools Championships took place at Birmingham’s Alexander stadium featuring many key athletes from the Aviva GB & NI team headed for the world junior championships in Moncton, Canada as well as some Youth Olympic Games hopefuls:

Aviva English Schools Championships, Birmingham, July 9/10

Sam Watts (Gladys Bird), who is a member of Britain’s 4×100 team for the World Junior Championships  consolidated his position in third place in the Power of Ten rankings with a big personal best of 21.10 which gave him gold in the senior boys 200m by five metres.

Dan Putnam (John Blackie), who is in the 4×400 squad for Moncton, won the senior boys 400m narrowly in 48.04

One of Britain’s best medal hopes in Canada, Jack Meredith (Donald Moss) dominated the 110m hurdles, winning by seven metres in 13.69.

Though not quite matching his 2.15 best of 2010 that tops the 2010 Power of Ten U20 rankings, another Moncton-bound athlete, Samuel Bailey (Carol Jackson) won the high jump easily with a leap of 2.09.

Another member of Britain’s squad, Ben Williams (John Crotty) who tops the POT triple jump lists with an indoor 15.95 suffered a surprise loss to Babatunde Amosu, who set a personal best of 15.74, with Williams second on 15.45.

Britain’s two discus throwers for Canada suffered no problems though as Lawrence Okoye (John Hillier) won with a championship record 61.87 from Zane Duquemin’s 57.92.

In the senior girls events, Isobel Pooley (coach George Male)  improved her high jump personal best at the head of the POT U20 rankings with a leap of 1.83 to show she is in form for the World Junior event.
Marilyn Nwawulor (Carol Jackson), who runs for Britain at Moncton at 100m and 4x100m won the 100m narrowly in 11.89 while two fellow members of the relay team, the appropriately named Jennie Batten (Roger Walters) and Twinelle Hopson went 1-2 at 200 with Batten winning in 24.38.

Kate Avery (Robert Ashwood), who goes in the 5000m in Canada finished second to Rebecca Craigie at 1500m, who won in 4:24.54.

Izzy Jeffs set a PB and championship record of 50.54 in the javelin to go top of the POT rankings.

In the Inter Boys events, Aviva Trials U20 winner and Youth Olympic representative David Bolarinwa (coach John Powell) maintained his impressive form with a 10.77 100m victory into a strong 1.6mps headwind. Others to impress included 400m winner Joshua Street (O’Neill Bartley) whose 47.97 puts him top of the POT Under 17 rankings and was quicker than the senior winner and 100 hurdles winner Blade Ashby who recorded the fastest legal electrical time of the year with 13.18.

Charlie Grice (Coach Jon Bigg) set a championship record of 3:52.24 in the Inter Boys 1500. After a slow first 800 in 2:08, Grice controlled it to erase fellow Sussex athlete Johann Boakes’ mark and Boakes, like another better known former winner of the ESAA 400 and 800 Steve Ovett, is a member of Phoenix AC. He already tops the POT rankings with a 3:48.70 clocking. Zak Seddon (coach Jeff Seddon) went top of the POT 1500 steeplechase rankings with a championship record of 4:13.66 that is closing down on the 36 year-old British record of 4:11.2.

In the Inter Girls events, Georgia Peel headed Aviva Trials 400m winner and top ranked on Power of Ten Katie Snowden with a near personal best 2:07.14 while Jessica Judd (Jeremy Freeman) predictably won the 1500 in 4:22.63, taking gold by 10 seconds. In the high Jump, Kate Anson entered the competition with a 1.71pb and emerged with a 1.78 victory, to go well clear in the POT rankings as does shot putter Sophie McKinna (Geoff Capes) whose 15.08 pb was also a Championship record.

Freya Jones (William Bushnell) set a record in the javelin with a 49.23 throw, though has thrown a top ranked 51.28 this summer. It was a great weekend for the Inter throwers as in the hammer both Abbi Carter and Louisa James broke the Championship record with Carter’s 54.78 pb just falling short of James’ top ranked mark of 54.87.

The only championship record in the junior boys event fell to Oliver Bradfield (Tim Newneham) with a 61.28 javelin throw while there were no records in the junior girls events.

Results can be found here http://www.esaa.net/
 

 
BMC Solihull, July 10

American Collegiate 1500m champion Charlotte Browning went inside 4:10 for the first time when she picked up a strong victory in 4:09.86 which puts her fifth in the Power of Ten Rankings and left behind Canadian Amber Mcgown and Australian Eloise Wellings.

In the 800m, 20-year-old Stacey Smith (Coach Mick Woods) won the women’s 800m to take over a second off her best with 2:02.49.

Britain’s 2nd fastest 800m of runner of 2010 Gareth Warburton (Coach Darrell Maynard) backed up his recent 1:46.61 in Slovenia when he won the men’s race in 1:47.44 which should guarantee a place in Wales’ Commonwealth Games team, while both Chris Gowell and Ed Smith (Coach Mike Smith) were inside 1:48, the latter for the first time.

While his team-mate Niall Brooks was having an amazing 1500m run at the Aviva British Grand Prix at Gateshead, Adam Cotton was performing well at his World Junior event and ran 1:49.04 for fourth.
The 3000m steeplechase saw Stuart Stokes defeat the Canadian pair of Rob Watson and Alexander Genest.His season’s best of 8:34.06 puts him second on the POT rankings to Luke Gunn’s run at Gateshead the same evening, whilst James Wilkinson (Phil Townsend) broke 8:50 for the first time with 8:49.05 in fourth to go fifth in the POT rankings in his last race as a teenager.

Mark Draper (Coach Andrew Hobdell) was on 13:45 pace in the first half of his 5000m but once the pacemaker departed, he struggled and had to settle for a 14:05.38 win. He already lies fifth in the POT rankings.
 
Results here
http://www.britishmilersclub.com/bmcstorydisplay.aspx?storyid=566
 
 
Barcelona Grand Prix, Friday July 9

While most eyes in European sprinting were on Christian Lemaitre’s sub 10 100m, Dwain Chambers (Coach Daniel Plummer), his conqueror in the European Team Championships, won the 100m against a good international field. Chambers ran 10.14 to beat the Jamaican Dexter Lee and the American Michael Rodgers.

Andrew Steele (Stephen Ball), who is part of Britain’s 4×400 squad for the European Championhips, was sixth in the 400m in 46.28 while Chris Clarke (Nick Dakin) won the B race in 46.53 though both were outside their bests for 2010.
 
Results here
http://www.resultados.rfea.es/2010/airelibre/meeting_barcelona/ATS158A_ATXXXXXXXXXXXXCAT_date=2010-07-09.htm