7 March 2016

Jablonec Indoor Gala, Jablonec ned Nisou, Czech Republic, 5 March

World and European indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty (Coach: Benke Blomkvist) produced a flying finish to his indoor season, smashing Kim Collins’ meeting record of 6.56. The 26 year-old won his heat in 6.59 and the final in 6.50, a season’s best and the second fastest time of his career – behind the 6.49 that won him the world indoor title in Sopot in 2014. It was also a 2016 European lead time for Kilty, who was disqualified for a false start in his semi-final at the Indoor British Championships in Sheffield the previous weekend and subsequently decided not to defend his world crown in Portland. “I feel I can run even faster but still think I made the right decision to concentrate on the summer,” he said.

Kilty was not the only Briton to shine in the men’s 60m final, 19-year-old Theo Etienne (Ryan Freckleton) taking the runners-up spot in 6.56, a PB.

Tiffany Porter (Rana Reider) was also in outstanding form. The reigning European 100m hurdles champion set a season’s best of 7.93 in the 60m hurdles heats before winning the final in 7.89. Behind Porter in the final, Serita Solomon (Michelle Bovell) finished fourth in 8.13 and Lucy Hatton (Jerzy Maciukiewicz) fifth in 8.21.

The highlight of the meeting was Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie’s 2016 world lead clearance of 6.03m in the men’s pole vault. Fourth in that high class event was Max Eaves (self-coached), the 2010 Commonwealth bronze medallist clearing a lifetime best of  5.64m – despite having to compete with borrowed poles, his own implements having failed to arrive on the flight from London.

British indoor champion Dan Bramble (Frank Attoh) was second in the men’s long jump with 7.76m.

http://online.atletika.cz/vysledky.aspx?idk=24685

IAAF World Challenge Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 5 March

Commonwealth discus bronze medallist Jade Lally (Coach: Andrew Neal) notched another notable victory on Australian soil. A week after taking the New South Wales Open title in Sydney with an English record throw of 65.10m, the Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier triumphed in the opening IAAF World Challenge meeting of the year at Albert Park in Melbourne with 59.94m. Australia’s Taryn Gollshewsky was runner-up with 58.91m.

http://www.iaaf.org/results/iaaf-world-challenge-meetings/2016/iaaf-melbourne-world-challenge-5875/women/discus-throw/final/result#resultheader

Fitbit Semi de Paris, Paris, France, 6 March

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) clocked a personal best time of 62:36 to finish tenth in the annual Paris Half Marathon. The Scot was the first European home and moved to second on the Scottish all-time list over the half-marathon distance. Deeside’s Robbie Simpson was 13th in 64:39, also a lifetime best.

http://www.runbritainrankings.com/results/results.aspx?meetingid=164324&event=HM&venue=Paris%2c+FRA&date=6-Mar-16

Sale Harriers Open Series, Sportcity, Manchester, 6 March

Newly crowned British indoor champion Louise Bloor (Toni Minichiello) improved her 200m PB with a winning time of 23.36. Luke Cutts (Trevor Fox), another winner at the British Indoor Championships in Sheffield the previous week, won the men’s pole vault with a clearance of 5.30m, 10cm ahead of training partner Adam Hague (Fox) and 2013 World Youth Champion Harry Coppell (John Mitchell).

Paralympic T44 100m gold medallist Jonnie Peacock (Steve Fudge) clocked 7.37 and 7.45 in one of the series of men’s 60m races at Sportcity, while London 2012 T36 100m silver medallist Graeme Ballard (Tabo Huntley) clocked a season’s best of 25.85 in a year which sees the British veteran target a third Paralympic Games.

Also setting a season’s best in Manchester was Erin McBride (Robert Roberts) with the European T13 100m gold medallist posting a time of 27.45.  

http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=145197&event=200&venue=Sportcity&date=6-Mar-16

English Schools Cross Country Championships, Wollaton Park, Nottingham, 5 March

Alex Yee (Ken Pike) was in dominant form in the Senior Boys race. Moving to the front early on the gap became 70m before the last lap and he just kept moving away. Behind him it was Will Richardson (Peter Stewart) and Isaac Akers (Bill Boyd) who led the chase but Yee won by 33 seconds.

Sabrina Sinha (Peter Mullervy) led a Kent one-two in the Senior Girls race. Having taken the lead from Poppy Tank (Simon Anderson) Sinha put on one of her determined front running displays and ran away from the field.

As she did so her county team-mate Niamh Bridson-Hubbard (Andy Frankish) was working to pick off the other athletes who had formed the leading pack to move through into silver medal position with English National U17 champion Niamh Brown (Surrey, Club: Aldershot, Farnham & District, Coach: Mick Woods) taking the bronze.

In the Intermediate boys and girls races, Matthew Willis (self-coached) and Josie Czura won convincingly to seize the prestigious English Schools title. Harris Mier (John Knowles) of Cornwall andEmily Williams (Shane Smith) of Northamptonshire were victorious in the junior categories.

http://www.englandathletics.org/england-athletics-news/athletes-impress-at-new-balance-english-schools-aa-cross-country-championships

England Athletics 10k Race Walking Championships, 6 March

British Athletics Futures programme athlete Callum Wilkinson (Mick Graham) improved his junior British 10km (road) record by three seconds at the England Championships. His time of 41:31 was another great performance by the junior athlete who finished seventh at the European Junior Championships last year.

Bethan Davies (Andi Drake) won the women’s race in a time of 44:59 which was a Welsh record and moves her to second on the UK all-time list.