24 May 2010

IAAF Diamond League, Shanghai, CHN 23 May

World-class athletics came to the Shanghai Stadium on Saturday, with three British athletes competing in the second Diamond League meeting.

Michael Bingham (Wake Forest University) finished in third place in the 400m in 45.84 (already top of the Pof10 with 45.14) behind Jeremy Wariner (USA) 45.41 and Jenny Meadows (Wigan) came a close second in the 800m clocking 2:01.34 (already top of Pof10 with 1:58.43 indoors) behind Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) 2:01.06.

Steven Lewis (Newham & Essex Beagles) jumped 5.40m for seventh in the pole vault (already top Pof10 with 5.72 indoors). www.powerof10.info/ www.iaaf.org/

IAAF World Challenge Meeting, Rio de Janeiro, BRA 23 May

Brits were also busy moving up the IAAF world rankings in Rio de Janeiro at the IAAF World Challenge meeting on Saturday.

In the triple jump, world champion Phillips Idowu (Belgrave) took the victory with a 2010 world leading leap of 17.48 (-0.1) from Alexis Copello (CUB) 17.31m (1.0).

Dwain Chambers (Belgrave) opened his season with a second place in the 100m in 10.11 (1.2) behind Mike Rodgers (USA) who ran 10.06.

www.powerof10.info/www.iaaf.org/

Youth Olympic Games European Trials, Moscow, RUS 21-23 May

A strong Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team made the trip east to the Russian capital for the inaugural European Youth Olympic Trials.

David Bolarinwa (Cambridge U17) took the gold medal in the 100m clocking 10,68 (-0.9) while in the women’s 100m Annie Tagoe (Thames Valley Harriers U20) claimed silver in 11.88 (1.5).

Bolarinwa doubled up to take 200m silver in a time of 21.49 (1.2). Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles U17) finished in fourth place in the 400m with 54.17 and in the 400m hurdles Abigayle Fitzpatrick (Warrington U17) finished in eighth place in 62.39.

In the pole vault Jax Thoirs (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) finished in 16th place clearing 4.30m.

Louisa James (U17) finished in eighth place in the hammer with a throw of 52.41m and in the javelin Freya Jones (U17) finished in fifth place 47.90m. www.powerof10.info/

Knowsley Disability Athletics Challenge, Kirkby 22-23 May

Over 70 athletes from nine nations took part in the Disability Athletics Challenge series curtain raiser, at Kirkby Sports College in Knowsley.

The highly anticipated two day event was held in the superb facilities of the sports college and super fast 6 lane Mondo athletics track to facilitate athletes posting early qualification marks for the 2011 IPC World Athletics Championships, in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Day One: Olayanju Abidogun (Horwich) took the men’s T44/46 100m in 11.91, just pipping Ian Jones (East Cheshire) by a hundredth of a second.

The men’s T35-38 100m was won by Graeme Ballard (Chorley) in 12.75 from Stephen Keeling (City of Stoke) with 13.11. The second race was won by Chris Honess (Southport Waterloo) in 13.85 from Tom Wilson (Notts) in 14.71 and Kristian Fox (Stevenage & North Herts) who ran 15.46.

Paul Blake took the men’s T11-13/36/46 800m in a PB of 2:11.09 from Dean Miller (Barrow & Furness) 2:13.94.

In the women’s T11-33/44 100m Libby Clegg (Edinburgh) claimed the victory in 13.23 (-1.9) with Tracey Hinton (Cardiff) in second with 13.56. In the second 100m Natasha Mead (Exeter) stormed to a 14.76 win with Selina Litt (Charnwood) second in 15.49.

Katrina Hart (Birchfield) took the victory in the women’s T35-38 100m in 14.68 with Bethany Woodward (Team Southampton) third in 14.78.

The T12/13 200m was won by James Ball (Federation of Disability Sport Wales) in 24.56 from Paul Willis (Halifax) finishing runner-up in 24.86.

The men’s T53/54 100mWC saw Marcel Hug (Switzerland) finish on top with 14.90 (-1.7) in a close race from Mickey Bushell (Birchfield) who clocked 14.98. Daniel Lucker (Federation of Disability Sport Wales) finished in third place in the second race, recording a PB of 16.10 and in the third race Jack Spencer (Unattached) won in 17.23 with Willilam Smith (City of Norwich) in runner-up in a PB of 17.30.

Marc Schuh (Germany) claimed the T53/54 men’s 400mWC victory with 47.03 from Hug who finished in 47.37. David Weir (Birchfield) was just behind in third with 47.45 and in the second race Lucker placed fourth in a PB of 52.72. In the third race Ross Low (Unattached) finished first in a PB of 55.06 with William Smith (City of Norwich) second to record another PB of 58.34.

The T53/54 men’s 800mWC saw Weir have another close tussle with his great Swiss rival Hug with Weir claiming a narrow victory in 1:36.04 to Hug’s 1:36.26. The second race saw Bushell take the victory in a PB of 1:46.89 with Lucker also recording a PB of 1:47.48 in third place.

Nikki Emerson (Oxford University) took the women’s T53/54 100mWC in 20.93 from Colette Martin (Red Star) who clocked 22.10. In the second race Hannah Cockroft (Halifax) finished in third place with 20.03 while Anne Wafula Strike (Unattached) was fourth in 20.27. The third race saw Julie Hamzah (Unattached) take the victory in 19.11 (-2.3) from Jade Jones (Unattached) who clocked 19.34.

In the T53/54 women’s 400mWC Tatyana McFadden (USA) sped to a 54.29 win, with Shelly Woods third in a PB of 56.36. Wafula Strike claimed a 62.79 victory in the second race from Hannah Cockroft (Halifax) who managed a PB of 65.51 with Georgina Oliver (Halifax) in third with 69.65 (also a PB). In the third race Jade Jones (Unattached) won in a PB of 61.12 from Nikki Emerson who recorded a new PB of 65.08.

Shelly Woods was also in action in the women’s T53/54 800mWC, taking second place in 1:51.72 behind Tatyana McFadden (USA) who clocked 1:51.66. In the second race Jade Jones (Unattached) took the victory in a PB of 2:04.55 with Nikki Emerson (Oxford University) third, also in a PB, with 2:09.71.

Day Two: James Ball won the T12/13 men’s 100m with 12.07 from runner-up Paul Willis (Halifax) in 12.54.

Graeme Ballard took the T36/37 200m in 26.56 with Stephen Kelling (City of Stoke) third in 27.07 and in the second race Chris Honess (Southport Waterloo) took the victory in 29.32 from Tom Wilson (Notts) 30.66.

Making her Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland debut over the weekend, Stefanie Reid (Unattached) took the women’s 200m in 30.85 from Natasha Mead who clocked 31.04.

The T54.54 200mWC saw Wafula Strike take third place with 35.05 and in the second race Georgina Oliver (Halifax) finished second in 39.54. The third race saw Jade Jones take first place in 36.73 with Nikki Emerson in second with 37.97.

David Weir blasted to a PB in the 200mWC T53/54 recording 27.10 to come home ahead of rivals Marc Schuh and Marcel Hug in 27.18 and 27.61 respectively. In the second race Daniel Lucker finished fourth with 30.14 and in the third race William Smith (City of Norwich) took the victory in 33.06 with Jack Spencer (Unattached) in second place 33.95.

In the T44 200mWC event Ian Jones (East Cheshire) was first past the post in a PB of 24.71. The men’s T53/54 1500mWC saw Hug take the victory with 3:01.56 from Weir in 3:02.70 with Brian Alldis (St Edmunds Pacers) in fifth in a PB of 3:10.84.

The men’s T53/54 5000mWC saw Hug take another victory in a new PB of 10:56.46 with Brian Alldis (St Edmunds Pacers) third in 11:43.12, while the women’s T53/54 1500mWC saw Woods finish runner up in 3:32.83 to Tatyana McFadden (USA) who clocked 3:32.68. Woods (Blackpool & Fylde) topped off a busy weekend with victory in the women’s T53/54 5000mWC in 12:30.02 from Amanda McGrory (USA) who clocked a PB of 12:44.16. www.powerof10.info/

BMC PB Classic, Milton Keynes 22 May

Hoards of youngsters descended on Milton Kenyes on Saturday to make some major revisions to the Pof10 rankings.

William Gurton (Vale of Aylesbury U17) ran 1:54.48 in the 800m, taking him to the top of the Pof10 rankings and Sean Molloy (Tonbridge U15) clocked 1:59.50 to take him to the top of the Pof10 rankings in the younger age group.

In the women’s 800m Rebecca Weston (Invicta East Kent U17) went to eighth on the Pof10 with 2:13.41 while Megan Bates (Eden U15) ran 2:17.05 to climb to ninth.

The 1500m saw James McMurray (St Albans U17) go to third Pof10 with 3:56.49and in the women’s race Rosanna Stewart (Aldershot, Farnham & District U15) ran 4:39.70 to go to fifth.

In the 3000m Robbie Farnham-Rose (Tonbridge U17) clocked 8:38.76 to go to third on the Pof10 while in the women’s race Annabel Gummow (Bristol & West U17) moved up to third Pof10 with 9:44.92.

In the 1500m steeplechase Blair Brown (Taunton U17) 4:22.94 went straight to the top of the rankings, while in the 2000m steeplechase Charlie MacLean (Taunton U20) also went to the top with 5:54.57. www.powerof10.info/ www.britishmilersclub.com/

Oxy High Performance Meet, Eagle Rock CA, USA 22 May

Jemma Simpson (Newquay & Par) improved her PB by almost four seconds in finishing second over 1500m recording 4:06.39 which takes her to second Pof10 with Barbara Parker (City of Norwich) finishing in ninth just outside her life-time best with 4:13.18 which moves her up to fifth. www.powerof10.info/

Mountain Running Challenge, Letty Fell Race, Llangynhafal, Denbighshire 22 May

Martin Cox (Salford) took the victory with over two minutes to spare in 1:11:34 from Adam Osbourne (Leeds City) who ran 1:13:44 and Gareth Raven (Sale Harriers Manchester) who finished third in 1:13:53.

The women’s race saw Victoria Wilkinson (Bingley) storm to a clear victory with 1:25:53 from Pippa Maddams (Keswick) who clocked 1:26:53 and Olivia Walwyn (City of Norwich) who ran 1:26:58. www.powerof10.info/

Other weekend reports:

Record breaking weekend: http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/may-2010/24-05-10-world-records/

Loughborough International GB Junior report:http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/may-2010/23-5-10-lboro-juniors/

 Loughborough International report: http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/may-2010/23-05-10-lboro/