13 September 2010

After a long summer, and with less than a month to go until the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, British athletes are continuing to impress in both domestic and international competition.  

Arena Games, Hilversum, Holland, September 12

Greg Rutherford (coach: Dan Pfaff) won the long jump (7.81m) and the 100m (10.47).

Other Commonwealth Games-bound athletes in action included Abi Oyepitan (Tony Lester) who won the 100m in 24.01 and Louise Hazel (Fayyaz Ahmed), who won both the 100m hurdles (13.66) and the long jump (5.92m).

National Junior League Final, Derby September 12

Hannah Evenden (coach: Paul Evenden) – currently ranked in the top three UK under-20s in the shot putt, discus and hammer – won all three events.

World Junior Championships silver medallist Laura Samuel (Glenys Morton) was unchallenged in winning the triple jump with a windy 12.46m leap, some way down on her 13.75m podium performance in Canada.

Results here: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=36178

McCain UK Race Walking Challenge Final, Including RWA National 10km Championships, September 11

Jo Jackson (coach: Andi Drake/Maureen Jackson) and Alex Wright (Andi Drake) wrapped up their respective National 10km titles and UKA Race Walking Challenge Series at the UKA/EA/RWA National 10km at the University of Warwick.

Nineteen year-old Wright went top of the senior men’s 10k road walk rankings with a 42:38 victory. He had set the pace alongside fellow Commonwealth Games representatives Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake) and Luke Finch (Martin Bell) in the early stages but had moved clear with Bosworth by the 3km mark, the pair going through 5km in 20.57. Bosworth, already with two DQ’s on the board, made his move at 7km and pulled out a 20m gap on Wright, but his race ended at 8km with his third and final DQ. Finch, who was back in third place, turned his ankle and decided not to risk further injury ahead of Delhi. This left the way clear for Wright to cruise home in a new personal best. Brendan Boyce (Andi Drake) took second after a cautious start, moving through the field to finish in 45.55, with Dan King in third (46.25).

“It was great to walk a new personal best despite having done a really hard week’s training,” said Wright who is now looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games. “I haven’t tapered for this race at all and even yesterday did an hour session in the climate chamber. Delhi is my first major Championships and I am hoping to produce a good performance and learn from the experience for the future”.

In the women’s race, Jackson, who dominated the race from start to finish, went to the top of the women’s Po10 rankings clocking 45.31 for victory ahead of Lisa Kehler in second (48.24) and Fiona McGorum in third (53.23).

In spite of being in heavy training for the Commonwealth Games, Jackson passed halfway in 22.30 and maintained a strong pace to the finish in 45.31. “I found that quite tough today, we have been in really hard training this week and we have been using the climate chamber at Leeds Carnegie to acclimatise for India,” said Jackson. “I’m ranked number one in the Commonwealths and I will be really disappointed not to come away with a medal, but the Aussie girls will be pretty tough”.

Kehler was comfortable in second throughout the race while there was a close battle for bronze between a  group of young walkers, McGorum eventually moving clear over the last lap to take third in a new PB.

Javelin Fest, Lee Valley, September 11

Matti Mortimer (coach: Esa Utriainen) went over 70m for the first time to consolidate his second place in the Po10 junior men’s javelin rankings with a 70.60m winning throw

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/resultsfiles/2010/0_6573_11092010201321_Jav Fest 8 Results v2.xls

Milan, September 9

Commonwealth Games-bound Andrew Osagie (coach: Craig Winrow) went fourth in the Po10 rankings for the year when finishing third over 800m in a new PB of 1:46.41. Tom Lancashire lies third in the UK rankings, but finished fourth on this occasion (1:46.71).

Andy Baddeley (Andy Hobdell) clocked a new lifetime best of 7:42.74 when finishing sixth in the 3000m, moving him to second on the Po10 rankings. His time is exactly two seconds down on Mo Farah’s leading mark and puts him 14th on the UK All Time lists for the event.

Steve Lewis (Dan Pfaff) was seventh in the pole vault with a leap of 5.40m, while Scotland’s Lee McConnell (Rodger Harkins) was fourth over 400m with 52.44.

Results here: http://www.dbresults.net/sitof/risultati/at/2010/Milano0909201001/at/stampe%5CBook_all_results.pdf

BMC Gold Standard Races and Watford Open, September 8

Finishing third overall in the mixed 3000m, Stephanie Twell (coach: Mick Woods) continued her brilliant end of season performances with yet another PB, her time of 8:42.75 good enough to take her to the top of the senior women’s Po10 rankings and put her ninth on the UK All Time lists.

Charlotte Purdue (Woods), warming up for the Commonwealth 10,000m, also set a 3000m PB with 9:10.34 which puts her top of the under-20 rankings. Making it a triple top for Woods’s athletes, Emelia Gorecka raced to a new UK under-17 record with a lifetime best mark of 9:13.93.

Johnny Hay (also Woods) went top of the under-20 men’s 5000m rankings with a 20 second plus PB of 14:02.29, while Richard Goodman (Geoff Williams) went third with 14:22.29.

Aviva English Schools junior boys 1500m bronze medallist Patrick Taylor  (Harry Czapski) took four seconds off his PB with a time of 4:10.25 which puts him second in the Po10 under-15 rankings.

Sky Draper (Kevin Draper) went top of the under-15 girls 3000m rankings with a time of 9:42.02 and Jack Crabtree (Gerald Lee) advanced to first place in the under-15 boys 3000m rankings with his 9:10.68 clocking.

The women’s 1500m was dominated by under-17s with Jessica Judd (Jeremy Freeman) winning in 4:19.06 from Georgia Peel (Mick Woods) in 4:23.98.

In the 800m, 1500m runner Colin McCourt (Craig Winrow) made a late rush to win in 1:50.13 just ahead of juniors Ryan Saunders (Mick Woods) and Sam Petty (Mark Brace) who led into the straight.

Watford Open results are here: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=36363

BMC results here: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=35695

Arzana, Italy, September 7

Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff) won with a distance of 8.07m, just short of his 8.10m season’s best though European bronze medallist Chris Tomlinson (Frank Attoh) was below his best in second in 7.77m.

Results here: http://www.fidal.it/2010/COD2280/Index.htm